X Games Chiba 2024: Arisa Trew bests Sky Brown for women's park skateboarding crown

Arisa Trew saved the best for last by unseating Sky Brown on her final run to win the women’s park skateboarding gold at X Games Chiba 2024 in Japan on Sunday (22 September).

The crowd at Makuhari Messe was on the edge of their seats as Trew went into her third and last attempt chasing Brown by three points - and the 14-year-old Australian came through in the clutch, pulling out a 91.66 for her fifth X Games title.

Finland’s Heili Sirvio placed third with 80.00. Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Yosozumi Sakura ended up fourth (76.66) after not finishing her final two runs, and broke her right wrist on the last.

Both Trew and the 16-year-old Brown, who was runner-up on 86.66, are half-Japanese. They shared the podium together at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Trew with gold and Brown bronze (the silver medallist in Paris, Hiraki Cocona, is injured and did not compete in Chiba.)

Trew was over the moon after pulling the bunny out of the hat.

“I'm just really excited and happy because this park was really fun,” Trew said. “I feel like it suited me pretty well and it was really fun skating with all the girls.

“Everyone was pushing each other and just to land my third run knowing that I had to do that to make it to the gold - and I did it. I was just so excited and happy.

“That last run I just knew that I had to start off good to end well. So when I landed my body burial five perfectly, standing up with lots of speed, I knew that I was just going to land this run no matter what.

“Anything that happened, I was just going to land it, I didn't even care.”

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Sky Brown: Arisa Trew is 'crazy' good

Brown, making her first X Games appearance in Japan, looked to have it in the bag with an opening run of 85.66 followed by the 86.66.

Trew was on 83.33 after her second run.

And credit Trew, who stepped up when her number was called. After topping the podium in Paris, she went on to win the vert title at the World Skate Games Italia 2024 earlier this month and now Chiba.

Trew was thrilled with her accomplishment in the company of the girls she looks up to like Brown and Yosozumi.

“It definitely gives me so much motivation. Skating with all these talented girls, they're all shredding and like I have watched X Games skating since I first started skateboarding.

“Some of these girls have been in X Games when I wasn't even competing internationally and they all inspired me to want to go to X Games and now I skate with them, which is really cool.”

GB's Brown now heads for surgery on her ailing shoulder which she hurt before the Olympic Games. She had put off the procedure for the X Games, with no timetable on when she will resume skating as well as surfing activities.

Brown, however, was gracious in defeat and was happy for Trew who can’t seem to stop winning.

“I mean for sure Arisa, she's crazy going from spin to spin and doing these crazy tricks I've never even seen before is just like so inspiring.

“Being able to compete against that, she's really pushing me and pushing all the girls in the level right now. So just being a part of that is really special for me.

“That's what I've wanted since the beginning, was to push the level of my sport that I love, close the gender gap and inspire.”