Minna Stess

Women’s Park Skateboarding National Champion Minna Stess is leading the next generation of teenage skateboarding phenoms as the sport has skyrocketed its way into the mainstream.

The 17-year-old Petaluma, CA native began skating while still in diapers and was winning major amateur competitions by the time she turned eight. By age 10, she had podiumed at both Exposure Skate and the World Cup Contest Series 14 and competed in her first Pro women’s contests at age 11. At age 13, she was competing in three of the most hotly contested tournaments in the sport; XGames, Dew Tour, and the USA National Championships.

She took first place at the 2021 USA National Championships’ Women’s Park competition – At Just 15 years and two months, Stess was the youngest to ever win her category. In October 2022, Stess podiumed in the Women's Park division of the STU Open Rio 2022, placing third in the category. She was named to the USA Skateboarding Women’s Park National Team in 2019 and is currently competing with the team for the fourth consecutive year. She was an alternate for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing 19th in the preliminary rounds. Stess's skateboarding prowess and quick ascension within the sport have earned her notable coverage in top media, including CNN, The Los Angeles Times, Forbes, The Washington Post, PEOPLE, The Player’s Tribune, and others.