The second edition of the Red Bull Steep Street skateboarding competition drew numerous fans to Prague’s Žitomírská Street on Saturday. Victory went to Austrian Santino Exenberger, who outperformed strong competition in the final.
On Saturday, 23 August, Žitomírská Street in Prague 10 transformed into a steep stage for the second edition of the Red Bull Steep Street contest. Fourteen international top riders tackled the 239-metre course with eight challenging obstacles, delivering a spectacle that demanded speed, technique, and courage in equal measure.
Victory went to Austrian Santino Exenberger, followed by last year’s Dutch winner Douwe Macaré and Finn Marius Syvänen. Local favourite Maxim Habanec, a figurehead of Czech skateboarding and founder of the event, came fifth.
Packed streets, fantastic atmosphere
By the 2 pm start, the steep Žitomírská Street was lined with hundreds of fans eager to witness skateboarding at its finest. Although Czech rider David Luu and US youngster Jiro Platt had to withdraw at short notice, the field remained star-studded, featuring South African Olympian Brandon Valjalo, US legend Torey Pudwill, multiple X-Games participant Ivan Federico from Italy, and Spaniard JP Gómez.
Technique, speed, and a test of the weather
The rules allowed no room for error: the foot had to remain on the board at all times, and braking was only permitted via powerslide. The 16-metre-long rail, in particular, challenged the riders – maintaining balance at high speed was essential.
A rain shower interrupted the top 14 runs, and the course had to be dried. While the event continued, the final was ultimately halted by the rain. Victory and defeat were thus determined by the results of the preliminary runs, with times measured electronically and the jury additionally assessing tricks and execution.
Despite the weather interruptions, the atmosphere was lively. Habanec, in particular, received rapturous applause from Czech fans. The “Reaper of the Day” award went to Ivan Federico, who thrilled the crowd with daring trick attempts.
However, the win went to 20-year-old Tyrolean Santino Exenberger. “I really enjoyed it. Prague is an amazing city, and the atmosphere here was incredible,” he said after the competition. The biggest challenge for him was the so-called “Rainbow Rail”. “I’m afraid of heights, but I tried it anyway – and in the end, it was my most important trick.”
Habanec also expressed satisfaction with the event: “It was noticeably faster than last year. Some riders struggled with that, but that’s exactly what we wanted – challenging and entertaining at the same time.” Personally, it was difficult to balance the roles of organiser, rider, and content creator. “Fifth place is okay. I had actually planned harder tricks, but the weather played against us.”
He paid special tribute to the newly crowned champion: “Santino was the surprise of the day. He has an incredible style. Normally he takes more risks, but today he was flawless. Absolutely deserved.”
