As a bronze medallist in the Tokyo Olympic Games, Funa Nakayama became a standard-bearer of Japan’s staggering ascent in competitive skateboarding.

Having won WST Rome outright in 2022- which remains her sole WST victory to date- Funa scored the cover of Thrasher magazine in January 2023 with her trademark frontside crooked grind down the proving-ground Hollywood High handrail. Olympic medallist, World Skateboarding Tour Stop Winner, Thrasher cover star all by the age of 17.

With a confidence-restoring, come-from-behind second place at WST Rome last June sending her up the World Skateboarding Ranking to a comfortable 3rd place, WST caught up with her ahead of the World Skateboarding Tour’s return to her country for WST Kitakyushu Street World Cup this November.