Placing third in the women’s vert final & winning women’s best trick at this year’s Vert Alert, 10- year-old Reese Nelson has claimed her spot at the X Games in California this July.
Vert Alert is a two-day vert skateboarding competition run by the one and only Tony Hawk. The competition gives the top 6 ranked men and top 8 ranked women spots in the 2023 X Games. After her third place win at Vert Alert, Nelson was introduced to her now coach and mentor, Tony Hawk.
Hawk speaks very fondly of Nelson, calling her a natural on a skateboard and saying that “in terms of difficulty factor, she’s on par with some of the best.” The duo are currently training together in California in preparation of the X Games. Hawk has also said he was not very surprised by her qualification but he is “super proud of her.”
Nelson’s mother, Lindsey Bedier, has spoken about how much her daughter loves the sport. Bedier said, “She’s this happy 10-year-old who just happens to be super motivated and in love with skateboarding and I think her life is strange and crazy but for her, it’s just normal.” The young skating prodigy has told reporters that she can’t remember when she first started skating, it has simply always been a part of her life.
Nelson will be competing in 2 events at the upcoming X Games: women’s vert & best trick. The last time that the women’s vert event was included in the X Games was 2010, well before Nelson was even born. The 2023 X Games are set to take place in Ventura, California from July 21st to the 23rd.