SLS DTLA Takeover '26: Joslin, Onodera, Covell Own Street

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The Program Hour by Hour

SLS has condensed everything into one day. No qualifications spread over two days. No elimination rounds the day before. Everything happens today, in just a few hours, in a compact format that leaves no room for slacking off.

The Auto Jam kicks things off. A Cash for Tricks format where each rider attempts the craziest trick to pocket cash live. It's the warm-up that gets the crowd hyped before the serious business begins. Then, the Wildcard Jam gives outsiders a chance: the top two earn their spot in the men's final. The kind of format that can propel an unknown to the forefront in twenty minutes.

Chris Joslin: The SOTY Has Something to Prove

Chris Joslin arrives in DTLA with the Thrasher Skater of the Year 2025 title on his shoulders. His part G-Ma, a tribute to his grandmother who raised him, marked the year. The tre flip down El Toro 20 stair earned him the Thrasher cover and the title. His first SLS victory in Santa Monica confirmed what everyone already knew: Joslin isn't a one-dimensional power skater. He's a fierce competitor.

But at SLS Sydney in February, Onodera stole the show. Joslin needs this stop to remind everyone that the SOTY doesn't just collect titles. He defends them. The DTLA course, with its massive stair set and technical street features, perfectly suits his explosive style. If anyone can answer Sydney's 9+ scores, it's him.

Onodera and the 9 Club: Sydney Was Just the Beginning

The kid turned 16 the day he won. Sixteen years old. He skates for Jart Skateboards and already has a Super Crown World Championship (2025) under his belt. Julian Agliardi (35.5) and Giovanni Vianna (34.7) finished behind him in Sydney. Not unknowns. Killers who were dominated by a teenager.

The question everyone's asking today: Was Sydney an isolated feat or the start of a domination? Nyjah Huston, Olympic medalist and undisputed king of contests for fifteen years, returns to his home turf in LA. Jagger Eaton, another American Olympic medalist, wants his piece of the pie. But all eyes will be on Onodera. Can he repeat Sydney? Can he beat his own record?

Women's Final: Covell vs Leal, the Electrifying Duel

Facing her, Rayssa Leal. The Brazilian who won the 2025 Women's Super Crown and SLS Sydney 2026. Nineteen years old, already a legend. The Covell-Leal duel has become the most electrifying rivalry in global women's skateboarding. Two generations, two styles, the same level of technical madness.

Winner of the 2025 SLS Pier Takeover, Covell arrives in DTLA with the intention of overturning the hierarchy. She does tricks most men wouldn't dare attempt in competition. That's exactly what XC New York's GM said on Draft night. Today, she has the chance to prove it in front of Los Angeles.

Wildcard Jam: The Open Door for Outsiders

The Men's Wildcard Jam, presented by Stake, is the most unpredictable segment of the day. Skaters who haven't yet secured their spot in the final battle for two spots. Two tickets to face Joslin, Onodera, and Huston. This format has always been the strength of street skateboarding: anyone can show up and steal the show.

Last year, the Takeover format already produced surprises. The same scenario could happen again in this DTLA warehouse. Imagine a twenty-year-old LA local, no sponsors, landing a 9 on the stair set in front of Nyjah. It's happened before. And it could happen today.

What's at Stake for the Rest of the Tour

DTLA is Stop 2 of the SLS Championship Tour 2026. After Sydney in February, points are starting to count seriously. The season continues on the East Coast in May, then in Brazil in August, in France in October, in Japan in November, and concludes with the Super Crown in Brazil in December.

Onodera took the lead in the standings with his victory in Sydney. A second consecutive win in DTLA would put him in an almost unassailable position for the rest of the Tour. Conversely, for Joslin and Huston, it's now or never. Letting the Japanese skater gain a two-win lead early in the season means jeopardizing the entire rest of the year.

And then there's the stop in France in October. The first SLS on French soil. If you want to understand what's at stake when the riders arrive here, the dynamic is being built today. The Tour standings are taking shape now, in DTLA, between the lowriders and the features.

SLS DTLA Takeover ’26 — did you agree with the result? Tell us who really deserved it. Drop a comment ↓