Ayumu Hirano

Talk about an all-terrain ripper! The world may know Ayumu Hirano as a snowboarding phenom with two Olympic silver medals and two X Games gold medals to boot. But aside from his snowboard superpipe chops, the soft-spoken prodigy from Murakami, Japan, also soars above the rest in vertical skateboarding. It’s no surprise, as Ayumu was introduced to skating at the age of 4 by his older brother Eiju. Plus, their father was the owner of Murakami Skatepark, so regular skateboarding has always been on the menu for the crossover talent. Now, whenever Ayumu Hirano drops into a bowl or vert ramp, his penchant for stylish airs and huge altitude meets technical control on liptricks and flip variations. It’s the kind of rare combination that wins big-ticket contests, as Hirano learned when he entered – and instantly won! – his first major skate competition in 2019: the Japanese National Championships. Now the sky is the limit. Will he make history as the first Japanese rider to medal in both snowboarding and skateboarding? Stay tuned and watch closely!