Monster Energy's Tom Schaar Takes First Place in 2026 Belco Bowl Jam Skateboarding Competition in Australia
- Full Podium Sweep for Team Monster Energy with Schaar Claiming 1st Place, Monster Army's JD Sanchez 2nd Place, and Kieran Woolley 3rd Place in the 25th Anniversary of the Grassroots Event
- Ruby Lilley Claims 2nd Place in Women's Bowl Contest, Monster Army's Asahi Kaihara 3rd Place
- Men's Skateboard Vert: Moto Shibata Takes 1st Place, JD Sanchez 2nd Place; Asahi Kaihara Claims 2nd Place in Women's Skateboard Vert
- Liam Pace from Arizona Awarded MVJ (Most Valuable Jammer) Performance Prize
CANBERRA, Australia, Feb. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Major wins Down Under! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Tom Schaar on taking first place in the Belco Bowl Jam skateboarding competition. In the 25th Anniversary edition of the bowl skating event outside Canberra, Australia, the 26-year-old from Malibu, California, claimed the victory for the third consecutive year. Schaar also took first place at Spot 2 of the street Best Trick competition on Friday.
The victories continued in the Men's Skateboard Vert event on Sunday with 30-year-old Moto Shibata from Osaka, Japan, taking first place for the second year in a row.
From February 20-22, the 2026 Belco Bowl Jam attracted the world elite of vertical skateboarding to the legendary bowl in Canberra for a special celebratory event with a $60,000 prize purse. Established in 2001, the annual event celebrated 25 years as Australia's longest-running skateboarding competition and culture festival.
Supported by Monster Energy, this year's edition of Belco Bowl Jam also featured a halfpipe contest, Best Trick competitions at street locations, as well as concerts, skate video premieres, and DJ sets. Here's how the action unfolded for Team Monster Energy in Australia this weekend:
In the Belco Bowl Jam, Tom Schaar dropped in as the two-time defending champion with plenty of new tricks up his sleeve. Tricks, including kickflip Indy to fakie, alley-oop Caballerial disaster revert over the channel, alley-oop backside 540 melon the channel, frontside bluntslide, tailgrab to fakie the channel, blunt to fakie, and switch kickflip earned Schaar the repeat title of King of Belco Bowl Jam.
Schaar also took first place at Spot 2 of the street Best Trick competition on Friday with a frontside blunt over the channel of the wall ride obstacle.
Also bringing the heat to Australia, 16-year-old Monster Army rider JD Sanchez from Pleasanton, California, took second place by stringing together high airs and technical lip tricks. Standouts such as alley-oop ollie, massive backside tailgrab, heelflip frontside air, and kickflip Indy finger flip earned the newly minted team rider his spot on the podium. Sanchez also took the win in the Highest Air competition.
Completing the podium sweep for the team, 22-year-old Kieran Woolley from Kiama Downs, Australia, clinched third place on the strength of high-energy runs in the final, featuring frontside lipslide the channel, huge frontside nosebone, and frontside invert revert. Woolley also earned the prize for Best Trick on the channel rail with a frontside lipslide transfer.
The women's division of the 2026 Belco Bowl Jam also saw Monster Energy riders claiming podium spots. In the high-staked final, 19-year-old Ruby Lilley from Ocean City, Maryland, claimed second place by landing lien to disaster over the channel, and finger flip lien to tail.
Claiming third place, 19-year-old Monster Army rider Asahi Kaihara from Osaka, Japan, worked the bowl with high-flying benihanas over the channel, frontside nosegrind lipslide, and signature tricks, including fakie frontside pop shove-it stalefish.
On Sunday, the Belco Vert Jam stoked fans with action on the 12-foot-tall halfpipe at Belconnen Skate Park. When the dust settled, 30-year-old Moto Shibata from Osaka, Japan, claimed the victory in Men's Skateboard Vert for the second consecutive year.
Undeterred by the onset of rain over the vert ramp, Shibata earned his repeat victory by stringing together tricks like front foot impossible lien air, Judo air, one-foot Japan, alley-oop McTwist, kickflip McTwist, stalefish McTwist, method to fakie, Caballerial 540, sugarcane grind, and frontside Cab Madonna.
Also rising to the podium, 16-year-old Monster Army rider Sanchez claimed second place in the Belco Vert Jam.
In the Women's Skateboard Vert final on Sunday, Monster Army's Kaihara rose all the way to second place with a technical run featuring frontside body varial benihana, huge Japan air, stylish Madonna, kickflip Indy, and frontside noseblunt.
Rounding out a successful weekend for the team, 25-year-old Liam Pace from Tucson, Arizona, earned the MVJ (Most Valuable Jammer) Performance Prize. Pace won Spot 3 of Friday's street Best Trick series with a big flip backside disaster on the quarter pipe and stoked the crowd all weekend by landing high-speed tricks and unique transfer airs. Pace also earned Best Trick in Sunday's Vert Jam with a frontside feeble grind on the vert extension.
For more on Tom Schaar, Moto Shibata, Liam Pace, Ruby Lilley, Asahi Kaihara, JD Sanchez, Kieran Woolley, and the Monster Energy skateboarding team, visit www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok for exclusive updates as the action sports season continues.
For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser.
About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its athletes and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at www.monsterenergy.com.
CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: [email protected]
SOURCE Monster Energy
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