For years, Simple Session has set a high standard by bringing professional skateboarders and BMX riders to Estonia. After a 21-year hiatus, from August 22-25, the birthplace of Simple Session, Tartu, will once again host the world’s best in street sports, including some who recently competed for medals at the Paris Olympics.
“We want everyone to experience this lifestyle,” says Risto Kalmre, one of the event’s main organizers. “Over 24 years, we have proven that we can organize a world-class sporting event, bring in the absolute best, and showcase Estonia from an exciting angle. We also hope to inspire young people to engage in these technically demanding but creative street sports. The inclusion of skateboarding and BMX in the Olympic Games is also a significant leap forward for both disciplines,” Kalmre explains.
The Olympics Reinforced the Importance of Street Sports for the Second Time
BMX and skateboarding made their Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics because they offer extreme spectacle, breathtaking tricks, and promote rapid development among enthusiasts. At both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, thousands of spectators filled the stands to watch daring athletes perform technically complex tricks at high speeds. Women’s skateboarding, in particular, has reached a whole new level, dominated by teenage girls. “Never before have women taken skateboarding so seriously,” says the Simple Session organizer.
The concrete park built at Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris can hold 25,000 spectators, and television broadcasts showed that every seat was filled. Reportedly, even skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s family couldn’t get enough tickets because they were sold out.
Skateboarding Competed in Two Categories at the Olympics: Street and Park
In men’s skateboarding street competition, 25-year-old Japanese skater Yuto Horigome defended his Olympic gold in Paris. Horigome won Simple Session in Tallinn back in 2017. Twenty-three-year-old American Jagger Eaton, the 2018 Simple Session champion, took silver, and 29-year-old American Nyjah Huston came in third.
The men’s park competition qualifiers featured many professionals expected in Tartu in two weeks, including Spaniard Danny Leon, Swede Hampus Winberg, German Tyler Edtmayer, and Puerto Rican Steven Pineiro. However, the most exciting performances and podium finishes came from 21-year-old Australian Keegan Palmer, who also won at the Tokyo Olympics. Second place went to 24-year-old American Tom Schaar, familiar from Simple Session, and bronze was taken by 23-year-old Brazilian Augusto Akio.
A New Generation of Young Women Dominates Skateboarding
Jarmo Kangro, head of Simple Session’s skateboarding division, says there has been a massive leap in women’s skateboarding in recent years. “A new generation has emerged, and there seems to be no limit to their tricks and aerials. This kind of spectacle didn’t exist ten years ago. Today’s skate girls are young, fast, and technically extremely capable,” said Kangro, who has been skateboarding for over 20 years.
The top spots in the women’s street skateboarding competition were claimed by two Japanese skaters, with 14-year-old Coco Yoshizawa winning gold and 15-year-old Liz Akama taking silver. The bronze medal went to 16-year-old Brazilian Rayssa Leal.
In the women’s park skateboarding event, 14-year-old Australian Arisa Trew took first place, followed by Japanese skater Hiraki Cocona in second, and Great Britain’s 15-year-old Sky Brown, who defended her Tokyo Olympic bronze medal. Sky Brown won the women’s competition at Simple Session in 2019 when she was just 10 years old. Thirteen-year-old Finnish skater Heili Sirvio finished fifth.