Jackalope Block Party Ventura 2026

About this event

Jackalope Block Party Ventura 2026 was the internationally acclaimed action-sports festival's first-ever West Coast — and first-ever California — edition, a free, three-day skateboarding vert celebration held May 1-3, 2026 in the heart of Downtown Ventura, California (Ventura County), with a world-class vert ramp (roughly 13.5-14 ft / ~4 m tall and 60 ft wide) dropped directly into the intersection of California Street and Main Street. Produced by Jackalope (the Montreal-based Tribu action-sports group) in partnership with Visit Ventura, the block party drew a reported 50,000+ fans over the weekend and mixed open vert competition with a Vert Best Trick contest, a Legends Demo, pro meet-and-greets, live music, pop-up shops, art, and local vendors. The vert contest ran four divisions — Men's Vert (Open), Women's Vert (Open), Grom Boys Vert and Grom Girls Vert (under-15) — with amateurs and pros welcome to register; the top male and female Open winners split $20,000 in prizes and each earned an all-expenses-paid trip to compete at Jackalope Virginia Beach. The weekend was etched into event history when 17-year-old JD Sanchez of Pleasanton, California landed a 99.0 to win the Men's Vert — the first-ever 99 in Jackalope Block Party history — while competing with a broken wrist, and Osaka's Juno Matsuoka won the Women's Vert with three consecutive 540s, each with a different grab. The Legends Demo featured icons Steve Caballero (who, at 61, landed his signature Caballerial), Christian Hosoi, Bob Burnquist, Elliot Sloan and Pierre-Luc Gagnon, and two-time Olympian Bryce Wettstein both competed and performed music. Registration is now closed and the event has ended; its ongoing value is in the published Boardr results, the official Vert Finals webcast, and its role launching a multi-year Ventura run (the block party has since been secured for Ventura through 2028, with 2027 set for April 30-May 2 and 2028 for May 5-May 7). Spectating was free and open to the public; only the pro meet-and-greet required a paid pass.

At a glance

Event links