We've Got The Coverage of Today's Historic USA Skateboarding Announcement!

Jordyn Barratt and Nyjah Huston

 

First-Ever Olympic Skateboarding Team Announcement 

Presented by Toyota Celebrates 12 Skaters Named to Represent the United States

 

Alexis Sablone, Brighton Zeuner

Bryce Wettstein, Brighton Zeuner

 

We were so excited to be present today when USA Skateboarding made history on Go Skateboarding Day by announcing the Olympic Skateboarding Team for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020! 

Watching the 12 member team cruise into the press conference in downtown Los Angeles on their skateboards was a perfect way to kick things off - especially on Go Skateboarding Day.

Twelve-member Olympic Skateboard Team includes: Cory Juneau (Park), Zion Wright (Park), Nyjah Huston (Street), Mariah Duran (Street), Jake Ilardi (Street), Brighton  Zeuner (Park), Jagger Eaton (Street), Alexis Sablone (Street), Heimana Reynolds (Park), Alana Smith (Street),  Bryce Wettstein (Park), Jordyn Barrat (Park)

Together with Toyota and sponsors Nike SB, Tech Deck, Jessup Griptape and ProTec Helmets, USA Skateboarding—the U.S. governing body for skateboarding—announced the 12 members who will represent Team USA for the inaugural Olympic Skateboarding team. This historic event was announced today in downtown Los Angeles, California - home to many on the Olympic team and the birthplace of skateboarding. 

“I’m honored to introduce the first-ever American Olympic Skateboarding team today on Go Skateboarding Day,” said Josh Friedberg, CEO USA Skateboarding. “Skateboarders know what makes our culture special, and we couldn’t ask for a better group of talented athletes to share that with the world during skateboarding’s Olympic debut this summer in Tokyo.”

Brighton Zeuner, Jordyn Barratt

Dedra DeLilli, group manager, sponsorship, integration, & auto shows, Toyota Motor North America said: “In what is truly a historic moment for the Olympic Games, we are excited to support the naming of the first-ever U.S. Olympic Skateboarding team. Congratulations to all of the athletes, including Team Toyota’s Jordyn Barratt, who have been named to the inaugural Olympic Skateboarding team as they go for the gold. It’s an honor for Toyota to be a partner of USA Skateboarding on the sport’s road to Tokyo ahead of its Olympic debut.”

 

 

Mariah Duran, Brighton Zeuner, Bryce Wettstein, Jordyn Barratt

Alana Smith, Mariah Duran, Alexis Sablone, Bryce Wettstein, Brighton Zeuner

 

The female skaters named to the 2020 Olympic Team include:

 

Brighton Zeuner, Bryce Wettstein, Jordyn Barratt

 

Women’s Park

Brighton Zeuner (Encinitas, CA)

Brighton Zeuner was put on this Earth to ride a skateboard. She started at age four, was competing by eight, and in 2016, at twelve, she was crowned the inaugural Vans Park Series World Champion. Add in back-to-back X Games Gold medals in 2017 and 2018, and consistent top-five finishes through 2019, and what you get is a young skater with a one-way ticket to greatness.

Bryce Wettstein (Encinitas, CA)

Bryce Wettstein describes herself as a skateboarder and high school student. She was also the 2019 USA Skateboarding Women's Park National Champion. That was the first year the Park National Championships were held, and Bryce has been a member of the National Team ever since. In 2021, she will also represent the USA at the Tokyo Olympics. Bryce credits skateboarding for bringing out the best in herself. She’s also a great skater, as evidenced by her results, and with a backyard array of ramps and several world-class skateparks all around her, she’s sure to keep progressing. With so much traveling for skateboarding, it’s been tough for Bryce to keep up with school, but she still has ambitions to balance her skating career with her education. 

Jordyn Barratt  (Haleiwa, HI)

Born and raised in Haleiwa, Hawaii, and a Team Toyota athlete, Jordyn Barratt is a trailblazer in action sports. She competed in the 2016 US Open of Surfing, making her the first female to compete as a pro in both US Open skate and surf events in the same year. Jordyn was also the first female to qualify for the Dew Tour Park Am contest, skating alongside the men. That same year, she turned pro after winning a Bronze medal in her debut X Games. Jordyn was an inaugural member of the USA Skateboarding Women’s Park National Team in 2019, and has earned her place every year since. Her stylish and powerful skating has taken her far, but as a member of Team USA and focused on the Tokyo Olympics, the ambitious girl from Haleiwa is just getting started.

Alexis Sablone, Mariah Duran, Alana Smith

Women’s Street  

Alana Smith   (Mesa, AZ)

Ever since Alana Smith stormed onto the X Games scene in 2013 with a Women’s Park Silver medal in Barcelona, it’s been clear that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Alana is among a select group of skateboarders who push limits and boundaries, regardless of the terrain. Her transition skills are very impressive, and at times can even threaten to overshadow her considerable street prowess. Alana was the first female to do a backflip on a skateboard, and in 2015 Alana took first at Vert Attack in Sweden, as well as both Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic events that year. Switching athletic gears, she also landed on the podium that year in Chicago at Street League, taking home the third-place trophy.

Alexis Sablone  (Old Saybrook, CT)

Alexis Sablone is amongst the most respected female street skateboarders in the world. Since capturing the attention of the skateboard world back in 2002, as the only girl to have a part in the ever-memorable PJ Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life video, she went on to claim three X Games Gold, two Silver, and two Bronze medals, and is currently the only pro female on several all-male teams, including Converse and Alltimers Skateboards. Not only is Alexis a fierce competitor, but a true street skateboarder, through and through. Alongside her skateboarding career, Alexis has managed to balance her other occupations as an artist and architect, as well—something fairly uncommon amongst her skateboarding peers. She holds an undergraduate degree from Barnard College, Columbia University, as well as a Masters in Architecture from the prestigious MIT. With that kind of drive, you can bet we’ll be hearing a lot more from Alexis.

Mariah Duran  (Albuquerque, NM)

Mariah is one of the most technical and talented skaters today, taking on big stair sets and rails with finesse and ease. She’s been a member of the USA Skateboarding Women’s Street National Team since it started in 2019, is the reigning National Champion for women’s street, and is one of the top women skaters heading into skateboarding’s inaugural debut at the Tokyo Olympic Games. 2016 was a breakout year for Mariah, clinching the Silver medal at X Games and releasing two full video parts before turning pro for Meow Skateboards. She won her first SLS podium spot at the Super Crown World Championship in 2017. It’s easy to see why Duran then became a back-to-back X Games Gold medalist in 2018.

All Photos ~  Ian Logan for Girl is NOT a 4 Letter Word