Minna Stess

{{Infobox sportsperson

| name = Minna Stess

| image =

| caption =

| full_name =

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2006|04|04}}

| birth_place = Petaluma, California, U.S.

| height =

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| country = United States

| sport = Skateboarding

| position = Regular-footed

| rank =

| event = Park

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}

}}

Minna Stess (born April 4, 2006) is an American professional skateboarder and a member of the USA Skateboarding National Team. She won a bronze medal at the 2023 World Skateboarding Championship. She represented the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the women's park event.

Early life

Stess was born to Andrew Stess and Moniz Franco, has one brother, Finnley, and is Jewish.{{cite web |url=https://jweekly.com/2024/07/18/18-year-old-petaluma-skateboarder-is-ready-to-fly-at-paris-olympics/ |title=18-year-old Petaluma skateboarder is ready to fly at Paris Olympics |newspaper=J. The Jewish News of Northern California |first=Dan |last=Pine |date=July 18, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sdjewishworld.com/2024/07/29/some-jewish-american-athletes-to-watch-in-the-olympics/ |title=Some Jewish American Athletes to Watch in the Olympics |work=San Diego Jewish World |date=July 29, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/olympics/article/bay-area-olympian-s-family-priced-priceless-19596800.php |title=Bay Area Olympian's family priced out of a priceless Opening Ceremony in Paris |work=San Francisco Chronicle |first=Ron |last=Kroichick |date=July 26, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} Her father is a consultant in the music industry, and manages her career. Born in Petaluma, California, for high school she attends Petaluma's Valley Oaks Independent Study School.{{cite web |url=https://playsport.com/athlete/minna-stess |title=Mina Stess |website=Playsport |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/sports/petalumas-minna-stess-an-olympic-hopeful-makes-skating-history-in-rome/ |title=Petaluma's Minna Stess, an Olympic hopeful, makes skating history in Rome |newspaper=Argus-Courier |first=Amelia |last=Richardson |date=October 17, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

Career

=Early years=

Stess began skateboarding at two years old.{{cite web |url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/olympic-hopeful-minna-stess-says-prioritizing-fun-is-what-makes-her-a-good-skater |title=Olympic Hopeful Minna Stess Says Prioritizing Fun Is What Makes Her a Good Skater |work=Teen Vogue |first=Aiyana |last=Ishmael |date=May 28, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} In 2013, at eight years old, she became the first girl ever to win the California Amateur Skateboard League.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/news/us-park-skateboarding-star-minna-stess-paris-2024-interview |title=US park skateboarding star Minna Stess keeping it real as she bids for Paris 2024: "If I land what I want to land I'll be happy" |website=olympics.com |first=Chloe |last=Merrell |date=May 10, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} In 2014, during the King of Groms Championship, she became the first female skater to compete in all three skateboarding finals (street, mini ramp and bowl), and was the first girl to win the mini ramp competition.{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyfrye/2020/05/04/13-year-old-skateboard-phenom-minna-stess-will-conquer-the-world/ |title=14-Year-Old Skateboard Phenom Minna Stess Is Ready To Conquer The World |website=Forbes |first=Andy |last=Frye |date=May 19, 2020 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} Her parents built a concrete skatepark in their backyard for their children.{{cite web |url=https://www.skateboarding.worldskate.org/news/1467-parenting-an-olympic-hopeful-lessons-from-the-stess-family.html |title=Parenting an Olympic Hopeful: Lessons from the Stess Family |website=World Skate |access-date=August 4, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/05/13/minna-stess-14-year-old-olympic-hopeful-trains-backyard-skatepark/ |title= Parenting an Olympic Hopeful: Lessons from the Stess Family |newspaper=The Washington Post |first=Emily |last=Giambalvo |date=May 20, 2020 |access-date=August 4, 2024}} She turned professional at 11 years old.{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/minna-stess_1944248 |title=Mina Stess |website=olympics.com |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

In January 2019, Stess broke and dislocated her elbow, which required three surgeries and several months of recovery.{{cite web |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/minna-stess-skateboarding-17565563.php |title=The not-so-normal life of Bay Area skateboarding prodigy Minna Stess |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |first=Marisa |last=Ingemi |date=January 17, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://pacificsun.com/north-bay-youth-are-ready-to-succeed/ |title=North Bay Youth Are Ready to Succeed |newspaper=Pacific Sun |first=Charlie |last=Swanson |date=October 8, 2020 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/28/sport/minna-stess-skateboarding-olympics-qualification-cmd-spt-intl/index.html |title= Minna Stess: 14-year-old skateboarding prodigy chases Olympic dream |website=CNN.com |first=Don |last=Riddell |date=February 1, 2021 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

In 2019, Stess was named to the USA Skateboarding National Team.{{cite web |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/news/petaluma-14-year-old-within-skateboarding-distance-of-olympics/ |title=Petaluma 14-year-old within skateboarding distance of Olympics |newspaper=Argus-Courier |first=John |last=Jackson |date=October 20, 2020 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} She made her X Games debut in August 2019 at 13 years old, and was one of the youngest competitors in the competition.{{cite web |url=https://www.sonomanews.com/article/sports/at-13-petaluma-skateboarder-makes-her-x-games-debut/ |title=At 13, Petaluma skateboarder makes her X Games debut |newspaper=Sonoma Index-Tribune |first=Matt |last=Brown |date=August 1, 2019 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.com/news/2024/february/27/-it-s-crazy-to-be-that-person-teen-minna-stess-is-gaining-influence-as-she-skateboards-toward-paris |title='It's Crazy To Be That Person': Teen Minna Stess Is Gaining Influence As She Skateboards Toward Paris |website=teamusa.com |first=Karen |last=Price |date=February 27, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} In July 2021, she was named an alternate for the United States at the 2020 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/sports/stess-olympic-alternate-in-x-games-this-week/ |title=Petaluma's Minna Stess named Olympic alternate, competes in X-Games this week |newspaper=Argus-Courier |first=John |last=Jackson |date=July 14, 2021 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

=2021–present; US champion, world championship bronze medal=

Stess won a gold medal at the 2021 USA National Championships in the park competition, becoming the youngest champion in the event at 15 years, two months old.{{cite web |url=https://www.wboy.com/2024-olympics/minna-stess-not-trying-to-destroy-the-city-by-skateboarding-at-the-olympics/amp/ |title=Minna Stess not trying to "destroy the city" by skateboarding at the Olympics |website=WBOY-TV |first=Justin |last=Kounelias |date=April 17, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

In October 2022, at 16 years old, Stess competed in the women's park division of the STU Open in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she finished in third place, behind Sky Brown and Sakura Yosozumi.{{cite web |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/sports/petalumas-minna-stess-finishes-third-in-world-skateboarding-event/ |title=Petaluma's Minna Stess finishes third in world skateboarding event |newspaper=The Press Democrat |first=John |last=Jackson |date=October 24, 2022 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} She competed at the 2022 World Skateboarding Championship in Sharjah, in the United Arab Emirates, which was postponed until February 2023, and finished in seventh place.{{cite web |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1127621/world-skate-cancels-street-park-champs |title=World Skate cancels Rio Street and Park Skateboarding World Championships, but organisers insist events "will take place" |website=insidethegames.biz |first=Eliott |last=Brennan |date=September 2, 2022 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/sports/minna-stess-makes-final-round-in-world-skateboarding-competition/ |title=Minna Stess makes final round in world skateboarding competition |newspaper=Argus-Courier |first=John |last=Jackson |date=March 20, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

In October 2023, she won a bronze medal in the park event at the 2023 World Skateboarding Championship in Rome, Italy, with a score of 90.80. She became the first American to medal in the women's event since the event became known as the World Skateboarding Championship in 2018.{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.com/news/2023/october/09/bottger-captures-world-title-as-park-skateboarders-from-team-usa-bring-home-three-medals-at-world-championships- |title=Gavin Bottger Captures World Title, Minna Stess makes history |website=teamusa.com |first=Kristen |last=Gowdy |date=October 9, 2023 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}

=2024 Summer Olympics=

With her result in the 2024 Olympic Qualifier Series, Stess qualified to represent the United States at the 2024 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/skateboarding-101-us-olympic-roster-and-athlete-news |title=Skateboarding 101: U.S. Olympic roster and athlete news |website=nbcolympics.com |first=Shawn |last=Smith |date=June 26, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.petaluma360.com/article/news/minna-stess-summer-olympics-paris/ |title=Petaluma's Minna Stess is going to the summer Olympics |newspaper=Argus-Courier |first=Amelia |last=Richardson |date=June 24, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/olympics-skateboarding-minna-stess-petaluma-19574922.php |title=Petaluma's Minna Stess ramps up for Paris Olympics: 'She's grown up in skateboarding' |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |first=Ann |last=Killion |date=July 18, 2024 |access-date=August 2, 2024}} She competed in the women's park event at Place de la Concorde at 18 years old.{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/skateboarding-makes-2nd-showing-olympics-young-stars/story?id=112248261 |title=Skateboarding makes 2nd showing at the Olympics with young stars |website=ABC News |first=Patricio |last=Chile |date=July 27, 2024 |access-date=August 4, 2024}}{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/6997874/skateboarding-olympics-paris-lingo/ |title=How to Talk Like an Olympic Skateboarder |magazine=Time |first=Sean |last=Gregory |date=July 16, 2024 |access-date=August 4, 2024}} She scored 54.71 in the prelims, and did not advance to the finals.{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcbayarea.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/petaluma-skateboarder-minna-stess-paris-olympics/3616141/ |title=Petaluma residents ready to cheer for skateboarder Minna Stess at Paris Olympics |publisher=NBC Bay Area |first=Terry |last=McSweeney |date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=August 6, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.times-news.com/ap/sports/agate/olympic-skateboarding-results/article_e6734a52-83f7-5aa7-987e-d56d0bedca1b.html |title=Olympic Skateboarding Results |newspaper=Cumberland Times-News |date=August 6, 2024 |access-date=August 6, 2024}}