More Women's Skate Herstory At X Games - Women's Street "Best Trick" and Women's Park
Arisa Trew during Monster Energy Women's Skateboard Park Final at 2023 X Games California at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. ©Mark Kohlman/X Games
We do not think anyone could have predicted just how much the women would make herstory at the X Games in Ventura, California this weekend. Yet they did. In event after event. Today was no exception. While it is true that the youngsters such as, Chloe Covell, Reese Nelson and Arisa Trew were making their mark throughout the the weekend, veteran street skater, Mariah Duran was not just hanging in there - she slayed in women’s street best trick and took home the gold medal.
Women’s Park was as equally exciting as women’s vert with Australian Arisa Trew battling it out yet again and emerging victorious with another gold medal. At just thirteen years old, she was confident, poised, and even smiling on deck between her runs - it did not seem like X Games and the pressure it brings at times, phased her at all.
We said it yesterday, The Girls are All Right. But today it could be argued that they are more than all right. They are now taking over and showing everyone out there that watching them compete is a priority and something you do not want to miss. Can we get more companies outside of skateboarding to step up and sponsor these amazing athletes now? We really hope so.
Little girls everywhere now have some great new role models that are close to their own age, how rad is that?
Chloe Covell during Women's Skateboard Street Best Trick at 2023 X Games California at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. ©Mark Kohlman/X Games
Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick
In the inaugural Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick competition, Mariah Duran earned her third X Games gold medal as the oldest in the field at 26. Her best trick was a Hardflip down the double set on her fourth run.
“Honestly, it feels good because I didn’t know if I was able to skate today because the body was sore, and I didn’t know if I could get going, but we did it, and it feels the best to come out with the gold!” Mariah Duran proclaimed after the event. “I feel like we’re back like X Games is back 100%. It feels like X Games where you bring your fam out– I brought my whole family– they heard it was in Cali, so we all road-tripped together, and it’s amazing to see everyone show up, to see the other events, and X Games is such a good environment.”
Women’s Skateboard Street silver medalist Liz Akama earned her second silver, and Street gold medalist Chloe Covell, the youngest in the field at 13, made her second medal of the weekend with bronze.
Mariah Duran during Women's Skateboard Street Best Trick at 2023 X Games California at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. ©Mark Kohlman/X Games
Results Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick
1. Mariah Duran (USA)
2. Liz Akama (JPN)
3. Chloe Covell (AUS)
4. Momiji Nishiya (JPN)
5. Rayssa Leal (BRA)
6. Wehnhui Zeng (CHN)
7. Yumeka Oda (JPN)
8. Pamela Rosa (BRA)
Grace Marhoefer during Monster Energy Women's Skateboard Park Final at 2023 X Games California at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. ©Trevor Brown, Jr./X Games
Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Park
Arisa Trew is two for two, adding another gold medal to her X Games resume. The 13-year-old Australian earned gold in women’s skate park finals less than 24 hours after winning gold in skateboard Vert on Saturday, making her the youngest athlete in X Games history to take double gold at a single event. Her winning run included this trick sequence: Weddle air, backide lipslide, feeble grind corner, backside 360 melon grab over the box, frontside air over the channel, backside Smith grind, Indy air.
“This [second gold] will push me to keep skating harder because I obviously want to keep winning!” smiled Trew when asked about her double gold performance at X Games California 2023. “I mainly wanted to land my run, even if I didn’t get the gold; I was just wanting to land and get on the podium. I got gold in both [vert and park]. It’s amazing, and I feel so happy!”
Rounding out the podium was Japan’s Mizuho Hasegawa, while Grace Marhoefer claimed bronze, which marks her first X Games medal.
Mizuho Hasegawa, Arisa Trew and Grace Marhoefer during Monster Energy Women's Skateboard Park Final at 2023 X Games California at the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura, CA. ©Trevor Brown, Jr./X Games
Results Women’s Skateboard Park
1. Arisa Trew (AUS) 91.00
2. Mizuho Hasegawa (JPN) 82.66
3. Grace Marhoefer (USA) 81.66
4. Cocona Hiraki (JPN) 80.33
5. Bryce Wettstein (USA) 79.33
6. Raicca Ventura (BRA) 78.66