A calming afternoon for Reese Nelson can embrace perfecting a brand new model of a nostril seize 720 in San Diego sporting her favourite Eminem shirt. Maybe determining new methods to carry out a kickflip nostril slide to fakie. Possibly doing NBDs — “by no means been performed” methods — that may assist her win X Video games Ventura 2024 this weekend.
All with Tony Hawk watching within the background. Sure, that Tony Hawk. It’s the situation when an 11-year-old skateboarding prodigy will get to coach with the game’s long-time GOAT.
Flip the script, and film a aggravating afternoon for Nelson. Enjoying dress-up along with her cat, Bloody Mary, will be hectic, notably when Mary isn’t as cooperative as Nelson’s different cat, Freddy Krueger. Then there are these events when Nelson and her youthful sister quarrel whereas taking part in with their dolls. And let’s not neglect when that recreation of Minecraft has a awful ending.
Some would possibly surprise why the aforementioned examples aren’t flipped. Enjoying with dolls and pets needs to be a pleasure. Doing insane methods that require a skate lingo information for non-fans on a vert ramp standing almost 15 toes — methods the world’s finest skate boarders try (efficiently and unsuccessfully) every day — needs to be the avoidable obstacles. For Nelson, the youngest-ever X Video games medalist after final yr’s effort in California, the tougher the trick, the extra decided she is to grasp it.
She is aware of her present way of life is difficult, however she places on a protecting helmet and pads daily to make private battles with a vert ramp appear to be light-weight work. Her greatness is supported by a generational expertise in Hawk, who has dominated the skateboarding scene since turning professional at 14 years outdated. It’s her tenacity, fearlessness and relentlessness that reminds him of a youthful model of himself.
“She chooses the highest-level methods to study, and she or he follows via with them. In some unspecified time in the future, she began making up a few of her personal,” Hawk stated. “I’m speaking about methods that had by no means been thought of in our realm, and she or he was doing them for the primary time on the age of 10, 11.
“She is method forward of anybody her age — or at any age, for essentially the most half. It’s like she skipped all the foundational steps in skateboarding to get to among the most elite methods.”
Add that unimaginable skill with tons of humility and an enthralling character, and also you get Nelson, a happy-go-lucky skateboarder who gained over followers globally at X Video games 2023, incomes a silver medal within the Pacifico Ladies’s Skateboard Vert at 10 years and eight months outdated. X Video games 2024 runs Friday via Sunday in Ventura, Calif., and Sunday afternoon, Nelson as soon as once more will compete within the occasion and be examined on her execution of management, originality and general use of the vert ramp.
Profitable a gold medal Sunday can be an honor. Competing for the love of the game, nevertheless, is what organically places a smile on the face of the incoming seventh-grader who turns 12 in November. Some X Video games rivals are viewing this weekend as win or bust. To Nelson, that is nonetheless simply enjoyable and video games — and that’s OK.
Even when many skateboarding followers already take into account her a wunderkind.
“In a short time, I may inform that she had one thing extraordinary,” Hawk stated.
Born in Calgary, Alberta, Nelson and her household moved to San Diego roughly three years in the past because of her dad’s occupation. Nelson’s family isn’t filled with skate boarders. No person inspired her to try ramp methods. However as a 4-year-old, she realized to snowboard throughout the Canadian winters, and when her household moved to California, she was launched to skateboarding and skate parks at 8.
With apply, she realized to regulate a skateboard, then she tried maneuvering on a vert ramp. That became a pastime. Now, this pastime has developed into one thing that’s given Nelson a highlight she by no means imagined.
“It kind of simply occurred,” Nelson stated. “I used to be simply skating for enjoyable, after which I began competing. I don’t know, the whole lot simply actually occurred without delay.”
“She’d already caught the skating bug in Canada however didn’t have a number of amenities there that suited what she was concerned with, which was extra vertical, half-pipe skating,” Hawk added. “After they moved, they realized they had been within the epicenter of vert skating.”
Nelson first would study to carry out methods on small ramps. She then started working with certainly one of Hawk’s pals, professional skater Lincoln Ueda, who additionally works with members of the Chinese language nationwide crew. Hawk took a cellphone name from Ueda that concluded with an emphatic message.
“He stated, ‘You’ve received to see this little lady,’” Hawk stated.
After viewing a few of Nelson’s efficiency movies, Hawk obtained contact info for Nelson’s mom, Lindsey Bedier, and despatched her a direct message via social media. He invited the household to his warehouse, the place Nelson showcased her abilities in particular person.
“It was loopy. I stated to my husband, ‘Tony Hawk simply DMed me,’” Bedier stated. “Everybody thinks we moved to California for skateboarding, however we’re simply not that hardcore. It was so loopy when he DMed.”
Nelson placed on a present throughout their first encounter, and Hawk finally prolonged Nelson membership to his Birdhouse Skateboards crew. Since then, the 2 have develop into fairly shut. It’s a businesslike mentor-mentee relationship some days, two pals appearing goofy on others.
There are additionally these days when Nelson forgets Tony Hawk is the Tony Hawk. He has a prolonged checklist of accomplishments, which incorporates being the primary to efficiently full a recorded 900 (2 1/2 full revolutions) in 1999. Nelson’s preliminary ideas of the skateboarding legend are barely completely different from these older than her, anticipated contemplating she wasn’t born when Hawk, now 56, was the face of the game within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.
Nelson usually is reminded of how well-known her mentor is. Whether or not it’s a meals run to P.F. Chang’s (rooster fried rice is her favourite) or an occasion at a skate park, if she is with Hawk, she sees how excited his fan base will get. It doesn’t imply she understands the hype. Blame timing, as Nelson was born in 2012.
“I at all times assume it’s bizarre how individuals simply come up and need photos,” Nelson stated of Hawk.
“After we first went (to the warehouse), she was similar to, ‘Oh, cool … like, let’s skate,’” Bedier added, laughing. “She had no concept.”
Hawk has a funnier interpretation of their relationship. As arguably essentially the most well-known skateboarding mentor, Hawk can solely shake his head when Nelson chooses in opposition to taking his recommendation. It’s as if his many years of expertise are upstaged by the robust will of a preteen.
However in lots of kinds, Hawk appreciates Nelson’s psychological method to the game. She is aware of what she desires, and whereas she’s targeted on every day enchancment, she isn’t afraid to say no — not even to him.
“She is fiercely decided and devoted, nearly to a fault when it comes to she won’t surrender,” Hawk stated. “There are occasions when I attempt to inform her issues, primary trick options: Hey, perhaps it is best to attempt to study … ‘I don’t like them.’ This could possibly be one thing you go to as a backup. When you lose pace, you … ‘Yeah, I don’t need to try this.’
“However I’ve helped her study a few methods. I’ll take credit score for that.”
@reese__nelson 🌪️ #padup #187killerpads pic.twitter.com/oUEcYRL45X
— 187KILLERPADS (@187KILLERPADS) May 28, 2024
The center youngster of three, Nelson brings a diverse character to the desk. She loves Eminem and can vibe to his tracks when she tries to get right into a zone. When she’s watching tv, she loves the Netflix actuality collection “Nailed It!” in addition to different baking exhibits.
Nelson has been homeschooled in earlier years however is happy about in-person seventh grade within the fall. It’ll be the primary time in years that she returns to education with different college students.
When requested what’s extra nerve-racking between beginning center college or touchdown 540s and 720s, she didn’t hesitate to reply.
“Going to center college,” she stated. “I imply, like, I’m nervous.”
When she arrives at her new college, she’ll have tons of tales to inform. Nelson lives a cool-yet-unorthodox life that some might imagine is as sophisticated as certainly one of her gravity-defying makes an attempt at a skate park. Even her mom calls her life “unusual,” however that’s removed from a diss. If something, it’s the last word praise.
How many individuals can say they know Hawk? What number of can name or textual content the skateboarding icon at any hour? And what number of, no matter age, can say they’ve skated with Hawk and Beastie Boys member Advert-Rock on the identical day — and deal with it as “simply one other day?”
“Tony was like, ‘Hey, you need to come skate with Advert-Rock from the Beastie Boys?’” stated Bedier, a fan of the Beasties. “Reese was like, ‘OK.’ And I’m like … ‘What?!’
When Nelson isn’t skateboarding, she’s learning her private favorites: Tom Schaar, the primary to land a recorded 1080 (three revolutions), and Colin McKay, a fellow Canadian.
Nothing private in opposition to Hawk, proper?
“Tony is nice, however I actually like Tom Schaar’s skating. He’s robust and aggressive,” Nelson stated. “Colin’s like that, too. Tony does good methods, although.”
Nelson additionally retains a watch on one other youth skateboarder making information as of late. Arisa Trew, a 14-year-old from Australia, final month grew to become the first-ever feminine skateboarder to efficiently land a recorded 900. Trew is ranked the No. 2 feminine park skateboarder on the earth, based on World Skate, and her 900 got here 25 years after Hawk landed the trick at X Video games V in San Francisco.
“She works laborious. She’s good,” Nelson stated of Trew. “I haven’t actually thought of attempting (the 900).”
ICYMI … The legacy of the 900 continues!
Historical past has been made once more and the similarities are uncanny.
First @tonyhawk landed the World’s First 900 at X Video games 1999, now Arisa Trew has develop into the primary girl to land a 900 on a skateboard.
The torch has been handed. pic.twitter.com/0NqYlB9kAH
— X Video games (@XGames) May 31, 2024
Nelson remains to be about having enjoyable with skateboarding somewhat than constructing the legacy her followers would possibly push for. Hawk consistently reminds Nelson that at this stage in her life, profitable isn’t the whole lot. Although profitable a gold medal can be a monumental X Video games achievement, merely competing within the prestigious occasion needs to be valued.
Retaining her expectations tempered arguably is Hawk’s hardest job as mentor. Significantly when it pertains to a competitor who enjoys exhibiting off her aggressive fashion and trying strikes that include the best levels of problem. Many occasions, these strikes are profitable. Typically, they miss — and Nelson is her worst critic.
“She’s very laborious on herself, (however) I need her to nonetheless have enjoyable with it,” he stated. “Her willpower and her fierceness is nearly an impenetrable wall.”
“I really feel stress, however not as a result of different individuals put it on me,” Nelson added. “I put a number of stress on myself to be good and to study the whole lot each time. And typically, it doesn’t work, which is annoying.”
Having Hawk as a mentor helps to maintain Nelson’s life balanced, Bedier stated. Hawk has 4 kids, so he understands the pressures Nelson goes via as a younger competitor, in addition to the curler coaster of feelings Bedier offers with.
Hawk’s wisest phrases might persistently go to Bedier extra usually than Nelson, primarily due to the evolution of her daughter and what’s to come back if she continues excelling within the sport.
“It’s been over three years. … He’s actually develop into any person I can depend on for recommendation and help, not only for Reese’s skating, however when it comes to my position as a guardian, like, what I can do to help her,” Bedier stated. “His recommendation has been invaluable. It’s not nearly methods; it’s serving to us navigate the world of skateboarding.”
Sunday shall be Nelson’s time to shine, and she or he’s prepared for the highlight. However remodeling into her personal model of a superhero nonetheless is extra for the recollections and fewer for the celebrity and fortune.
X Video games will get one other likelihood to see the innocence of a rising star. And on the identical time, Nelson can have one other shot at exhibiting why individuals ought to listen.
“I’m one of many older guys, however we’re speaking about 20-, 30-year-old veterans of vert skating watching her, and so they’re utterly blown away,” Hawk stated. “It’s not a novelty. It’s not, ‘Oh, she’s good for her age.’ She’s simply that good.”
“It’s been a wild experience the final three years, and we didn’t search any of this out,” Bedier added. “Reese has a extremely good group of individuals round her. We positively hit the jackpot.”
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; images: Ric Tapia / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures, Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Occasions through Getty Pictures and Sean M. Haffey / Getty Pictures)