Watch the Kasso Finals Live

The Japanese Skateboarding Challenge Format Makes Its US Debut at KASSO Skate & Sound Fest, with a Global Livestream on 22 March on the Red Bull Skateboarding YouTube Channel and Red Bull TV.

Across four courses, 28 skaters from around the world will race through obstacle stages designed to test speed, creativity, and adaptability. Among those competing are Red Bull athletes Jamie Foy (USA), Cordano Russell (USA), Jiro Platt (Japan), CJ Collins (USA), Torey Pudwill (USA), and Gavin Bottger (USA), who headline an international lineup of riders taking on the course.

What is KASSO?
Originally launched in Japan in 2024, KASSO began as a televised skateboarding challenge
show where professional riders and local talents take on elaborate obstacle courses built
specifically for each location.
Created by TOKYO BROADCASTING SYSTEM TELEVISION, INC. (TBS), the network behind
popular game shows like TMXC (Most Extreme Elimination Challenge) - the international
version of Takeshi’s Castle and Ninja Warrior -, the format unites elements of racing, escalating elimination rounds, and survival-style competition.
Unlike traditional skate contests judged on style, KASSO is structured as a race against time - a course-versus-skater format where riders must adapt to each obstacle as they go. Competitors must navigate technical obstacles with speed and precision to stay in the game - missing an obstacle or posting the slowest time means elimination.
The result is a format that combines the creativity of skateboarding with the tension and
unpredictability of a challenge show.
Described as “the anti-contest contest,” KASSO reimagines skate competition by shifting the focus away from competing for the sake of winning, judging panels, and podium finishes, and toward creativity, flow, fun, and problem-solving across dynamic obstacle courses - mirroring the escalating drama typical of modern game shows.