Aori NISHIMURA

Born and bred in Tokyo Aori Nishimura started skateboarding at just seven years old, following in the footsteps of her older sister, Kotone, who also skates professionally. The young talent took to the sport exceptionally well, driven by the impetus of keeping up with the other members her family. By the fifth grade she had already won her first national competition, at 15 she won gold in her second ever X-Games (2017).

But just as her career was skyrocketing a devastating injury brought her crashing down to earth. A tear to her left anterior cruciate ligament meant Nishimura was forced to sit out for a total eight months all the while contemplating her future in the sport.

Following reconstructive knee surgery, the 19-year-old made the decision to return to skateboarding at the Minneapolis X-Games in July 2018. If there were any doubts Nishimura would return from to the skatepark gravely affected by her, they were quickly laid to rest. Nishimura finished the sport’s most prestigious tournament in second place.