August 8, 2026 — Southside Skatepark, Houston, Texas
Saturday, August 8th, 2026, was one for the books at Southside Skatepark.
Red Bull LEDGEnds rolled into Houston and took over our street course for a full day of incredible skateboarding, bringing together some of the best local and regional talent for an event that felt every bit like a celebration of skateboarding and the community around it.
With support from The Border out of Tampa, Florida, Red Bull, an incredible crew of judges and staff, and a packed house of skaters and spectators, Southside Skatepark was buzzing from the moment the doors opened.
Bringing the Crew Together
A huge part of what made the event special was the crew brought together to make it happen.
Rob Meronek handled check-in and welcomed the skaters as they arrived, helping get everyone organized and ready to roll. Bob Reynolds and Vern Laird were on hand to judge the contest, with Vern also handling MC duties throughout the day.
Houston skateboarding legend Ben Raybourn also joined the judging panel, bringing decades of experience and a deep understanding of what makes great skateboarding great.
And then there were the skaters.
While Houston locals made up a big part of the field and showed up in force, LEDGEnds drew talent from well beyond the city. Skaters made the trip from Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, and even Lawrence, Kansas, turning the event into a true regional gathering.
Everyone came ready to skate.
A New Custom Feature for Southside
For the event, the Southside Skatepark crew built a brand-new custom feature specifically for Red Bull LEDGEnds.
The feature gave the skaters something fresh to attack and helped transform our street course into a completely different environment for the day. Watching everyone figure out the new prop, find their tricks and push the feature throughout the contest was one of the highlights of the event.
The result was exactly what we hoped for: creative, technical and heavy skateboarding from start to finish.
The Skateboarding Was Next Level
From the first heats through the final jam, the level of skateboarding stayed high.
The contest format gave everyone plenty of opportunities to put their skating on display, and the skaters took full advantage of it. There were big tricks and technical ledge skating and plenty of those unexpected moments that make a live skate contest so much fun to watch.
When it was all over, Damien from San Antonio took home first place.
Damien's consistency throughout the day stood out, and he put together the kind of skating that kept him in the mix all day long.
Jared from Lawrence, Kansas, made the long trip down to Houston worthwhile with a second-place finish, while Jojo from Austin, Texas, rounded out the podium in third.
Red Bull LEDGEnds Results
1st — Damien — San Antonio, TX
2nd — Jared — Lawrence, KS
3rd — Jojo — Austin, TX
But, as anyone who has spent enough time around skate contests knows, the final results only tell part of the story.
Some of the best moments of the day happened outside of the podium.
Recognizing the Skaters Who Made the Day Special
Throughout the event, Red Bull and the event crew made sure to recognize skaters who were bringing something special to the session.
Hollywood Martinez and his son Bubba received support for some of the awesome moments they brought to the event, while Dakota Robertson also picked up some funds and support after ripping throughout the day — including an incredible hurricane on the ledge that had everyone paying attention.
Those moments are a big part of what made LEDGEnds feel different.
It wasn't just about who finished first, second or third. It was about recognizing people who were out there skating hard, having fun, supporting each other and contributing to the energy of the day.
Red Bull Brings the Energy
Red Bull was a huge part of the experience from beginning to end.
The Red Bull team was on site throughout the day with beverages, sampling, staff, tables, parasails and the infrastructure needed to support the event. They kept everyone refreshed while helping create the atmosphere that made the entire day feel like a proper celebration of skateboarding.
The support from Red Bull, The Border and everyone involved allowed Southside to do what we love most: provide a place for skateboarders to come together and skate.
From the Skatepark to Voodoo Queen
And the day didn't end when the final tricks were landed.
After the contest wrapped up, Red Bull treated the skaters, crew and supporters to an after gathering at Voodoo Queen, located at 322 Milby in Houston.
It was the perfect way to close out an already incredible day — one more opportunity for everyone who came together through skateboarding to hang out, talk about the day's skating and celebrate what had just gone down at Southside.
Thank You, Houston
Events like Red Bull LEDGEnds don't happen without a lot of people working behind the scenes.
Thank you to Red Bull for supporting the event and bringing LEDGEnds to Southside Skatepark. Thank you to The Border for their support and for helping bring the event together. Thank you to Rob Meronek, Bob Reynolds, Vern Laird and Ben Raybourn for their work with the skaters and contest.
Thank you to every skater who traveled — whether you came from across Houston or all the way from Lawrence, Kansas — to be part of the day.
And thank you to everyone who came out to watch, support the skaters and fill Southside with energy.
Most importantly, thank you to the Southside Skatepark crew for building the custom feature, preparing the course and helping create a place where days like this can happen.
Until the Next One
Red Bull LEDGEnds was exactly the kind of event we love hosting at Southside Skatepark: great skateboarding, skaters traveling from different cities, a packed park, a new feature, good people and a whole lot of energy.
From the first check-in to the final session and the gathering afterward, August 8th was an incredible day for skateboarding at Southside.
Thank you to everyone who helped make Red Bull LEDGEnds at Southside Skatepark one to remember.
We'll see you here at Southside Skatepark
