Profiles
A collection of profiles, stories and backgrounds on some of our top athletes set to compete at X Games Chiba 2024.
Brett Wilhelm/X Games
BMX Park athlete Marcus Christopher didn’t expect to charge hard at X Games Ventura 2024. The 21-year-old suffered a horrific-looking crash at X Games California 2023 that left him with a broken jaw and cheekbone, sucking through a straw for weeks. He also had just secured his spot for July’s Paris Olympics, and rumor was USA BMX athletes had been asked to take it easy in Ventura. Then there was the strong wind on competition day that made for tricky conditions....
Liz Akama was a shy 13-year-old when she made her X Games debut two years ago, at X Games Chiba 2022. She finished 9th in the Elimination round, just missing the top-8 cut for the Final. She felt a little dejected but says the experience lit a fire that changed her. Two years later, she’ll be a podium favorite and gold medal contender at this month’s X Games Chiba. And, she’s quick to point out, “I’m still shy!”...
Tom Schaar was just 14 years old when he claimed his first X Games gold, surprising the Skateboard Big Air field at XG Austin 2014. The bigger surprise? That it took another 10 years to score his second X Games title. But there he was, atop the Skateboard Vert podium at X Games Ventura 2024 and fulfilling a goal he’d worked towards for exactly half his life. Schaar was 12 years old when he began competing in Vert at X Games. He just turned 25 on September 14, the week of X Games Chiba. Vert gold even surprised himself.
Sky Brown absolutely demolished Women’s Skateboard Park competition at X Games in 2021 and 2022, collecting two gold medals and appearing unbeatable. But she hasn’t attended an X Games since. She swears it was nothing personal. “I’ve wanted to be at every X Games,” Sky says, explaining the two-year gap that was longer than she anticipated. “X Games is my favorite contest! My problem is that I want to be at every contest in skateboarding and surfing. I also want to be traveling and staying at home and cooking Japanese curry with my mom and being 16 years old and hanging out with my friends and family and being everywhere and doing everything all at once, basically. I’ve had to try to find some balance, especially as I’ve had some injuries.”