In 2014, Samarria Brevard was the first African American female skateboarder to win the Kimberly Diamond Cup Women’s Street Championship in South Africa. To her chagrin, some have started calling her the Serena Williams of skateboarding.
Her interest in skateboarding began nearly a decade ago in Riverside, CA. She noticed her brother and a close friend skateboarding. After giving it a try, everyone saw her natural aptitude for skateboarding. “I was pretty stable,” she remarked.
Quickly falling in love with the sport, she decided to master the basics of skateboarding by frequenting local skate parks of Riverside and Los Angeles. She transitioned quickly into doing difficult tricks.
Over the past nine years, the 5-foot-6 Samarria has made a name for herself in the action sports world. She took first place in the Supergirl Am Jam 2011 in Venice Beach, CA in 2011, and gained a place on the Hoopla Skateboards team. She placed 4th at the X Games in Los Angeles in 2013. The following year in Austin she placed 10th in the X Games for 2014.
Samarria Brevard Kimberly Diamond Cup Women’s Street Championship 2014
She came back hard with a win at the KDC Street Championship. Winning the KDC was a big confidence booster, and door opener for her. She said, “It means that I can keep skating with the best of them in women’s skateboarding and be a part of the progression for women’s skateboarding.”
She doesn’t have a specific skateboarder that she models herself on or wants to be like. To prepare for competition, she says she visualizes herself doing the tricks; she uses her hands and feet to get a feel of how she will be off the ground.
Her advice to any female trying to get into professional skateboarding is to put in the work. Skating every day and publishing proof of your skating ability with pictures and videos.
Woman Athlete Fact Sheet:
- Name: Samarria Brevard
- World Rank:104th Overall
- Born: 09/22/93
- Hometown: Riverside, CA
- Resides: Riverside, California
- Stance: Goofy
- Favorite skate spot: Pirates in San Bernardino
- Personal Greatest Achievement: Winning 1st in the Supergirl Am Jam
- Favorite Music: Dubstep, Rock, Alternative, Rap, Hip-Hop, and R&B.
- Favorite Food: Coney Island Hot Dogs
About the Author: Jim Stroesser
Jim Stroesser has amassed 38 years of experience in global consumer branding across the sports, fashion, and entertainment industries. Starting his career as a tech rep, he ascended to CEO roles with some of the world's leading brands. As the Co-Founder and CEO of CALI Strong Inc., a direct-to-consumer sports brand based in San Diego, CA, Jim has led the company in producing premium apparel, footwear, equipment, and accessories.
His tenure as Owner/Partner at Converse is particularly noteworthy. Jim was pivotal in reviving the brand from bankruptcy in 2001, elevating its value from $120 million to $285 million, and playing a crucial role in its $305 million sale to Nike in 2003, marking one of the century's significant mergers and acquisitions.
Beyond Converse, Jim has held senior management positions at renowned companies such as Nike, Quiksilver, Oakley, LA Gear, Pony, and Adio. He is also actively involved in several boards of directors positions, including SDSI, led by Chairman Bill Walton, which focuses on mentoring companies and assisting in capital raising efforts.
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