SEGA and the Japan Skateboarding Promotion Foundation are bringing back the SONIC CUP for 2026, this time with a new nationwide qualifying format leading to a single 48-skater final in Tokyo this December.
The U-15 competition, presented through SONIC’S RISING ATHLETES, will hold its final on December 13 at Murasaki Park Tachikawa Tachihi. Competitors will first qualify through Instagram submissions spread across six regions of Japan, a major change from last year’s SONIC CUP, which was split between separate Tokyo and Osaka events.
East Japan entries are open from September 14 through September 27, covering Hokkaido/Tohoku, Kanto and Chubu. West Japan follows from September 29 through October 12, covering Kinki, Chugoku/Shikoku and Kyushu/Okinawa. Each entrant must post a skateboarding video of at least 30 seconds on Instagram using the required regional hashtags.
The competition is open to skaters aged 15 and under through junior-high age, excluding riders with sponsorship contracts. Entry is free. Submitted runs will be judged primarily on the difficulty, execution and style of the tricks, with 48 skaters selected across the six regions for the Tokyo final.
Once everyone reaches Tachikawa, the competition switches back to a more traditional live format. Preliminaries will run from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM using the RUN format before the finalists return at 5:00 PM for a three-attempt best-trick round. The awards ceremony follows at 5:45 PM.
There is quite a prize waiting at the end. The first, second and third-place finishers, along with one competitor chosen for the SONIC Award, will receive a five-night, seven-day skateboarding training trip to Los Angeles. The trip is planned for late March through early April 2027 and is expected to include sessions at well-known skateparks as well as sightseeing and cultural visits around the city.
That also changes how the Los Angeles prize is awarded compared with 2025. Last year’s Tokyo and Osaka events each sent their top two finishers, making four winners in total. This year still sends four young skaters, but they will all emerge from the same national final, with the SONIC Award now claiming one of those places.
A professional demo session is scheduled between the preliminaries and final, with Yuro Nagahara and Hinano Kusaki, both Paris Olympians, among the riders currently announced. Sota Tomikawa, Kikitoshi Kakitani and several other Japanese skaters are also set to appear, while judging duties include Venice Nogami, Tomikawa and Ryo Sejiri.
The SONIC CUP is part of SEGA’s wider SONIC’S RISING ATHLETES program, which was launched in 2025 to support young athletes and give them more opportunities to compete, train and experience sport beyond Japan.
The SONIC CUP 2026 final takes place Sunday, December 13, at Murasaki Park Tachikawa Tachihi in Tokyo. East Japan qualifying is already underway, with West Japan entries opening September 29.
Stay tuned to Sonic City for more Sonic Events News and Updates!
Sources: SEGA, SONIC CUP 2026 / VHSMAG, SONIC CUP 2025 / SEGA
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