Leticia Bufoni’s talent and originality in women’s skateboarding

The only girl among many boys, Leticia Bufoni went through many difficulties until she was respected in the skateparks where she walked in São Paulo. The courage of the paulista de Vila Matilde made her reach the highest level of world skateboarding, inspiring thousands of girls to boost the female sport. Know your trajectory!

Raised in Vila Matilde and based in the United States

Leticia Bufoni e Silva is from São Paulo and grew up in the Vila Matilde neighborhood. Born on April 13, 1993, four years after the mayor at the time, Luiza Erundina, allowed the practice of skateboarding in São Paulo. She started riding the east side tracks at age 9 and was divided between skateboarding, football and karting. At age 10, she was called to play for the Juventus team in the Mooca neighborhood.

Even alone and unable to speak English, she moved to the United States at age 14 to try her hand at skateboarding. With the support of her family, Leticia settled in the state where the sport originated, California. Two years after the move, she was invited to participate in the Maloof Money Cup, an annual competition aimed at amateur and professional skaters. Leticia was the winner and earned $25,000. In 2010, she participated in her first X-Games, considered the biggest event in extreme sports, taking second place in the Street category.

X-Games, Street League and Olympics

Leticia Bufoni’s professional career began at the summer X-Games and her first gold medal came in 2013, in an edition held in Foz do Iguaçu. By 2021, she had already won 6 gold medals. The first professional skate league, the SLS, was created only in 2010, while the X-Games have been taking place since 1995. The women’s category started in 2015 and the first street skate world champion was Leticia Bufoni, while, on the men’s side, Kelvin Hoefler was the champion. The two starred in a rivalry at the Tokyo Olympics years later, demonstrating that there is not a very friendly atmosphere between the two world champions.

The first time that skateboarding entered as an Olympic sport was at the Tokyo-2020 Olympics, both in park and street modality. Alongside Pâmela Rosa and Rayssa Leal, Leticia was part of the women’s street team. Kelvin Hoefler, Felipe Gustavo and Giovanni Vianna were part of the men’s team. Kelvin and Rayssa both took the silver medal, while Leticia secured seventh place.

Women’s Skateboarding Pioneer

When she started skating, Leticia had no one to look up to. Before her, only Larissa Carollo and Karen Jonz had emerged in the sport, but without much recognition. When she started winning competitions and companies invested in her, Bufoni went on to become a symbol of women’s skateboarding. In an interview with Forbes, she states, “My role is to encourage more girls to skate, win medals, and keep competing and evolving.”

As a result of her accomplishments, she was elected Person of the Year 2009 by Época magazine, alongside Ronaldo Nazário. In addition to this award, the sportswoman joined the list of the most powerful women in sport in 2018, in a list made by Forbes. Leticia Bufoni is a reference for female skateboarding in Brazil and worldwide.

10 facts about the skateboard princess

Did you know that, in addition to skateboarding, Leticia is still an extreme sports enthusiast? And motorsport? Come learn more about this paulista known as “skate princess”:

1. Your dad would break his skateboards

In addition to the rejection she suffered on the rink by the boys who also walked there, Leticia told The Players’ Tribune how her father dealt with her desire to skate, breaking the piece so she would never walk again. “So, Father, I will disobey you this time. I don’t know what your reaction will be. A friend lends me an old shape and another gives me some used wheels. When you get home the day after skateboarding is destroyed, you find you can’t make me give up. So, you are the one who will surrender.”

2. Highest female medalist in summer X-Games history

The record of 6 gold medals in summer editions of the X-Games earned her a spot in the Guinness World Records, in which Leticia is the greatest female medalist in the history of the games. She still has 3 silver and 3 bronze medals in her collection, gaining ground in women’s sport.

3. Has a skating rink at home

With the desire to have her own track to train for competitions, Leticia built one in her backyard in Los Angeles. Inspired by several peaks where she maneuvered, the track has handrails, stairs and wooden transitions. This also shows that the union between passion and dedication is the key to the athlete’s results.

4. Has its own brand of skateboard decks

Alongside British skateboarder Sky Brown, Bufoni founded her skateboard deck brand, Monarch Project. The project emerged from the desire to take control of his career and make all the decisions behind the process. “It’s nice to finally have control,” says Bufoni in the brand’s website description, “and being able to decide how my image is portrayed through a plate brand is very important to me.”

5. Free time surfer

The ease of doing tricks on the skateboard led her to the surfboard and doing radical maneuvers in the water. In her free time, Leticia surfs in Guarujá, the city where she has a house in Brazil, with the company of friends, such as surfers Gabriel Medina and Pedro Scooby.

6. Character in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5

Tony Hawk, the greatest skateboarder of all time, has his own series of digital skateboarding games. The game’s story has the presence of several skaters who made history, such as Nyjah Huston, Chris Cole and Andrew Reynolds. Leticia became a character in the fifth edition, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5. In 2020, she was invited to be a part of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, with the soundtrack by the band Charlie Brown Jr.

7. Friendship with Rayssa Leal

When skater Rayssa Leal became known as the “skate fairy”, she revealed that her biggest dream was to meet her idol, Leticia Bufoni. The meeting of the two was organized by Globo Esporte and, since then, Leticia has become like a “mother” in skateboarding for Rayssa. They have a special affection for each other and always show their mutual support in competitions and social networks.

8. Leticia Let’s Go

Globoplay launched a series about the athlete’s life. Named Leticia Let’s Go, the episodes show the life of the X-Games champion, her daily life, her training routine, friends, family and adventures. The series only contains 3 seasons and the episodes are no more than 30 min, making it a great option for marathoning on weekends. In addition to Globoplay, you can watch the series on Vivo Play and Apple TV.

9. First woman to be sponsored by Nike Skateboarding

Nike Skateboarding is an arm of the giant skater-oriented sporting goods company. Leticia Bufoni was the first woman to join the team. She was also the first woman to have a shape named after her, with the support of the company Plan B. In 2021, she launched her line of sneakers, the SB Zoom Verona, created in partnership with Nike. The pink sneaker with the skater’s name on the heels sold 18,000 pairs even before its official launch in the United States.

10. Is passionate about cars and motorcycles

In addition to his passion for extreme sports, Bufoni has always been attracted to cars and racing. She has her own mini-collection of luxury and sports cars, as well as motorcycles. When she can, she watches the Formula 1 GPs up close, like in Miami and Interlagos.

One of the most powerful women in the sports world took Brazil to the top of the podium several times and opened the door for other girls to be inspired to go after their dreams. It is these representations that break down barriers, conquering spaces and achieving gender equity in sports.