VENTURA — Chloe Covell and Arisa Trew took their friendship to another level on Saturday afternoon.
The 13 year olds from Australia won their first Summer X Games gold medals in their respective skateboard events, highlighting a day filled with next-level innovation and emotion at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
Covell began the day by winning the women’s skateboard street competition, posting the winning score on her final run to overtake 14-year old Liz Akama of Japan.
Covell finished atop a field of eight that included 15-year-old Momiji Nishiya of Japan, the Olympic gold medalist in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and 30-year-old Leticia Bufoni of Brazil, who has been competing in the X Games since before Covell was born.
“Really stoked that I got this win,” said Covell, the youngest X Games gold medalist in women’s skateboard street history.
A few hours later, Trew won the women’s vert contest after landing a 720 for her last trick on her final run. The successful trick allowed Trew to overtake 10-year-old Reece Nelson of Canada, who became the youngest X Games medalist ever.
Last month, Trew became the first female to land a 720 in competition when she completed the double revolution at an event in Salt Lake City.
“She’s insane,” Covell said of Trew. “Girls’ skateboarding is really going to the next level.”
On the men’s side, Brady Baker also joined the X Games youth movement when he won the BMX dirt competition on the final run of the event.
A day earlier, the 20-year-old from Toms River, N.J. surprised many when he emerged as the top qualifier out of 16 competitors in the event. The X Games rookie then outperformed seven other seasoned veterans on the four-jump layout to win the final.
Baker’s rivals were the first to rush out to celebrate, chanting his name before lifting him onto their shoulders after his winning score was announced.
“To get here and have this thing around my neck, it’s unreal,” said…
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