Who are the men’s street skateboarding stars of the future? Meet the ones to watch in 2025

Few would deny that 2024 was a special year for competition skateboarding.

Returning to the Games for its second run after dazzling in Tokyo, skate cemented its place as a favourite in the Olympic pantheon in Paris with clutch, jaw-dropping tricks and inspiring storylines.

Stalwarts Yuto Horigome and Keegan Palmer were joined by Arisa Trew and Yoshizawa Coco at the top of the podium. Fan favourites Nyjah Huston, Jagger Eaton, Sky Brown, and Rayssa Leal showed true skateboarding grit as they battled for their medals. And who could forget Zheng Haohao, 11, and Andy Macdonald, 51, showcasing the agelessness of skateboarding fun?

It was a memorable sophomore Olympic appearance but in true skateboarding spirit, we shouldn’t dwell on it for too long.

Around every street corner and park bowl there are always more skaters ready to muscle in on the action and we have already glimpses of what the future might look like.

The World Street Skateboarding Championships this September as part of the World Skate Games revealed a hungry crop of talent ready to make their mark.

Ahead of next year, Olympics.com runs the rule over five men’s street prospects who will be packing potential in 2025.

Tijmen Overbeek, NED

With several top men’s street stars opting out of this year’s World Championships following a heavy few months of Olympic scheduling, September’s event presented an opportunity for those just underneath that crop to shine.

Many, of course, seized the occasion, not least Japan’s Sasaki Toa, who, having just missed out on securing a quota at Paris rebounded in the best way to claim the world crown for his own.

But Sasaki wasn’t the only one who impressed in Rome.

Fourteen-year-old Tijmen Overbeek walked away from the event as the consensus ‘surprise package’ after finishing just off the podium in fourth place.

The Dutch teen had only once before competed at a World Skate event in 2023 where he finished in 79th place.

Following his result over a year later, Overbeek catapulted himself from 188th in the World Skateboarding Ranking to 19th, and there is a feeling there is still more to come from the Utrecht skater.

Kang Juni, KOR

There are few better barometers of future men’s street skateboarding talent than the Tampa Am contest.

Held every year in Florida, United States, the prestigious event has acted as a springboard for many a skater’s career including some of the current top stars. Past winners include Olympians Huston (2005), Eaton (2014), Aurelien Giraud (2015), Dashawn Jordan (2016), and Gustavo Ribeiro (2017), among others.

It is only right that attention should be directed towards this year’s winner - Kang Juni of the Republic of Korea.

The 16-year-old from Seoul wowed in the final with a statement run that included Horigome’s trademark nollie back side 270 heel flip board.

Though he is yet to make his World Skateboarding Tour debut, it's hard not to be excited about what this teenager might yet achieve.

Yashima Rio, JPN

Over the past few years, Japan has established itself as the world leader in contest skateboarding, surpassing Brazil and the United States in talent and results.

To date, Japan has won five Olympic gold medals and the most medals overall (nine).

The conveyor belt of stars was one of the talking points in the build-up to Paris with the battle to secure a quota for the Games fiercest among Japanese skaters.

It’s with little surprise then, that more seem to be on the way with Yashima Rio one of the up-and-coming stars.

The 15-year-old finished third in Japan's National Skateboarding Championships in October before going on to bag ninth place at Tampa Am.

Yashima's results should mean he'll make the national team for next year where he will make his World Skateboarding Tour debut against the best of the rest of the world.

Julian Jeang-Agliardi, USA

As the birthplace of skateboarding, the U.S. has naturally been a powerhouse in street skateboarding. Two-time Olympic medallist Eaton and newly-minted Huston are two current examples of the very best under pressure as they, along with Horigome, helped conduct one of the greatest men’s street finals in history at Paris 2024.

Part of the reason why Huston and Eaton are at the vanguard of the sport can be explained by the upward pressure underneath them. The battle to stay on top has compelled both skaters to keep innovating.

That demand, however, isn’t going anywhere any time soon and among those trying to break through is Julian Jeang-Agliardi.

The 14-year-old from Long Beach, California, already has nearly 100 thousand followers on Instagram thanks to a steady stream of impressive clips, and he’s showing promise on the contest circuit too.

At this year’s Tampa Am, the teenager finished seventh overall and took home the Rising Star award. He’s also made his World Skateboarding Tour debut earlier this year in Dubai, finishing in 25th place.