WHO TO WATCH AT DEW TOUR 2021 INTERNATIONAL ATHLETES

WOMEN Lizzie Armanto (FIN), Raised in Santa Monica, Calif. but born with dual citizenship in the U.S. and Finland, Armanto is representing Finland on her competitive road to Tokyo 2020. She is not only seasoned as a Park competitor but also as a skater earning parts in some of the hottest skate films including Birdhouse’s “Saturdays” and “Fire.” As the 2019 Dew Tour second place finisher, Armanto currently travels the world getting clips, winning contests and proving that women’s is on the rise. She is also a newlywed, having married Belgian skateboarder Axel Cruysberghs, on October 16, 2020. https://www.instagram.com/lizziearmanto

Sky Brown (GBR), Park Sky Brown was born and raised in Japan, but has dual citizenship through her British father. Sky began skating and surfing at age two and quickly became a phenomenon when her short videos on YouTubegained millions of views. In the fall of 2018, Sky became the first-ever winner of U.S. network ABC’s competition show, “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.” She has been featured on numerous talk shows including Harvey, Pickler & Ben, Little Big Shots, amongst others. Sky is also an ambassador of non-profit Skateistan, an organization that empowers kids through education and skating. Also an avid surfer, Sky splits her time between England, Japan and the U.S. https://www.instagram.com/skybrown/

Aori Nishimura (JPN), Street Known for her prowess on skating rails, not only does Aori Nisimura have the earned street cred, she is proven in contests. In 2017, she came and conquered with a to intro her run followed by about nearly eight unique rail tricks in order to win Gold. She returns to Dew Tour after taking fifth in 2019. She is a strong contender in Tokyo with a current third place world points ranking. https://www.instagram.com/aori_nishimura/

Misugu Okamoto (JPN), Park Misugu Okamoto, a native of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, picked up skateboarding at the age of eight and quickly progressed as a regular-footed vert/park skater, earning medals as she competed. It didn’t take Okamoto long to start competing alongside the best skateboarders in the world. In 2018, she picked up a third place finish at the 18th Asian Games Japan Women’s Park Championships. She took home first place at Dew Tour in 2019 at the age of 12. She is ranked first in points in the world heading into Dew Tour 2021. https://www.instagram.com/misugu0228 (BRA), Street It’s been said that luck is when opportunity meets preparation. In the case of Pamela Rosa, it holds true. She was lucky enough to have an indoor open up near her house the week she started skating, but that luck would mean nothing without the drive, determination and sheer talent to back it up. Rosa will come into this year’s Olympic qualifier as reigning champion from the last two Dew Tour events (2018 and 2019) and the current world points leader in Street. https://www.instagram.com/pamelarosaskt/

MEN Pedro Barros (BRA), Park There are certain skaters, whose skating must be seen to be believed. Pedro Barros is one of those skaters. Hailing from Florianopolis, Brazil, Barros brings an intensity to any spot he drops in on, going faster, farther and bigger than everyone before him. He hones his craft in his private compound, and gets every year. One of the judges’ criteria for any skateboarding contest is “Amplitude,” something Barros has in spades, much like in snowboarding. Barros draws his influence from skaters that are a mixture of aggressive and stylish—and it shows. https://www.instagram.com/pedrobarrossk8/

Aurelien Giraud (FRA), Street The unknown kid from Lyon, , who came from behind to win Tampa Pro in 2015 is now notoriously known worldwide. Aurelien Giraud has since gone on to stand above numerous podiums, including Dew Tour, where he made his debut appearance in 2019 with a first-place finish at the first-ever Olympic qualifying event for the sport. https://www.instagram.com/aureliengiraud/

Kelvin Hoefler (BRA), Street No stranger to the contest circuit, Kelvin Hoefler has been ripping up the underground for years. Back in Brazil, he won his first contest at the age of nine. Since then, he’s only gotten better. He knows what it takes to take home a trophy, and he’s not afraid to go big, even if it means taking a slam along the way. When he’s not in the or on podiums, he can be found in the streets shooting video film parts. https://www.instagram.com/kelvinhoefler/

Yuto Horigome (JPN), Street If there’s ever any proof that skateboarding is a universal language all its own, it’s Yuto Horigome. Hailing from Tokyo, Japan, Yuto’s skating is a shocking combination of massive rails and gaps and hyper-balanced flip-in, flip-out ledge wizardry. Although he’s still young, his skating has drawn the attention of Nike SB, April and others. He is currently ranked second in the world leading into Tokyo. https://www.instagram.com/yutohorigome

Keegan Palmer (AUS), Park Keegan Palmer was born in San Diego but has lived in for most of his life and has dual citizenship. Keegan’s tricks are a solid mix of rarely seen, such as the BurnTwist, and classic tricks like Madonnas or spinning under 720. In 2016, Palmer took Amateur honors winning the Combi Pool Classic Under 15. Then in 2017, he took home a handful of Am bowl titles, including that of Dew Tour Long Beach. He went Pro in 2018 and became a full-fledged threat, with a win at Bondi Bowl-A-Rama, Gold Coast Bowlzilla and the Vans Park Series stop in Oceania, then a third place win at Dew Tour in 2019. https://www.instagram.com/keeganpalmer/