Braden Hoban returned to Tampa for only his second time, hitting the course at the 31st annual Tampa Pro in 2025. Rolling deep with his crew—Dakota Servold, David Reyes, Torey Pudwill, and CJ Collin— though his posse wasn’t the only competition he was up against. Contest heavyweights like Yuto Horigome, Vincent Milou, and Ishod Wair were all present at the Skate Park of Tampa, among others that were on their game. Competition pressure aside, Braden held it down in the quarterfinals and move on to the semis/final day. Watch how it all turned out for Braden in First Person.
Tampa Pro 2025 Final Highlights: Sora Shirai, Yuto Horigome, Angelo Caro
Check out the highlights from the main event at Tampa Pro 2025. Featuring finalists Julian Christianson, Vincent Milou, Felipe Gustavo, Richard Tury, Kelvin Hoefler, Jhancarlos Gonzalez, Jake Ilardi, Micky Papa, Kairi Netsuke, Angelo Caro, Yuto Horigome, and Sora Shirai.
Tampa Pro 2025 Independent Best Trick
The circus is back in town and brought in the best skateboarders all under one roof for Tampa Pro 2025. The Independent Best Trick sideshow lets these freaks of nature run wild as they attempt to put down their heaviest of moves. Watch Matias Dell Olio, Carlos Ribiero, Sebo Walker, Yuri Facchini, Julian Christianson, Kairi Netsuke, Ivan Federico, Jamie Foy, and Angelo Caro in the montage video above.
The Platfrm – Then / Now: Mami Tezuka’s Fave Tricks, Influential Crew and Music Taste
Get the full scoop from Mami Tezuka on some of her favorite tricks, skateboard crew, and music from the past and how it has shaped her into the skateboarder she is today. From growing up learning to skateboard with her family to now traveling the world for major contests, Mami has an influential skateboard history. Learn all about it in Mami’s latest Then / Now video above.
The Platfrm First Person: Romel Torres’ Path to FA, Street Skating, and PHX AM
Romel Torres would not refer to himself as a contest skater by any measure, he did not grow up skating events. He has however found himself in the mix at the Cowtown’s PHX AM presented by Converse for the past three years. Raised around Portland, Oregon, Romel spent almost all of his time in the streets, so when it comes to the contest scene he admits to being out of his element a bit. But according to Louie Lopez, “he can hold his weight just street skating.”
Cruise the famed Cowtown event with Romel through practice and qualifiers. Spoiler Alert: He didn’t make it to the finals, but he was just fine with that. Also hear a few words from Louie about Romel’s roots, path to FA and some street footy we should be on the lookout for.
PHXAM 2025 Women’s Final Highlights | Platfrm
Watch the women’s PHXAM 2025 highlights of the best moves that went down on Sunday’s final. The six finalists gave it their all over the weekend to earn a spot in Sunday’s main event, and their skating lived up to the hype. Watch Hina Maeda, Mei Ozeki, Shiloh Catori, Kylie Frank, Evie Pritchard, and Liz Akama in the highlight video above.
PHXAM 2025 Men’s Final Highlights | Platfrm
Watch the highlights of the best moves that went down on Sunday’s final for Cowtown Skateboards’ 2025 PHXAM. All twelve finalists put in work over the weekend to make it to Sunday’s main event, and the skating they put down did not disappoint. Watch Javon Goodman, Drew Nguyen, Isaac Relis, Maurice Jordan, Gabe Vigliotti, Greg Rodriguez, Steven Vasquez, Malachi Gray, Deyvid Tuesta Mota, Kristion Jordan, Julian Agliardi, and Keenan Lewis in the highlight video above.
Then / Now: Cordano Russell Skateboarding Humble Beginnings to Pro – The Platfrm
Tap in with Cordano Russell to learn how he got his start and how things have since changed in this episode of Then and Now. Between clips from his childhood and footage stacked recently, he breaks down the journey to becoming a pro. Cordano runs through his favorite skaters, the video parts that hype him up, his skate crews and the communities that have helped him become the beast on the board we all know today. From his humble start in St. Louis, Missouri to relocating in Southern California, Cordano’s roots in the streets and dedication to progression have proven to be more than enough for him to stake his claim in the skate industry—and he is still just 20 years young!
Rockstar Energy Open 2025: World-Class Skateboarding Event Returns to Portland This August
Rockstar Energy is bringing back the Rockstar Energy Open on August 15–17, 2025, in Portland’s Waterfront Park. The event will feature top skateboarders, including Keegan Palmer, Chris Joslin, and Lazer Crawford, along with emerging talent.
Skaters worldwide can qualify through the Video Qualifying Series on ThePlatfrm.com starting June 2, with weekly cash prizes and the chance to compete in Portland.
The free, three-day event will also include live music, art, food trucks, and a fan village, creating a festival-like atmosphere. The competition will be livestreamed and broadcast globally.
The Platfrm CORE: Cowtown – The Story Behind Arizona’s Iconic Skate Shop and Contest PHX AM
At the crux of every thriving skateboard scene is a brick and mortar store that plays a vital role in the foundation of its community. Laura, Trent Martin, and Ed Cox JR of Arizona’s Cowtown Skateboards have proven this true. Born out of necessity, Trent and Ed felt the missed representation of a core skate shop that supported the local community. Before Cowtown’s inception, a coalition of key figures that included Laura, Damon Alire, and Daniel Shircliff were already pushing for the development of a skatepark for the community—their efforts included engaging with the city, raising money, and hosting contests. In 1997, two events occurred that would forever change the course of skateboarding in Phoenix: the opening of Cowtown and Desert West Skatepark. The paths between Trent, Ed, Laura, Damon, and Daniel crossed throughout their various endeavors, each with similar goals: providing, fostering, and building a future for skateboarders in their community.
The Platfrm – Now / Then: Shiloh Catori’s Journey from Newcomer to Loyal Toy Machine Pawn
What’s changed in the seven years Shiloh Catori has been skateboarding? How about joining the loyal pawns at Toy Machine, taking a win at the 2024 Phonenix AM, and moving to California for skateboarding, just to name a few milestones. Shiloh details more changes from her favorite tricks, skaters, videos, and more in her latest Now / Then video.
Dylan Jaeb, Franky Villani, Art Cardova at Dickies Demo for Sixes and Sevens Skate Shop
A big part of skateboarding’s attributes that we don’t see around as often are team signings and demos at your local skate shop. Well, the Dickies crew posse up to change that and head to San Diego’s Sixes and Sevens skate shop in Rancho Peñesquitos to do the damn thang. “I think skateboarding is the most impressive when you see it in person and these community activations, hanging out with kids, shops, and demos are all part of our culture, and we need to start bringing it back,” comments Dickies TM Joe Monteleone who helped make it all happen. Watch Dylan Jaeb, Franky Villani, Art Cardova, Vincent Alvarez, and Ronnie Sandoval ripping for the local scene and a special appearance from Guy Mariano singing away at posters!