13-year-old Onodera Ginwoo makes X Games history in Chiba as youngest-ever men's street skateboarding champion

Let the circus begin.

Thirteen-year-old Onodera Ginwoo made a remarkable X Games debut on Sunday (14 May), becoming the youngest-ever winner of the men’s street skateboarding competition.

Three months after turning 13 in what could potentially be a landmark moment for the sport, Onodera - the second youngest male champion across all events - bagged the gold medal with a first run of 90.33 on the final day of X Games Chiba 2023.

He was the only skater among the 15 finalists to top 90, finishing comfortably ahead of Kelvin Hoefler (83.66) and Jamie Foy (83.33).

Nyjah Huston, the 13-time X Games champion, was 12th (71.33).

“I had great fun here and I found a way to win the fight within me,” said Onodera, who dared a little on his second run to produce a 71.66. “I was determined to nail every trick going into competition.

“I have nothing more to give today so I want to give myself a 10 out of 10 today. But going forward, I want to be better than a 10.”

• X Games Chiba 2023: Full schedule and how to watch live action
• X Games Chiba 2023: All results and scores - complete list
• Rain wipes out Saturday competition as Leal, Hiraki, Palmer and Sandoval grab gold
• Nyjah Huston makes surprise return to Japan: "I'm back at it"
• 13-year-old Onodera Ginwoo ready for X Games debut

X Games Chiba 2023: Onodera Ginwoo next Nyjah Huston?

The format for the final was changed due to the downpour at ZOZO Marine Stadium that forced the cancellation of Saturday’s elimination.

All 15 entries skated on Sunday with two 45-second runs each, and Onodera was up ninth.

In January, Onodera arrived on the international stage at the street world championships in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, where he won bronze to become the competition’s youngest male medallist of all time.

On this cloudy afternoon, all eyes were on the 1.47-metre, pony-tailed teenager to see if he could reproduce the magic.

And Onodera didn’t disappoint.

He was flawless on the first run and had put such a wide gap on the rest of the competition that everyone virtually knew it was over with a run to spare.

Onodera roared and pumped both fists in the air after his final trick, even drawing a fist bump from his idol Huston.

Onodera said he was unfazed by the scheduling changes due to the inclement weather, and, as his performance and result demonstrated, he stayed true to his word.

“It’s hard for me to get a feel for the course without lots of practice but we didn’t have the practice time. But it goes with the turf; it is what it is,” Onodera said matter-of-factly. “The conditions are the same for everyone. I just decided to do it.

“I’m just glad I won. It’s always a battle against yourself. That’s the most important part. I had fun. The atmosphere was great with everyone going all out and having a good time.

“It’s not about the tricks. It is, of course, but it’s more about the battle inside you. I did what I had to do to the end. Even on the second run, I didn’t need to change it but I did - and I still won.”

Onodera's peers expressed their admiration for his potential and speculated about where he might be headed in his career.

Jamie Foy, the former X Games champion and Thrasher magazine’s 2017 skater of the year, said we just might be witnessing the second coming of Huston.

“If you told someone 15 years ago that a little kid was going to do that in a big contest, they’d be like ‘Yeah, that’s crazy’. Here we are today, it’s happening.”

While his skating might belie his age, Onodera is still very much 13 when he’s off his deck.

“My future goal is to keep having fun, work hard one day, skate in outer space,” he said.