In-Depth
Action athletes making noise
When it comes to the over-the-top world of action sports, these are some of the athletes on the rise.
Jack Robinson
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
It would be difficult for 17-year-old Jack Robinson to better embody the image of a surfer. His shaggy mop of blond hair, deep tan and friendly attitude make the young Australian a perfect caricature. On top of that, Robinson is widely considered to be the best young tube rider alive. He is represented by Octagon and signed a sponsorship with Billabong last year.
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| Photo by:Pete Demos / ESPN Images |
Kevin Peraza
The 20-year-old Tucson native brings a speed and smoothness to BMX park that’s rare in the sport. It’s in his blood, after all, being the son of a competitive BMX racer. Peraza is represented by Wasserman Media Group, and his sponsors include Mongoose, Monster Energy and Ethika.
Ayumu Hirano
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
After years of impressing fans during training runs at events in which he was too young to compete, Hirano beat the age minimum for Sochi by only 33 days and came home with a silver medal in the snowboard halfpipe. The 16-year-old native of Japan projects to be one of the faces of the next Winter Olympics, to be held in Asia. He is represented by IMG, and his sponsors include Burton, GoPro and Oakley.
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| Photo by: Bryce Kanights / ESPN Images |
Trevor Colden
At 20 years old, the Virginia Beach native has developed a reputation among hard-core skateboarders by throwing himself over massive gaps and down huge rails without a moment’s hesitation. He is represented by Wasserman Media Group, and his sponsors include Nike SB, Mob Grip, Skullcandy, Bones Swiss Bearings and Active.
Sage Erickson
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
One of the most talented female surfers in the world, the 24-year-old Erickson has shown the skill to excel in competition and a comfort in front of the camera through occasional modeling and hosting duties. Her sponsors include Oakley, Channel Islands and Freestyle.
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| Peter Morning / ESPN Images |
Chloe Kim
The 14-year-old Kim was the story of this year’s X Games in Aspen when she took gold in the women’s snowboard superpipe, becoming the youngest athlete to win a Winter X event. She was the best snowboarder not competing in Sochi, having earned the scores to qualify, but at 13 was below the Olympic age minimum. The daughter of Korean immigrants, she may be seen as a de facto local hero in Pyeongchang in 2018. Kim is represented by CAA, and her sponsorships include Monster Energy, Burton, Bose, GoPro and Oakley.
Ken Roczen
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| Photo by: Getty Images |
The 20-year-old German-born racer has spent the 2015 season near the top of the Monster Energy Supercross standings. He is a member of RCH Racing, aligning himself with two of the most recognizable names in motorcycle history, freestyler Carey Hart and racing great Ricky Carmichael. His sponsors include Red Bull and GoPro, and he is represented by Wasserman Media Group.
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| Photo by: Gabriel Christus / ESPN Images |
Mitchie Brusco
In three years at the top competitive level, the 17-year-old Brusco has three X Games medals to his name. At 16, he caught the attention of the skateboarding world by being the first skater, of any age, to land a 1080 (three full revolutions) in a competition. He is represented by Octagon, and his sponsors include Under Armour, Sony PlayStation, GoPro, Rockstar, Almost Skateboards and Triple 8 Helmets.
