Vert is a term used in extreme sports (especially skateboarding

Skateboarding

Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...

, snowboarding

Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...

, BMX

BMX

Bicycle motocross or BMX refers to the sport in which the main goal is extreme racing on bicycles in motocross style on tracks with inline start and expressive obstacles, and it is also the term that refers to the bicycle itself that is designed for dirt and motocross cycling.- History :BMX started...

 and Inline skating

Inline skates

In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...

) to denote a competition held on a Vert ramp

Vert ramp

A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in "extreme sports" such as skateboarding.Another form of half-pipe is the mini ramp.Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane to a vertical wall....

 which allows the competitors to fly into the air and land back on the ramp. This time in the air allows the competitor to perform moves which would otherwise be extremely difficult. An example of this would be a flip, or a spin.

The term itself comes from the word "vertical

Vertical direction

In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a direction passing by a given point is said to be vertical if it is locally aligned with the gradient of the gravity field, i.e., with the direction of the gravitational force at that point...

," the direction in which the competitor is moving after leaving the ramp.

Ramps used in these events are usually a type of quarter pipe

Quarter pipe

A Quarter pipe is a ramp used in extreme sports which resembles a quarter of the cross section of a pipe. They are most commonly found in skateparks and a skiing/snowboarding terrain park, although the trained eye of an extreme sports fan can find them in modern day architecture...

, half-pipe

Half-pipe

A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...

, vert ramp

Vert ramp

A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in "extreme sports" such as skateboarding.Another form of half-pipe is the mini ramp.Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane to a vertical wall....

, or bowl; or some combination thereof.

Outside of competitions, the term vert is not normally used. Instead, the specific type of ramp is denoted. So instead of saying "I am going to go ride vert," one might say "I am going to go ride a half-pipe

Half-pipe

A half-pipe is a structure used in gravity extreme sports such as snowboarding, skateboarding, skiing, freestyle BMX, and inline skating. The structure is wood, concrete, metal, earth, or snow. It resembles a cross section of a swimming pool, essentially two concave ramps , topped by copings and...

." However, it would be correct to say "in competitions, I usually ride vert," in order to differentiate from other forms of competition (such as freestyle and street).

ESPN's X Games initially eliminated vert from its 2008 competition, due to declining ratings over the last few years, but because of a proposed boycott of the "Big Air" event, mainly by the professional skateboarders, it was reinstated. The was to be replaced by a new skate park-type event called Super Park. Even though the Vert competition was reinstated in both BMX and skateboarding, ESPN still intends on adding the SuperPark as a new event.