Olympic skateboarding’s teen titans Arisa Trew, Hiraki Cocona, Sky Brown take sport to new heights

Photo taken by Julian Finney from Getty Images

After leaving the skateboarding arena in the park and heading towards Place de la Concorde, an hour had passed since the final had ended. The sight that greeted me was impressive.

Many people were gathered near the stands, held back by metal barriers to prevent a large crowd from forming. Fans anxiously looked around, excited to see the reason for the commotion. The air was filled with anticipation as they waited to see the emerging Olympic athletes.

The main characters were Arisa Trew, Hiraki Cocona, and Sky Brown, a group of teenagers. Arisa was the oldest, just celebrating her 16th birthday a month ago. They had just put on an impressive skate final that will be remembered for a long time.

Japanese skater Hiraki took the lead with a strong score of 91.98 on her first run, making her the one to beat. Brown and Trew, along with other competitors, tried to catch up but fell just short. Trew from Australia scored 90.11 on her second run, while Brown from Britain scored 91.60.

However, it was in the last round that the trio really thrived.

In her last run, Trew executed a powerful and impressive line filled with 540s and a beautiful front nose blunt on the box grab 180 to end on a high note.

The 14-year-old girl smiled widely as she emerged from the bowl, her grin just as noticeable as her bright pink helmet. Skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, standing at the edge of the bowl, raised his hands in excitement and applauded, recognizing that Trew would take the lead with that impressive move. And she did, earning a score of 93.18 as she made her way to the top.

Brown and Hiraki then had their chances to react, but neither managed to do better. The crowd clapped and cried tears of happiness as the event came to an end. Hiraki won the silver medal and Brown won the bronze.

It was intense, unique, a view worth of the famous landmarks that filled the skyline in the background.

However, it was also so much more than just that.

Arisa Trew from Australia was beaming with joy as she competed in the women's park final at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris on August 6, 2024.

Now, she is the youngest athlete from her country to win a medal at the Olympics and the youngest to win a gold medal at this year's Games. She had already accomplished something remarkable earlier in 2024.

In May, the teenage girl from Australia made history by being the first woman to successfully perform a 900 trick on the vertical ramp. This impressive accomplishment came just one year after she became the first woman to land a 720 in a competition, with the added excitement of doing it in front of Hawk, the person who came up with the trick. As a result of her groundbreaking achievements, she was honored with the Action Sportsperson of the Year award at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards.

So for Trew, Paris 2024 wasn't just a significant moment in his life, it was part of a series of achievements.

In simpler terms, Trew achieved a remarkable feat on Tuesday that she has been consistently working towards in her impressive career: elevating the status of women's skateboarding. The only change this time was that she accomplished it while being in the spotlight of the world.

British athlete Sky Brown won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics on August 6th, 2024.

Hiraki and Brown should be recognized for their contributions in advancing women's skateboarding.

If Trew has been using history to guide her, then Brown has been using determination and flair.

The 16-year-old British athlete, who just won a bronze medal, arrived in Paris after dislocating her shoulder the day before. It was only in April that she had injured the ligament in her right knee.

"It's not in great condition," Brown admitted, acknowledging that the pain in her shoulder had affected her performance in the final. However, she didn't show any resentment or remorse. "It's all a part of the journey."

Besides the injuries, there was another factor that made Brown's medal incredibly impressive.

The skater went nearly a year without participating in an Olympic qualifying event as she focused on earning a spot to compete in surfing at the Paris Olympics.

She didn't quite achieve her two goals, but when she returned to skateboarding it was like she had never been away. Her time in Paris, while not a complete success, served as a great reminder that if you have a passion for something, you should never give up on it, even if you don't achieve your desired result.

As Trew was making her way up and Brown was enjoying her time off surfing, Hiraki was keeping everything running smoothly.

The sensational young athlete from Japan, who won her country's youngest Olympic medal at just 15 years old, maintained impeccable form as she started her journey towards qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

When new competitors entered the scene, Hiraki demonstrated the level of skill they needed to reach, outshining even more experienced skaters like her fellow Japanese athlete Yosozumi Sakura, who is 22 years old.

The skater from Japan has only failed to make it to the top three in one out of six qualifying rounds, when she finished in fifth place in early 2023. Her smooth technique and variety of lip tricks are unparalleled.

Hiraki Cocona and Arisa Trew embrace each other after competing in the women's park final at the Paris 2024 event on August 6, 2024.

Arisa, Hiraki, and Brown are three skaters transforming their sport, each in their own unique manner.

And let's not forget about doing it happily.

It was still clear during the press conference following their medal presentation.

Filled to capacity with media from around the world, the three of them, all fluent in Japanese and with Brown and Trew having a combination of Japanese heritage, had a fantastic time laughing and joking around during the interview.

Frequently, they relied on each other for help when responding to challenges. This was similar to how the trio leaned on each other in the game as well.

Japan's Hiraki Cocona won second place in the women's park preliminary competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. The event took place on August 6th at Place de la Concorde in France.

"They are amazing," Brown later shared about Trew and Hiraki. "Arisa, doing things that have never been done before. She is fierce and truly motivating. She inspires me and pushes the limits in skateboarding."

"And Cocona, she has been with us every step of the way. It has been a joy to experience and share these wonderful moments and adventures together. Not only is she incredibly talented, but seeing her development over the years has been truly amazing."

Hiraki spoke about her teammates, Sky and Arisa, saying that they each have unique styles. She feels inspired by them and they all support and motivate each other. Hiraki expressed her gratitude for their camaraderie.

The skaters are all thinking about what's next after such rapid progress. They are all looking towards the LA 2028 Olympics, with Brown saying she will try to compete in both surfing and skateboarding again.

It's exhilarating; contagious even, but it's important to savor the moment on this particular day.

Last Tuesday, people all around the globe were able to see just how much skateboarding has progressed and were introduced to the talented young women propelling it forward.