Petaluma’s Minna Stess named Olympic alternate, competes in X-Games this week

“It’s the X-Games,” said Minna Stess, 15. “Even people who don’t know about skateboarding know about the X-Games. It is pretty cool just to be invited, but I definitely want to do well.”|

Unless something unexpected happens, Petaluma teenage skateboard sensation Minna Stess will not be visiting Tokyo for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, but there is still excitement in her very near future.

Stess just missed making the first U.S. Olympic skateboarding team, but will compete in the X-Games happening this week Vista.

Stess will be in the Women’s Skateboard Park event Friday starting at 12 p.m. Her event will be telecast on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Ticktock and the ESPN App.

Even as Stess prepares for the X-Games, there is still a chance for the Olympics. She will be an alternate on the U.S. team that will compete in the first skateboarding in Olympic history.

Three women each in the park and street skateboarding events were chosen for the Tokyo Games. Selection was based on points earned in qualifying events. The 15-year-old Petaluman was fourth in points in park competition. She will be an alternate on the U.S. team, but because of COVID-19 restrictions will not travel with the team.

Stess won the U.S. National Championships, but it did not earn her enough points to make the Olympic team, a situation that might have been different had she been able to earn points in the World Championships. That event was canceled because of the pandemic.

Stess is a little tired of all the focus on the Olympics.

“I’m disappointed, but I will have more opportunities,” she said. “It will be nice to get away from all that stuff.”

She said she is excited about the 2024 games to be held in Paris.

“I will have a chance for more practice and earn more points,” she said. “Honestly, I would rather go to Paris than Tokyo.”

Her attention now is all on the X-Games.

“It’s the X-Games,” she said. “Even people who don’t know about skateboarding know about the X-Games. It is pretty cool just to be invited, but I definitely want to do well.”

Stess is particularly excited because her event will be held in the same stadium where she won the USA Skateboarding Nationals last month. She said earlier this week that she felt ready for the competition.

“I just have to work on a couple of things,” she said, mentioning becoming a bit more consistent and adding a couple of tricks.

The X-Games opened Wednesday with competition continuing through Sunday.

UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy:
  • This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone.
  • No profanity, hate speech or personal attacks. No off-topic remarks.
  • No disinformation about current events.
  • We will remove any comments — or commenters — that do not follow this commenting policy.