Heimana REYNOLDS

Hawaiian native Heimana Reynolds, born 1998, was in many ways destined for the skateboard. His father, who heads up the family skate shop, introduced Reynolds to skating at the age of seven. In the same year Reynolds was entering his ever first skating competition urged on by his father-turned-lifetime coach.

You could also say that Reynolds was destined for the Olympics. Video footage shows a 10-year-old Reynolds speaking precociously to his local news station after a competition expressing his desire to compete one day at the Games – a statement made years before the sport’s inclusion.

From those early days Reynolds’ professional skating career continued to grow from strength-to-strength until 2019, when it positively skyrocketed. After failing to make the inaugural U.S.A. Skateboard National Team despite a silver in the world championships in 2018, Reynolds responded in the only way he knew how: to deliver his best yet.

Just four months after his omission the young park skater came first in the International Skateboarding Open’s Olympic qualifier event in Nanjing. The result boosted the American up the Olympic rankings putting him firmly on top.