As a bronze medallist in the Tokyo Olympic Games, Funa Nakayama became a standard-bearer of Japan’s staggering ascent in competitive skateboarding.

Having won WST Rome outright in 2022- which remains her sole WST victory to date- Funa scored the cover of Thrasher magazine in January 2023 with her trademark frontside crooked grind down the proving-ground Hollywood High handrail. Olympic medallist, World Skateboarding Tour Stop Winner, Thrasher cover star all by the age of 17.

However, Funa alongside fellow Tokyo medallist Momiji Nishiya also held open a door of expectation for Women’s skateboarding in Japan- and today that one nation holds fully seven of the top ten positions on the World Skateboarding Ranking.

Since the Tokyo Olympic Games, competition within the Japanese team for limited selection spots has created the story within the story of what is propelling this division forward, which it surely has.

In the Olympic Qualifier Series showdown in Budapest in the beautiful summer of 2024, the Women’s Street contest saw Funa book her ticket to Paris courtesy of the highest-scoring female Best Trick to date on the WST: 96.84 for a heelflip backside lipslide which she didn’t even try in practice- and which brought the house down.

It is unfortunately impossible to skate even close to this level without the near-inevitability of injuries, and- unsurprisingly, for someone pushing the boundaries of her craft as few have before her- Funa has found herself on that long and far from certain road along the way, too.

With a confidence-restoring, come-from-behind second place at WST Rome last June sending her up the World Skateboarding Ranking to a comfortable 3rd place, we caught up with her ahead of the World Skateboarding Tour’s return to her home country for WST Kitakyushu Street World Cup next month.

With the WST's return to Japan sure to bring all kinds of fireworks, ahead lies a moment for her.

This is what she told us how she felt about…

Ph: Kenji

… skating contests:

“I think competitions are where I get to show everything I’ve been working on. It’s the place to put all those hours of practice to the test. Sometimes, there are tricks I could never stick in training, but when the crowd’s hyped and the energy’s right, they just come together. That vibe makes contests really special, for me.”

Ph: Kenji

… versus skating street:

“… street skating is  a whole different story. Even if I've got my tricks locked down at the park, the streets don’t always give me the best setup. It’s never perfect. When I watch other skaters’ street parts, it always inspires me- I’m still new to skating on the streets, so I’ve got a lot to learn. But lately I’ve been putting more energy into it, and I’m starting to really feel what makes street skating so raw, challenging, and powerful. It’s changed the way I see skateboarding.”

Ph: Landi

… the explosion of progression which she helped usher in:

“I feel after the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the level in women’s skateboarding has skyrocketed. It’s crazy. Hitting big sections with spins has become standard now. You’re seeing tricks like bigspin boards, bigspin flips, even flip feebles…I used to only see the guys doing that…it's wild, because those tricks used to look almost untouchable, like ‘That’s way too gnarly” …but now, it feels like if I'm not pushing for that level, I'm falling behind. It’s super scary, but I just gotta do it!”

Ph: Kenji

… the Great Level-Up in women's skateboarding:

"Before Tokyo (Olympic Games), most of the girls were kind of on the same level; but after the Olympics and now with Paris since then, and LA coming up… some of the girls have completely levelled up. They’re on another tier. It’s really inspiring, but also super motivating to keep pushing myself. In contests, of course there’s that rivalry—I win some, I lose some, and it always hits deep either way.”

Ph: Kenji

…what makes skateboarding different:

“…skateboarding’s not like other sports. There’s this culture of respect and stoke that’s totally unique.

When someone lands a trick, everyone’s hyped. It’s not just ‘They did it,’- it’s ‘…that makes me wanna go harder, too’. We feed off each other’s energy. Even when it’s competitive, it’s not toxic—it’s this healthy kind of fire that pushes everyone to do better. That’s what makes skating so special to me; it’s competitive, but it’s built on mutual respect. I'm battling my friends, but at the same time… I'm rooting for them to make it!”

Ph: Atiba

…being on the most valuable piece of real estate in skateboarding:

“Back then, I was only focused on contests. To me, winning at the Olympics or SLS felt like the ultimate goal. When I got the Thrasher cover, of course I was stoked—it was a huge deal—but, honestly, I didn’t fully understand how big that was. At that time, I was still a total beginner when it came to street skating, so I didn’t really get what Thrasher represented. I was happy, but compared to how others reacted, I probably only felt half of it. Now that I’ve been putting in real work on the streets, I finally understand what an honor that was. Thrasher isn’t just a magazine—it’s part of skate culture itself.”

Ph: Kenji

… the changes in her outlook, over time:

“When people ask me whether I prefer contests or the street, I can’t choose. Both are incredible in their own way, and that’s why I want to push myself in both worlds; to really master each side of skating.

My biggest goal at the moment is to make it to the LA Olympics and bring home a medal. That’s the dream I’m chasing.

But- at the same time, I don’t want to just focus on contests. I’ve been putting a lot into street skating lately, and I really want to travel more—hit spots overseas, film in places that inspire me, and skate what I truly want to skate.

That balance between competing and creating is what keeps me stoked right now.”