Monster Energy team rider Rayssa Leal defended her title at the STU Open 2023 Women’s Street Skateboarding in Rio de Janeiro.
At the STU Open Rio, Rayssa successfully executed some amazing tricks including frontside bluntslide on the big rail, kickflip backside lipslide on the flat rail, backside tailslide on the big rail, gap out backside lipslide on the A-frame rail, and kickflip frontside boardslide on the big rail. The impressive display of skills earned her 85.70 points and a second consecutive win.
The reigning SLS World Champion, Leal, hails from Brazil and also won a silver medal in the Women’s Skateboard Street event at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Women’s Street Skateboarding contest at Duó Square skatepark featured an international roster of talented riders from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States, among others.
In the Men’s Street Paraskate discipline reserved for adaptive athletes, 24-year-old Felipe Nunes from Curitiba, Brazil took first place with a perfect run. Nunes also took a podium spot by claiming second place in the Men’s Adaptive Skate Park discipline.
In the Men’s Skateboard Street final, Matias Del Ollio from Argentina took the top spot. He was trailing in the first run but made a comeback for the best trick earning a score of 86.19, pushing his average to 84.66
Giovanni Vianna from Santo Andre, Brazil took second place with a stacked run: Tricks including Caballerial backside lipslide the big rail, bluntslide the flat rail, frontside crooked the flat rail, backside overcrook the handrail, gap to frontside lipslide the A-frame, fakie 5-0 grind the Hubba and Caballerial frontside noseslide the big rail earned Vianna a final score of 83.92 points.
Del Ollio and Vianna were joined on the podium by 26-year-old Jhancarlos Gonzalez from Bogota, Colombia, placing third. Gonzalez put down technical tricks such as switch backside lipslide the big rail, backside 270 lipslide the flat rail, gap to frontside Smith grind the rail, frontside 270 lipslide the A-frame rail, and Caballerial frontside boardslide fakie the big rail for 83.74 points.
The heavily contested Men’s Skateboard Park final concluded with Pedro Barros winning the gold. Tom Schaar and Augusto Akio completed the podium for second and third place, respectively.
In the Men’s Skate Street Best Trick event, 17-year-old Filipe Mota from Minas Gerais, Brazil, took the trophy by putting down a technical kickflip hurricane down the big rail. The Women’s Skate Street Best Trick contest saw Rayssa Leal take top honors.