I gotta say, after I finished watching the Men’s Street Skateboarding Final in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, I could not wait for more Olympic skateboarding! I’ve read on some skateboarding Facebook groups I belong to that Olympic skateboarding has been boring and I disagree. I mean, I get it, these competitors are not going to go out there and try any old thing and they wouldn’t do that in any competition. Skate videos that are edited and compiled to have the best footage and most unique skate spots are going to be far more entertaining than a competition although sometimes in competition, what you get to see is determination and strategy. Sometimes that determination or strategy does not work out and other times it does. You never know what you are going to get. I think I was even more entertained with the Women’s Street Skateboarding event because of several different reasons. First of all, they added in some flair tricks which I don’t remember anyone doing in the men’s street skateboarding. I know they most likely get hardly any points for those if nothing but it’s definitely entertaining for old skaters like myself. Another thing that got me stoked about women’s skateboarding was the music I was hearing. At one point I could hear Intergalactic Planetary from Beastie Boys, another moment I heard the classic Suicidal Tendencies “Possessed to Skate” and I also heard “Killing Moon” which reminds me of the Shiloh Greathouse’s video part in Transworld’s 2005 video “First Love”.
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Women’s Street Skateboarding event had familiar names that you might think would easily top the medals charts like Brazil’s own Pamela Rosa or veteran Leticia Bufoni or America’s Mariah Duran. If you thought this, you would be wrong. These three skateboarders did not make the top 8 to compete in the Women’s Street Finals. I was relieved to see Alexis Sablone was able to skate well and land some good tricks to get herself into the Finals competition. I knew she was good, but I was afraid that her nerves would get the best of her and they clearly did not. She competed her heart out alongside these younger skaters and even found herself in the medal spots for a while until the younger skaters bumped her down to 4th place. If Alexis had landed her last two tricks, the USA may have medaled but that is all in the past.
This competition was exciting to the end and the women truly battled it out. There were bloody elbows, sprained ankles, skaters shaking out their wrists after falling hard, and I’m pretty sure Margielyn Didal, the skater from the Philipines had to have broken or sprained something pretty bad. She would not quit though and after every trick attempt would put on a huge smile and limp painfully back up the stairs. She ended up in 7th place but was definitely a crowd favorite and her enthusiasm was felt by all. Roos Zwetsloot of the Netherlands was exciting to watch and also was Wenhui Zeng of China. Any of these skaters could have medaled with their talent, but in skateboarding, it comes down to who can land these tricks under pressure in this moment. This time, a pair of 13-year-old skateboarders and a 16-year old would take home the medals for their countries. 13-year-old Momiji Nishiya of Japan took home the Gold. 13-year-old Rayssa Leal of Brazil took home the Silver and 16-year old Funa Nakayama of Japan took home the Bronze. Japan is proving to be a powerhouse in skateboarding’s inaugural event in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics! I can’t wait to watch Men’s and Women’s Park Skateboarding on August 3rd and 4th.
Tokyo 2020: Women’s Street Skateboarding Finals Standings
1. Momiji Nishiya (JAP) 15.26
2. Rayssa Leal (BRA) 14.64
3. Funa Nakayama (JAP) 14.49
4. Alexis Sablone (USA) 13.57
5. Roos Zwetsloot (NED) 11.26
6. Wenhui Zeng (CHN) 9.66
7. Margielyn Didal (PHI) 7.52
8. Aori Nishimura (JAP) 6.92
