Tokyo Olympics: AAPI skateboarder rolling and jumping towards the gold

Heimana Reynolds will compete in the "Park" category of Olympic skateboarding.

Heimana Reynolds, a native Hawaiian who was born and raised on the island of Oahu, embodies the island culture. Reynolds, indicative of the growing diversity within the youngest generation of Americans, is of mixed Tahitian, Hawaiian, Filipino and Chinese heritage.

“Growing up in Hawaii, my family never let us forget our roots,” Reynolds told NBC News.

Currently, Reynolds is the top-ranked U.S. skateboarder in the park discipline (which means he skates in bowls as opposed to the street category, which replicates real-world terrain).

The 2021 Summer Olympics is the first time that skateboarding will be featured as an Olympic sport. It will have two disciplines: park and street.

Street skateboarders use rails, stairs and other elements you might find skating around a city. Park skaters use skateparks with elements like bowls and ramps to launch themselves in the air and do tricks. 

He started skating at the young age of 6 and in a short period of time has gained the recognition of skate industry as one to watch in the park and bowl disciplines with his style, speed and tenacity.

2019 proved to be a stand out year for Heimana as he secured the 2019 Park World Championship title and dominated nearly every international skateboarding event. He started establishing a name for himself in 2007 by winning high level amateur events and in 2012, he again proved he was a competitive force by securing the 1st Place win at the Dew Tour Free Flow Tour Skateboard Am event – he has continued to grow his competitive repertoire ever since.

He hopes that the Olympic competition will give skateboarding some respect.

“For people who know nothing about the sport,” says Reynolds, “all they know is that skateboarder is vandalizing that rail on the street right there. That skateboarder, all he does is hang out and does nothing at the skate park. There are always going to be those people (who think that).”

“I wake up and I train. I work out. I practice. I’ve worked my butt off, so I would definitely consider myself an athlete,” says Reynolds, who beams with enthusiasm non-stop as he talks about skateboarding.

“Once skateboarding is established in the Olympics and as a real sport it’s going to open it up to all these parents and people who want to have their kids skating,” he enthusiastically explains. His family operate a skateboard park in Hawaii.

When not competing professionally, Reynolds teaches kids skateboarding and hosts camps at his family’s skatepark, Proper Ride Shop, in Honolulu as well as tries to give back to the community that has given so much opportunities to. him.

“Of course I’m skating for Team USA but I’m also skating for my island,” Reynolds says. “It makes me feel excited and happy that I have this island that is backing me. It’s super cool to think that I did come from this little island and now I’m going to the Olympics.”

Meet the members of the U.S. Olympic skateboarding team.

USA SKATEBOARDING / ANTHONY ACOSTA

The 12-member U.S.Olympic Skateboard Team includes: (L to R) Cory Juneau (Park), Zion Wright (Park), Nyjah Huston (Street), Mariah Duran (Street), Jake Ilardi (Street), Brighton Zeuner (Park), Jagger Eaton (Street), Alexis Sablone (Street), Heimana Reynolds (Park), Alana Smith (Street), Bryce Wettstein (Park), Jordyn Barratt (Park)