In 2026, the X Games League (XGL) will bring a new wave of excitement to the action sports world. In this new format, where teams named after cities clash, the key to victory lies in the presence of the “aces” who lead each team.

This time, we’ve selected eight top riders from all four participating teams, each symbolizing both their competitive ability and their culture. We’ll delve deep into their exceptional skills, meticulous line construction, and the identity embodied in their riding.

[XC Tokyo] A highly skilled group boasting high precision and perfection.

Arisa Trew

With her exceptional consistency and explosive power, she is the most important rider currently dominating the women’s park scene. Her multiple victories at the X Games prove her abilities are already well-established.

What defines her skating is her “perfect aerial control in high-rotation tricks,” ranging from backside 540s to 720s. Her technique of firmly securing the grab and completing rotations without any wobble is unparalleled.

Her most distinctive feature is that she finishes her rotation high up, the moment she reaches the peak of the ramp. This creates ample visibility and time before landing, directly contributing to her astonishingly high success rate. The perfection of her runs, seamlessly connecting tricks across the entire park without losing speed even when incorporating lip tricks, is what sets her apart.

Sora Shirai

Having won the X Games Chiba and consistently stood on the podium at major international competitions, he is a world-class technical master in the Japanese street scene.

His greatest weapon is his extremely delicate board control, with his weight shifted towards the nose. He effortlessly incorporates tricks like big spin-outs from nose slides and 270-outs from nose grinds into his routines, tricks where even a slight shift in weight can be fatal.

Supporting this control is his switch stance, which boasts precision comparable to regular stance. He naturally integrates switch frontside board slides and heelflip-type tricks, seamlessly connecting them into manuals, ledges, and rails. His ability to maintain an uninterrupted flow is precisely the style that the Tokyo team aims for.

[XC Los Angeles] A style master who embodies street culture

Tom Schaar

A world-class skater who has shone brightly at the forefront of the X Games for many years. His unwavering commitment to his unique style makes him a symbol of LA’s skate culture.

When discussing him, one cannot overlook the “overwhelming beauty of his silhouettes when performing classic basic tricks such as kickflips, frontside boardslides, and backside tailslides.” His locking depth into sections and timing of exits are always perfect, and his form never falters while riding.

In today’s contest scene, where difficulty numbers are often the sole focus, he utilizes his ability to vary the pace in manual sections, elevating each run into a “showcase of art.” This approach embodies the spirit of LA skateboarding.

Perris Benegas

A top rider who leads the women’s BMX park scene and solidified her reputation by winning an Olympic medal.

The true essence of her riding lies in her dynamic use of space in a three-dimensional way, combined with the seamless continuity of the lines that connect them. She doesn’t treat big tricks like flares and cash rolls as isolated stunts, but instead integrates them into flowing combinations from spines to quarters and jump ramps.

Particularly noteworthy is the “extension” and height of her air tricks, creating the illusion that time stands still for a split second. Her style, which maximizes visual impact and beauty, has an irresistible charm that instantly captivates viewers.

[XC New York] Aiming for victory with overwhelming offensive power

Chloe Covell

A young prodigy in the street skateboarding world, heralding a new era. Armed with incredible speed and undeniable skill, she is a prime example of a modern rider.

Her greatest strength lies in the precision of her flip tricks, executed with unparalleled accuracy after high-speed entries. She confidently lands kickflips followed by frontside boardslides on large sections without losing speed. Her incredible pop allows her to consistently maintain sufficient height on sections, which is a major advantage.

Furthermore, her remarkable ability to recover from mistakes and her mental toughness to bounce back are particularly noteworthy. She already possesses the strength to consistently improve her score in the high-pressure, one-shot environment of a competition.

Nyjah Huston

He has reigned as the “absolute champion” in the contest scene for many years, and is an iconic figure who has shaped the history of street skateboarding.

The reason he remains at the top is summarized in his “exceptional reproducibility in executing extremely difficult tricks as if they were everyday movements.” He successfully lands high-risk tricks such as Nollie Bigspins, Backside Tailslides, and 270 Outs with an extremely high success rate.

In particular, the depth of his lock in Nollie tricks is perfect, and he seamlessly transitions from there to the next move. Furthermore, his ability to construct lines to maximize his score, while coldly considering the judges’ sheet of the competition, is outstanding. With his ability to completely control difficulty and risk and “win” through his riding, he is an unparalleled and reliable presence in team competitions.

[XC São Paulo] A game-changer that defies convention.

Gui Khury

He is one of the biggest innovators in the modern vert scene, and continues to rewrite the history of skateboarding with his revolutionary rotation speeds that defy conventional wisdom.

What defines him are his otherworldly, high-level tricks, exemplified by the “Kickflip Body Varial 900,” which he landed for the first time in the world at the X Games. What makes this possible is his “overwhelming core strength and slender axis,” which allows him to remain stable in mid-air no matter how many rotations he performs.

His terrifying aspect lies not in performing these super-high-level tricks as standalone best tricks, but in incorporating them seamlessly into a flowing vertical routine, landing them one after another. This continuous barrage of high-level tricks integrated into the entire run is nothing short of a threat to his opponents.

Ryan Williams

A world-renowned trick inventor who has continuously expanded the possibilities of BMX and constantly pushed the boundaries of the sport.

His advantage lies in his incredible control in the air and the “space” that arises from it, as he has mastered complex tricks including the 900 flare and achieved numerous world firsts at the X Games. He possesses a unique sense of body that allows him to add an extra rotation or whip from cramped situations where most riders would have no choice but to prepare for landing.

Above all, his foundation is a tough mentality that completely overcomes fear. His competitive spirit, delivering peak performance in the crucial moments of the best trick where a single impact can decide the outcome, is on another level.

The team’s philosophy shines through in their choice of tricks.

XGL takes the form of a team competition representing a city, but its most appealing aspect, and the smallest unit of the sport, is “individual expression.” The tricks chosen, the sense of speed, the way lines are connected, and the mentality on the big stage—the riders’ riding itself tells the story of the philosophy of the team they belong to.

By following the riding of these eight “absolute aces,” you can not only follow the outcome of the XGL competition, but also experience the fascinating culture of modern action sports.