For Reese Nelson, a relaxing afternoon can include perfecting a new version of the Nose Grab 720 in San Diego while wearing her favorite Eminem shirt. Maybe figure out new ways to perform a kick flip nose slide into a fakie. Maybe doing NBD (the “never done before” trick) can help her win this weekend’s X Games Ventura 2024.
Tony Hawk is watching it all from backstage. Yes, That Tony Hawk. This is the scene where an 11-year-old skateboarding prodigy trains with the sport’s long-time best.
Flip the script and imagine a stressful afternoon for Nelson. Playing dress-up with her cat Bloody Mary can be hectic, especially when Mary isn’t as cooperative as Nelson’s other cat, Freddy Krueger. Nelson and her sister sometimes argued while playing with dolls. Let’s not forget that Minecraft games have terrible endings.
Some may wonder why the previously mentioned example was not flipped. Play with dolls and pets should A joy. Performing crazy stunts on nearly 15-foot-tall vertical ramps requires the non-fan’s guide to skateboarding lingo – a daily attempt (successful and unsuccessful) by the world’s best skateboarders – should Avoidable Obstacles. For Nelson, who became the youngest-ever X Games medalist after her effort in California last year, the harder the trick, the more determined she is to master it.
She knows her current lifestyle is challenging, but she puts on a protective helmet and pads every day to make her personal battle with vertical ramps seem like a lightweight job. Her greatness is backed up by a generational talent in Hawk, who has dominated skateboarding since turning pro at age 14. Her tenacity, fearlessness and persistence reminded him of his younger self.
“She chose to learn the highest level of technique and stick with it. At some point, she started making some stuff up of her own,” Houck said. “I’m talking about tricks that have never been considered in our field, and the first time she performed them was when she was 10, 11 years old.
“In most cases, she was way ahead of her peers—or any age, really. It’s like she skipped all the basic steps in skateboarding and yet landed some of the most elite tricks.
Combined with incredible ability, humility and a charming personality, Nelson is the carefree skateboarder who won over fans around the world at the 2023 X Games and at the age of 10 and 8 Just a few months old after winning a silver medal in the Pacifico Women’s Skateboard Vertical. X Games 2024 takes place Friday through Sunday in Ventura, Calif., and on Sunday afternoon Nelson will once again compete in the event and test her control, originality and overall use of the vertical ramp.
Winning gold on Sunday would be an honor. However, competing for the love of the sport naturally brings a smile to the face of the seventh-grader, who will turn 12 in November. Some extreme sports competition competitors view this weekend as victory or defeat. For Nelson, it’s still just fun and games — and that’s OK.
Even though many skateboarders already consider her a prodigy.
“Quickly, I could tell there was something extraordinary about her,” Hawk said.
Nelson was born in Calgary, Alberta, and moved to San Diego with her family about three years ago because of her father’s job. Nelson’s family isn’t all skateboarders, either. No one encouraged her to try slopestyle tricks. But at age four, she learned to ski in Canadian winters, and when her family moved to California, she was introduced to skateboards and skate parks at age eight.
Through practice, she learned to control the board and then tried maneuvering on vertical ramps. It became a hobby. Now, that hobby has grown into something that puts Nelson in a spotlight she never imagined.
“It’s like it just happened,” Nelson said. “I skated just for fun, and then I started competing. I don’t know, it all really happened at the same time.
“She had become obsessed with skating in Canada, but there weren’t a lot of facilities there that suited her interest, which was more vertical half-pipe skating,” Hawke added. “When they moved, they realized they were in the center of vertical skating.”
Nelson first had to learn to perform tricks on small ramps. She then began working with one of Hawk’s friends, professional skater Lincoln Ueda, who also worked with members of the Chinese national team. Hawke received a call from Ueda that contained an emphatic message.
“He said, ‘You have to meet this little girl,'” Hawk said.
After watching some videos of Nelson’s performances, Hawke received a contact message from Nelson’s mother, Lindsay Bedier, and sent her a direct message via social media. He invited the family to his warehouse, where Nelson demonstrated her skills in person.
“This is crazy. I said to my husband, ‘Tony Hawk just sent me a private message,'” Bedier said. “Everyone thought we moved to California to skateboard, but we’re not that hardcore. It was crazy when he DMed us.
Nelson performed at their first encounter, and Hawke eventually expanded Nelson’s membership to his Birdhouse Skateboarding Team. Since then, the two have become very close. Sometimes it’s a business-like mentor-mentee relationship, with two friends acting silly to others.
There were also those days when Nelson forgot that Tony Hawk was this Tony Hawk. He has a long list of accomplishments, including being the first person to successfully complete a recorded 900 laps (2 1/2 full laps) in 1999. Slightly different, considering she was 56 years old before Hawke was born, who was the face of the sport in the 1990s and 2000s.
Nelson is often reminded of how famous her mentor was. Whether it’s going to PF Chang’s (her favorite is the chicken fried rice) or going to an event at the skate park, if she’s with Hawk, she sees how excited his fan base is. That doesn’t mean she understands the hype. Blame it on timing, since Nelson was born in 2012.
“I always thought it was weird that people would come up and want pictures,” Nelson said of Hawke.
“When we first went[to the warehouse]she was like, ‘Oh, that’s so cool…like, let’s go skating,’” Bedier added with a laugh. “she does not know.”
Hawke has a more interesting explanation for their relationship. As arguably skateboarding’s most famous mentor, Hawke could only shake his head when Nelson chose not to take his advice. It was as if his decades of experience had been replaced by the strong will of a preteen.
But in many ways, Hoke admires Nelson’s mental approach to the game. She knows what she wants, and while she’s focused on daily progress, she’s not afraid to say no—not even to him.
“She was determined and dedicated, almost to the point where she wouldn’t give up,” Hawk said. “Sometimes I’ll try to tell her something, some basic tips and tricks: Hey, maybe you should try to learn… ‘I don’t like them.'” This might be something you have as backup. If you lose speed, you… “Yeah, I don’t want to do that.”
“But I helped her learn some tricks. I’ll get credit for that.
@reese__nelson 🌪️ #coherent Chapter 187 Killer Pad pic.twitter.com/oUEcYRL45X
— 187KILLERPADS (@187KILLERPADS) May 28, 2024
Nelson, the second oldest of three children, had a diverse personality. She loves Eminem and when she’s trying to get into a zone, she’ll vibe to his songs. When she watches TV, she enjoys the Netflix reality show Nailed It! and other baking shows.
Nelson has been homeschooled for the past few years but is excited about in-person education for seventh grade in the fall. This will be her first time back on campus with other students in years.
When asked whether it was more nerve-wracking to go to middle school or go to 540 or 720, she answered without hesitation.
“Go to high school,” she said. “I mean, I’m nervous.”
She’ll have lots of stories to tell when she gets to her new school. Nelson leads a cool but unorthodox life that some might consider as complicated as her gravity-defying attempts at skate parks. Even her mother calls her life “weird,” but that’s never a shame. If anything, it’s the ultimate compliment.
How many people can say they know Hawke? How many people can call or text a skateboarding icon at any time? How many people, regardless of age, can say they skated with Hawk and Beastie Boys member Ad-Rock on the same day – and dismiss it as “just another day”?
“Tony said, ‘Hey, you want to skate with Ad-Rock from the Beastie Boys?'” said Bediier, a Beastie fan. “Reese said, ‘Okay.’ And I was like… ‘What?
When Nelson isn’t skateboarding, she’s working on her personal favorites: Tom Schaar, the first person to set the 1080m (three laps) record, and Colin McKay ), a fellow Canadian.
There’s no personal vendetta against Hawke, right?
“Tony is great, but I really like Tom Schaal’s skating. He’s strong and aggressive,” Nelson said. “The same goes for Colin. However, Tony’s skills are very good.
Nelson is also keeping an eye on another young skateboarder who has been in the news recently. Arisa Trew, a 14-year-old girl from Australia, became the first female skateboarder to successfully land a 900-meter record last month. Hawke did it 25 years ago at X Games V in San Francisco.
“She works hard. She’s good,” Nelson said of True. “I haven’t really thought about trying for (900).”
ICYMI… The legacy of the 900 continues!
History is being made again and the similarities are uncanny.
first @ Tonyhawk In 1999, Arisa Trew ran the world’s first 900m at the X Games, and now she’s the first woman to complete 900m on a skateboard.
The torch has been passed. pic.twitter.com/0NqYlB9kAH
— X Games (@XGames) May 31, 2024
Nielsen is still more interested in enjoying skateboarding than building a legacy that her fans might drive. Hoke keeps reminding Nelson that at this stage in her life, winning isn’t everything. While winning a gold medal would be a huge achievement at the X Games, participating in this prestigious event should be taken seriously in its own right.
As a mentor, maintaining her expectations is arguably Hawke’s toughest job. Especially when it involves contestants who like to show off their aggressive style and attempt the most difficult moves. Many times, these measures are successful. Sometimes, they miss — and Nelson is her harshest critic.
“She’s very strict with herself, (but) I hope she still has fun with it,” he said. “Her determination and her ferocity were an almost impenetrable wall.”
“I feel pressure, but not because other people are putting it on me,” Nelson added. “I put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect and learn everything every time. Sometimes, it doesn’t work, which is annoying.
Bedier said having Hawk as a mentor helps maintain balance in Nelson’s life. Hoke has four children, so he understands the pressure Nelson was under as a young player and the roller coaster of emotions Bedier went through.
Hoke’s wisest words may come to Bedier more often than Nelson, mostly because of her daughter’s development and what will happen if she continues to excel in the sport.
“It’s been over three years. … He’s really become someone that I can rely on for advice and support, not only for Reese’s skating but also for my role as a parent, like what can I do to support her, “Bedil said. “His advice is invaluable. It’s not just about technique; it’s helping us explore the world of skateboarding.
Sunday will be Nelson’s time to shine, and she’s ready to take the spotlight. But transforming into your own superhero is more about memories than fame.
X Games will once again have the opportunity to see the innocence of a rising star. Meanwhile, Nielsen will once again demonstrate why people should care.
“I’m one of the older guys, but we’re talking about 20-, 30-year-old vert skate veterans who are watching her perform and they’re completely blown away,” Hawk said. “That’s nothing new. It’s not like, ‘Oh, she’s good for her age.’ “She just That OK
“The last three years have been crazy and we’re not looking for any solutions,” Bedier added. “Reese has a really good group of people around him. We definitely hit the jackpot.
(Photo: Dan Goldfarb/ Competitor; Photos: Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images, Spencer Weiner/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images and Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
