In today's discussion, we will highlight the leading skateboarders from the UK to watch in 2024. We'll delve into their paths and successes in skateboarding, featuring names like Rianne Evans, Alex DeCunha, Stefani Nuring, Jamie Griffin, and Lola Tambling.
Rianne Evans
Rianne Evans is a professional skateboarder who already has a series of prominent skate sponsors backing her.Polar Skate Co, Nike SB, Spitfire Wheels, Independent Trucks, including Get Lesta and Route One.
Originally from Bournemouth and now residing in Bristol, she began skateboarding at age 14 at her local skatepark Kings in Bournemouth. In an interview with Vague, she mentioned, "I doubt I would have ever picked up a board. It’s transition-based with a fat snake run, which meant all I wanted to do was learn to carve and go fast."
Rianne is a passionate supporter of the female skateboarding community. One of the main reasons she joined Nike SB was their efforts to close the gender gap by promoting and supporting more female skateboarders, and Nike now has a fully female team globally. She stated, "I think it’s important for us girls to be represented in the mainstream industry for obvious reasons as it encourages and inspires other women, both those who already skate and those who want to learn."
Rianne also appeared in the Get Lesta Darling video and graced the cover of Vague Mag issue 20.
Alex DeCunha
Alex DeCunha grew up in Milton Keynes, where from a young age, he fully immersed himself in skateboarding, focusing on refining his skills. In an interview with World Skateboarding, he shared, "The shopping centre at Milton Keynes has a big open space where they do random events, like seasonal things here and once they had a mini-ramp set up. There was an Eastpak demo and there was this skater called Lee Blackwell doing all his Lee Blackwell-related activities, like where he flew out of the ramp over the back fence to flat. It’s marble floor there, so the noise he made when he landed echoed throughout the building and 6-year-old me was just, like, ‘Wow’."
Since then, his achievements include multiple national championships and podium finishes in international events, securing his status as one of the leading skateboarders in the United Kingdom. Alex is also a member of Skateboarding GB and has competed in qualifying events in Rome and Brazil on his path to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024.
Alex is supported by several brands, including Jart, Stance, and Cariuma
Stefani Nurding
Originally from Plymouth and now living in Brixton, south London, Stefani balances motherhood with running her own skate business, working as a model, and making time for her own skateboarding, filming content, and collaborations. She naturally transitioned to skating from surfing.
In 2016, Stefani made history as the first British woman to compete in skateboarding at the US Open, but she could only watch the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics when skateboarding was included for the first time, as she had given birth to her son the previous year. An emergency C-section resulted in a longer recovery than anticipated—about two years to regain her previous level—and then she broke her ankle. She believes this makes it unlikely for her to qualify for the Paris Olympics with Team GB in 2024.
Besides being a skateboarder, Stefani owns a UK skate company called Salon.Salon Skateboardsis one of the few female-owned skate companies in the UK that offers skateboards and apparel. A fan favorite was a T-shirt with the slogan ‘dump him go skateboarding’, which sold out quickly. The brand has sponsored several skaters, including Yasmin Stetter, Cibely Cavalcante, and many others.
Jamie Griffin
Jamie Griffin, originally from Ireland, now lives in London and is a dedicated skateboarder.
In addition to being a professional skater, he has won Battle at the Berrics 12 and set two skate world records. His sponsors include fritz-kola, boohooMAN, SkatePro, *S.A.D. ™, and Three Sixty London.
After gaining prominence and becoming a rising star in the field, Ireland-born champion Jamie claimed two records during the ultimate skateboarding contest.
After entering the Influencer bracket at the skateboarding event BATB 12 (Battle at the Berrics 12) and excelling in every challenge, he emerged in 2022 as ‘the skateboarder to watch’.
Jamie faced off against 64 competitors during the event, including some experienced professionals, even surpassing former BATB winner Chris Cole in the semi-finals. At Hop Kingdom in June 2022, he further showcased his skill by setting two world records.
Jamie set the record for the most skateboard heelflips in one minute: he completed 28 heelflips in just 60 seconds. This trick involves flipping the board with the heel, rotating it in the opposite direction of a kickflip. Jamie's achievement significantly surpassed the previous record of 15, set by skater Rob Dyrdek (USA).
The second record was for the most varial heelflips in one minute. You might wonder, what is a "varial heelflip"? This impressive trick involves spinning the board along its vertical axis. It's a combination of a frontside pop shove-it (an ollie jump combined with a frontside 180-degree rotation) and a heelflip, flipping the skateboard with the heel. Jamie achieved a remarkable 23 varial heelflips in one minute, earning his certificate.
Lola Tambling
Lola Tambling, a professional skateboarder from Saltash, Cornwall, recently reached the finals of the Skateboard World Championships, an impressive feat. Lola, who started skating at the young age of seven, left a strong impression on the judges, achieving a commendable sixth place against tough competitors from the United States, Japan, and her fellow GB teammate, Sky Brown. In an interview with The Companion, she said, "Before my first run in the semis, I was shaking and I think I bailed, but the second run I pulled, then I found out I made it to the finals and I started bawling my eyes out. I was over the moon; I didn’t even know what to think. But I was crying with happiness." Lola's skateboarding journey began when her parents organized a skate jam at the Saltash Junkyard skatepark, which sadly no longer exists.
She proudly counts esteemed brands Welcome Skateboards, Volcom, andVansamong her sponsors, who support her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport.
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