At only seventeen, Sky Brown already has sky-high goals. The two-time Olympic skateboarding bronze medalist is ready for her next challenge: qualifying for LA28 in both skate and surfing. Learn more about Sky’s journey to this point, why she loves representing her culture, her go-to In-N-Out order and more.

 

TOGETHXR: You’re quite literally a teenage sensation, but you've also been competing for almost a decade now. When you look at where your career is so far, what do you think 10-year-old you would think of where you are, and is there something you're looking forward to experiencing as Sky in her 20s? 

Sky Brown (SB): I think 10-year-old me would definitely be very proud of where I've come and the goals I've accomplished. I've been dreaming of it since I was 10. I have accomplished quite a few of them, and I think she'd be very happy and very stoked about the person I've become, so yeah, I think she'd be pretty proud of me.

20-year-old me, I don't know. Honestly, since 10 years old, I've still been the same person. I don’t think I've changed that much, even in height, honestly - I haven't grown too much. I hope my 20-year-old me stays the same - just happy. I've always wanted to bring positivity, maybe a good smile to the world, and make people smile, and inspire, and spread a message. 

So I hope I keep doing that, and, of course, 20-year-old me will hopefully be qualifying in surfing and skating for the L.A. Olympics. 

TOGETHXR: Is there a medal or trophy that means the most or has left a lasting impression on you? 

SB: Obviously, Olympic medals are just, you know, one of a kind to have, and World Champion medals are very happy, but, you know, medals aren't all I look at. Every comp, I make sure I have the best time, and I think that counts as winning and that makes you a winner, just making the best memories and having the best time, but the medal is definitely a cherry on top. 

I would say one of my favorites was Dancing with the Stars Juniors. That one will always have a special place in my heart. You know, I challenge myself to dance, and being the only junior to ever win to this day is a very special experience. Also, I won the Keris Cup, a surf skate event, and since surfing means the world to me, getting a medal in that event was very cool. 

 

TOGETHXR: Do you feel like there are any pros between being a surfer and a skateboarder? Is there something within surfing that you're able to bring to skateboarding and vice versa? 

SB: Oh, for sure, I think they both help me with each other. I have my skate style when I surf and surf style when I skate. The community and friends I get from each, I’m so happy to have both worlds. Also, to be able to get away from one another as well — I think not being able to skate or not being able to surf makes me miss it so much, and that excites me and gives me ideas to do in the other sport. I'll go and do surf trips for a while, or skate trips for a while, and I can't surf or skate, and I think it's good.

TOGETHXR: Yeah, it's so cool! Even watching you in Red Bull’s Now Days- it's so impressive to see how you're able to bring one kind of energy to that, and you're able to seamlessly blend into the surf world so well, but then you're equally doing the same thing when it comes to the community that you're building with the women that you skate with. 

SB: Well, thank you. I think a lot of people see me as a skateboarder, so to be able to be in that surf film with all these amazing surfers- girls that I've looked up to my whole life- to be able to be in a movie with them was amazing. I haven't really made a big splash in surfing yet as much as they have, but to be able to be in [Now Days] I just couldn't be more thankful, I’m so happy about that film.

TOGETHXR: Did you feel like any of those girls were particularly good at bringing you under their wing? 

SB: All of them are so cool and fun, and I made the nicest, coolest friends. They're all just so sweet; they really all took me under their wing, and I felt like I belonged. I’ve been watching them my whole life, but I really got to know who they really are. Caroline is so fun, and she really took good care of me and told me all these stories. She really took good care of me, but they all did. They're all awesome. 

TOGETHXR: It's crazy you might be competing at the Olympics with them too. I know your goal is to qualify for the Olympics in surfing and skateboarding. Tell me a little bit more about why that's so important to you. 

SB: My whole life, I surfed, and I skated, and I never had a favorite. People would ask me all the time, what do you prefer? I'm like, gosh, I can't pick. Surfing's always been super important to me. But before Tokyo, my first Olympic round, I just had to pick one sport to compete in. It was really hard. I had to take some time, not really surfing as much, focusing on skateboarding. That was tough for me, because I just miss surfing so much. I think [my parents] saw that surfing is a thing that I love, and I have passion for it, and they didn’t want me to lose that. But I think in Tokyo, they saw that I didn't, and I got the medal in skateboarding. 

I pushed again and said I wanted to compete for both in Paris. So I tried for Paris, missed it by one spot. It was a sad one for me, missing it by just a few points; it was right there, and it got taken away. That was a hard time for me, but I think that really, really gave me so much confidence. The feeling of getting so close really gave me a lot of fire to do it for LA. 

TOGETHXR: And not saying I don't think you would have been able to teleport, but having the venues an hour away from each other in LA makes a big difference compared to flying all the way to French Polynesia from Paris. 

SB: No, for sure. Definitely a thing, and I'm like, okay, maybe this one wasn't meant to be. It would have been very difficult, but now it's gonna be on my home break. My home surf spot and then obviously skateboarding will be in LA, and it’s my home, so it would be very special if I could do that. 

TOGETHXR: If you're competing in 2 sports, your schedule will understandably be pretty packed, but if you could find the time to watch one other sport or athlete compete at LA28, who would you really want to see? 

SB: Just being in the Olympic village is so cool. I get to meet so many idols and cool people through there. I’ve always been a big fan of Simone Biles, and I got to meet her at the Olympics then…But I think I'd like to watch gymnastics because when I was on Dancing with the Stars, it reminded me of that, a lot of the gymnastics people have been on Dancing with the Stars, and I think that would be a cool one to watch, for sure.

TOGETHXR: I think it is so cool to see how you've been able to be a culture shaper in how you present yourself in and out of competition. What thoughts go into style for your surfboards, skateboards, and outfits?

SB: Skateboarding and surfing are a way of expressing myself, and I get to do that through my boards and my outfits. I just want to express myself the best that I can. I always want to look good, be pretty, and feel good in my outfits. I was talking to the girls yesterday, and I said I think about what I'm gonna wear on comp more than the actual comp. My best friend does my art on the surfboards, which is amazing. We get to work together to make sure I feel good.

TOGETHXR: It's been really cool to see how you use your heritage and incorporate that into what you're doing as well. You're just really incredible with your advocacy for visibility for women in sport and also for women of Asian heritage. Why do you feel like that's so important for you to do that?

SB: Well, you know, that's me. I'm half Asian, and I'm so proud to be Japanese. I love Japanese food, and the culture there is just amazing. I'm very blessed to have gotten to know this culture living in America and to have grown up in Japan, with that culture in me. And, being British, having this mix of cultures is something I've always been super grateful for. On my boards, I'm really representing Japan. I have a lot of geishas on my board, you know, strong women, and it’s something I really love. 

TOGETHXR: You've also been very outspoken about wanting other young girls to be able to look at you as a role model. Do you feel like you had a role model or somebody that you looked up to in the sports space, or was that something you feel like was as visible? 

SB: It's so important for people to have role models, because I think if it weren't for that, I wouldn't be here, and I want to be that to other people as well, and just spread a positive message, and to make them do the same. I've gained so much from this, and I think so many people can. I want to share that love and give it back. 

TOGETHXR: The whole world's gonna be coming to LA next year. What's one food that everyone needs to try when they're here for LA28?

SB: Oh, the first stop in LA is In-N-Out for anyone. 

TOGETHXR: What's the order? 

SB: Double-double animal style.

TOGETHXR: What's your favorite city you've traveled to for your sport?

SB: Any city in Brazil, I love Brazil. Rio, São Paulo or Floripa. I just think Brazil has such a good community of skateboarders, but also the crowd, the love, the passion, the culture, and everything they share there is so amazing. I’ve always loved competing there, because I just feel the love. 

TOGETHXR: What is taking over your feed on socials right now?

SB: Alysa Liu. She’s all over my FYP. Love her. She's definitely someone I look up to these days; she’s super cool. Love her a lot. Also, Dubai chocolate.

TOGETHXR: Tell me something that’s gonna make me remember you’re not just a superhuman athlete.

SB: Oh, bro, I literally went to Venice. And my dad - oh my God. Okay, basically, I sat on coffee while I was skating. He spilt coffee on the seat, and I sat in it, and I didn't even know, and I was skating with it, and I looked like I pooped my pants. That was a traumatizing day for me.

TOGETHXR: Well, it’s good to know that our favorite athletes have embarrassing human moments too.

SB: Well, that's something that's really important to me, and I think people forget that I'm just a regular girl, like everyone else, but I am. That's me, I'm a regular teenage girl. I love doing teenager stuff. I’m a girly girl, and everything, but I do these [sports] because I believe in myself, and I work hard, and I believe anything is possible. I think girls forget that and hold themselves to a lower standard, but I think anything is possible if you really believe in yourself.