Sky Brown
Sky Brown is a British-Japanese professional skateboarder and surfer who competes for Great Britain. She became known as a record-setting young athlete after winning bronze in women's park skateboarding at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Brown is also a world champion, X Games winner and former winner of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.
Early life
Sky Brown was born in Miyazaki, Japan. Her mother, Mieko, is Japanese, and her father, Stuart, is British. She has a younger brother, Ocean Brown, who also skates, and the siblings have appeared together on their Sky & Ocean YouTube channel.
Brown started skateboarding at the age of three and has described a skateboard as her favourite childhood toy. Her preschool had its own skate park, while her family later installed a skating ramp in their garden because there were no skate parks in her home area of Takanabe, Miyazaki. She also began surfing in 2012 and splits her time between Miyazaki and Southern California.
Skateboarding career
Brown competed at the Vans US Open in 2016 at the age of eight, becoming the youngest person to take part in the event. She finished second at the 2017 Asian Continental Finals and became a professional athlete in 2018, making her the youngest professional skateboarder in the world. That year she also won the inaugural season of the American television programme Dancing with the Stars: Juniors.
She won the Simple Session event in Tallinn in 2019 and chose to compete for Great Britain after previously considering Japan. At the 2019 World Skateboarding Championship in São Paulo, she won bronze and became the first female skater to land a frontside 540 at the X Games. Brown learns many tricks from YouTube rather than working with a skateboarding coach, and she has sometimes practised with Shaun White.
Brown won the women's park events at the X Games in 2021 and 2022, as well as the Dew Tour in 2021 and 2022. She became the first British skateboarding world champion after winning the park title in 2023. She also won the 2025 World Skateboarding Championship in São Paulo and the 2026 championship in São Paulo, while taking silver at the 2026 World Skate Tour World Cup in Rome.
2020: Training injury
On 28 May 2020, Brown suffered a serious fall from a halfpipe ramp while training in California. She sustained several skull fractures and a broken left wrist and hand, and was flown to hospital after being unresponsive on arrival.
Brown returned to competition after the injury and continued preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. Her recovery later earned her the Laureus World Comeback of the Year award for 2021.
2021: X Games gold and Tokyo Olympics bronze
Brown won the X Games women's park gold medal in July 2021. At the pandemic-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she became Great Britain's youngest-ever summer Olympian when she competed at the age of 13.
She won bronze in the women's park event after falling in her first two runs and scoring 56.47 on her final attempt. At 13 years and 28 days, she became Great Britain's youngest-ever Olympic medallist. Her skateboards were later selected for display at the renovated Young V&A museum in London.
2024: Paris Olympics bronze
Brown tore her medial collateral ligament in 2024 while filming a video part. After rehabilitating the injury, she returned to competition at the Olympic Qualifier Series in Budapest, where she finished second and secured a place at the Paris Olympics.
She won a second Olympic bronze medal in women's park skateboarding at Paris 2024, becoming a two-time Olympic medallist. Team GB noted that she competed in Paris only a week after dislocating her shoulder.
Surfing career
Brown has pursued surfing alongside skateboarding and considered trying to qualify for surfing at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics. She later competed at the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games in Puerto Rico in an attempt to qualify for the Paris Games.
She finished third in her repechage heat and did not qualify for the Olympic surfing competition. Brown nevertheless placed 17th among 113 female competitors and was the highest-placed British athlete across both genders at the event.
Awards
Brown won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2021 and received the Laureus World Comeback of the Year award in 2022. Her competitive record includes two Olympic bronze medals, two X Games park gold medals and world championship titles in women's park skateboarding.
She has also used her public profile to encourage girls to pursue skateboarding and other ambitions. In addition to sport, she released the song "GIRL" in 2020 and has appeared in television and voice roles.
Quick facts
- At the age of 10, Sky Brown became the youngest professional skateboarder in the world.
- Brown won the inaugural season of Dancing with the Stars: Juniors in 2018.
- In 2019, Brown became the first female skater to land a frontside 540 at the X Games.
- Brown suffered several skull fractures and broke her left wrist and hand in a 2020 training fall.
- At 13 years and 28 days, Brown became Great Britain's youngest-ever Olympic medallist.
- Brown became the first British skateboarding world champion by winning the women's park title in 2023.
- Brown won Olympic bronze medals in women's park skateboarding at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
- Brown tore her medial collateral ligament in 2024 while filming a video part before qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
- At the 2024 ISA World Surfing Games, Brown placed 17th among 113 female competitors.
- Brown won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2021.
- Brown won the Laureus World Comeback of the Year award in 2022.
- Brown became the youngest-ever Nike-sponsored athlete in the world in 2019.
FAQs about Sky Brown
What is Sky Brown's ethnicity?
Sky Brown is British-Japanese. Her father, Stuart, is British, and her mother, Mieko, is Japanese.
What is Sky Brown's real name?
Her name is Sky Brown. Her given name is written in Japanese as スカイ, or as 澄海 in kanji.
Where does Sky Brown live now?
Sky Brown splits her time between her hometown of Miyazaki and Southern California.
Who are Sky Brown's parents?
Sky Brown's parents are Stuart and Mieko Brown. Stuart is British and was an amateur skateboarder, while Mieko is Japanese.
How old was Sky Brown when she competed in the Olympics?
Sky Brown was 13 years old when she competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
What sports does Sky Brown compete in?
Sky Brown competes in professional skateboarding and surfing. She qualified for skateboarding at the Paris Olympics but did not qualify for the surfing competition.
What happened in Sky Brown's accident?
In May 2020, Sky Brown fell from a halfpipe while training in California and suffered several skull fractures, a broken left wrist and a broken hand.
How many Olympics has Sky Brown been to?
Sky Brown has competed at two Olympic Games, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
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