Skateboarding: Tony Hawk and Nyjah weigh in on why 13-year-old Onodera Ginwoo is so special

In the world of street skateboarding few things are promised.

There is the board under your feet, the surface you choose to skate on - and from there everything, the intoxicating feeling that anything can happen takes over.

And just as you begin to acquaint yourself with the unknown, get comfortable with your place in the order of skate things, along comes a bright young thing who disrupts everything.

In the world of men’s street that right now is Japan’s Onodera Ginwoo.

Just 13 years old, the teen from Yokohama has caused quite a stir on the street scene.

His fast but spectacular rise started in November last year when he was runner-up to Ikeda Daiki at the infamous Tampa AM – a contest often seen as a precursor for skate stardom.

Later that same month, Onodera showed his result in the United States was no fluke by winning the Japan Skateboarding Championships - then just 12 years old.

Then came the World Championships in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, at the start of 2023.

The event, doubling as a Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier, featured all the hottest names in town. But where the likes of Olympic champion Horigome Yuto and Shane O’Neill fell, the little prodigy from Japan excelled - finishing the competition on the podium in third behind top guns Aurelien Giraud and Gustavo Ribeiro.

The hype around Onodera naturally went stratospheric but the street star remained as grounded as ever. At X Games Chiba 2023, under the spotlight of an expectant nation waiting to see their new rising star in action, he struck gold, becoming the youngest competitor ever to win the men’s street event.

Making the semi-finals at WST Street Lausanne 2023, live on Olympic Channel, and topping both heats at the Asian Games 2023 confirmed the skater sometimes known as 'Ginu' is a talent to watch.

Tony Hawk: "He skates like a video game"

It has been quite an astonishing ride for the boy who first connected with skateboarding at the age of five.

Catching sight of a board at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, the Japanese youth became immediately fascinated by the sport.

Three short years later, Ginwoo was capturing the attention of international deck brands who could glimpse the talent in the skater. And now it is plain for everyone to see with even the biggest names in street skating having their say on the rise of Onodera.

Addressing the media at X Games Chiba in May, the legendary Tony Hawk gave a glowing review of the Japanese starlet pointing out his innate inability to tie together even the most complex of tricks.

“He skates like he’s a video game,” Hawk said when asked about Onodera. “He’s magical. He’s very, very good. Like doing impossible combinations.”

Nyjah Huston: "He is a very talented little guy"

Another skater who has expressed his approval of the quality and range of Onodera’s skating is Team USA’s Nyjah Huston.

Skating alongside Onodera at Paris 2024 Olympic qualifying events, the American has had the chance to see the young skater up close, and the man often known symply as Nyjah is impressed.

“I think he is a very talented little guy. I think he has a good future ahead of him," Huston told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview.

"I watched him win that X Games a month or two ago. It was insane. It was like such a proper run that he won with. I was pretty shocked.”

Like Onodera, the American broke through the elite ranks of street skating at a very young age before going on to become the most dominant street competitor on the planet. Huston spoke on their similarities.

“[He] definitely reminds me a little bit of myself because I was around the same age when I was just coming out on the scene skating pro contests and whatnot,” he continued. “He's a cool kid. I like him.”

With Japan possessing impressive depth in its skateboarding ranks, as evidenced by their Olympic medal haul at Tokyo 2020 in 2021, Onodera’s breakthrough comes across as even more remarkable.

His results have intensified the already fraught battle for a ticket to Paris 2024, featuring star names including Tokyo 2020 champion Horigome and Olympians Shirai Sora and Aoki Yukito.

But Onodera, as relaxed as they come, isn’t too fazed by the intrigue around him.

With a strong focus on having fun, as shown on his official 'Gin Woo' Instagram account, the Japanese young gun is taking it all as it comes.