The level of women’s skateboarding continues to rise, as seen clearly from the heated competition between Lyn-Z “L-Hawk” Adams Hawkins, Mimi Knoop, and Cara-Beth Burnside on August 3rd at the Women’s Skateboarding Vert event at the 13th X Games in Los Angeles, CA. What sealed the deal for Lyn-Z’s gold medal, which had eluded her two years ago (last year she was out for injury), were stomping 2 kickflips and near-completions of several McTwists.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Lyn-Z about her final run. “It’s like a dream come true.” At only 17, Lyn-Z is still an X Games veteran having competed in the Games since she was 14, and winning a silver two years ago in the same event. Lyn-Z’s been a long-time favorite now for sponsors looking to move into women’s skateboarding, and her style, including her ever-changing grip-tape art on the bottom of her board, are part of the attraction to this young pro athlete. Like Mimi and Cara-Beth, girls of all ages look up to young women like Lyn-Z because she’s paving new ground for women in sports and representing the power of women’s skateboarding on a global level.
Meanwhile, Mimi Knoop, also known for pulling off incredible moves under pressure, took the silver from a wicked combination including a fastplant, frontside invert, and multiple disasters. When it came to the competition at the X Games in women’s skate, Mimi put it best, “The level of riding was so high—I didn’t think I was going to medal. It was a good day for all of us—we really took it to the next level.”
The bronze went to legendary skater Cara-Beth Burnside who stoked the crowd from her incredible power and amplitude—similar to the snowboarding influences seen in Shaun White’s type of vert skateboarding.
In the Women’s Skateboarding Street event, a sport that continues to gain popularity as more people relate to street than vert in various urban environments, while most anticipated that 3-time gold medalist Elissa Steamer would stomp the competition again, it was Marissa Dal Santo from Illinois that surprised everyone including herself by pulling off a backside flip when she hit zone 3 which included the stairs and rails section to take home the gold.
Elissa took home the silver, and Amy Caron took home the bronze in Women’s Skate Street.
