Jimmy Wilkins and Edouard Damestoy Locked in Historic Battle Atop XGL Men's Vert Standings

Halfway through the inaugural 2026 X Games League (XGL) season, the race for the Men's Vert individual championship has crystallized into a thrilling two-man battle. American powerhouse Jimmy Wilkins currently sits atop the standings with 1,250 points, but French phenom Edouard Damestoy is breathing down his neck at 1,180 points. The narrow 70-point margin separates two fundamentally different approaches to halfpipe skateboarding, setting the stage for a dramatic second half of the summer tour as the league heads toward its September finale.[3]

The rivalry has become the defining narrative of the 2026 XGL season, injecting unprecedented energy into a discipline that had previously struggled for sustained mainstream visibility outside of one-off mega-events. By transitioning to a season-long points format, the league has forced vert skaters to prioritize consistency alongside progression. Every run in every heat now carries championship implications, meaning skaters can no longer afford to throw away runs on low-percentage tricks without risking their overall standing.[3]

Wilkins built his early-season lead through absolute dominance during the North American spring stops. Known for his unmatched amplitude and textbook style, Wilkins has consistently secured top execution scores from the judges. His ability to boost massive ollies and float signature lip tricks high above the 21-foot superpipe coping has made him the most reliable podium finisher in the league. For Wilkins, the strategy is clear: ride fast, go higher than everyone else, and land with flawless precision.[1]

Damestoy, however, has surged in the mid-summer standings by leveraging a highly technical, spin-heavy arsenal. Drawing heavily from his experience on the mega-ramp, the French skater has successfully adapted massive 720s and 900s to the tighter transitions of the standard vert ramp. His back-to-back victories at the European XGL stops in June erased a significant portion of Wilkins' early lead, proving that the judges are willing to reward high-risk technical progression just as highly as classic style.[2][4]

The contrast between Wilkins and Damestoy represents a broader philosophical debate currently animating the vert skateboarding community. On one side are the purists who believe vert should be defined by the aesthetic quality of the air and the skater's connection to the coping. On the other side are the progression advocates who argue that the sport must continually push the physical limits of rotation and flip-in variations to evolve. The current XGL standings reflect a perfect equilibrium between these two schools of thought, with both styles proving equally viable for accumulating championship points.[1]

Beyond the top two, the chase pack remains mathematically alive, adding pressure to every upcoming tour stop. Japanese veteran Moto Shibata currently holds the third position with 1,050 points, relying on his signature front-foot impossible variations and smooth, surf-inspired lines. Meanwhile, American Tom Schaar sits in fourth at 980 points, possessing the raw power and technical ability to win any given event if he can string together a flawless run. Neither Wilkins nor Damestoy can afford a single slip-up with such a talented roster trailing close behind.[3]

The grueling travel schedule of the new global league is also beginning to test the physical endurance of the athletes. Vert skateboarding takes a massive toll on the knees and lower back, and maintaining peak performance across an eight-stop international tour is a new challenge for the roster. Damestoy's rigorous off-board training regimen in France has been credited for his mid-season surge, allowing him to absorb the impact of heavy bails without losing competition days or sacrificing practice time.[2][4]

With four stops remaining in the 2026 season—including critical upcoming events in Sydney and Tokyo—the margin for error has vanished. Wilkins and Damestoy are no longer just skating against the ramp; they are actively counter-programming against each other's runs. If Wilkins lands a flawless, high-flying routine, Damestoy is forced to answer with his most dangerous rotational tricks. This high-stakes game of one-upmanship is exactly what the X Games League envisioned when it launched the season-long format, ensuring that the race for the inaugural Men's Vert crown will come down to the final runs of the year.[3]