On a bike path in Santa Cruz, Judi Oyama quickly weaves a skateboard through small, tightly-spaced cones. It’s called slalom skateboarding, and she’s been doing it for decades.
"I've been skateboarding for 50 years," she said. "When they see me with a skateboard, they think it's my kids or my grandkids and I don't have grandkids."
At 64 years old, Oyama is one of the fastest slalom skateboarders in the U.S. She recently qualified to represent the U.S. at the World Skate Games, in Rome, Italy this fall, where she'll race against the world's best riders at breakneck speeds.
On some courses, skateboarders reach speeds above 30 miles per hour.
"I've gone on these giant slalom courses where sometimes, I'll just scream as I'm going because I'm scared and happy at the same time," Oyama said.
Competitions are nothing new to Oyama. She did her first race at 15 years old in Capitola in the '70s, and has been part of the local skate scene ever since.
When Santa Cruz skate company NHS created a skate museum in a large warehouse in Santa Cruz, Oyama helped curate it.
The museum is full of photos and videos of old competitions, colorful skateboards and vintage skate art. The first display is one of Judi Oyama’s early skateboards, an original Santa Cruz brand board.
"One of my main helmets that I really rode the most in the beginning actually, is in the Smithsonian archives," Oyama said. "I think you know you're old when you're stuff's in a museum."
Oyama raced at the last world skate games in Argentina in 2022. After qualifying once again — this time for Rome — she immediately began prepping.
In addition to skating, she goes to 6 a.m. CrossFit classes five times a week and pays close attention to nutrition.
John Ravitch, a slalom coach and one of Oyama’s longtime skating buddies, says her dedication isn’t new.
"For the time I've known Judi, she's always been a very focused and intense competitor and very focused on self-improvement," he said. "On top of being a full time professional creative director and working in another job and also raising two kids. It's pretty incredible."
"She's always really been a mentor to me. She's always cheering me on," said Isa Ruiz, a 31-year-old who is on the USA National team with Oyama. The two first met when Ruiz was a junior racer around 2005.
Ruiz said Oyama is supportive even when the two compete against each other, like at the last world skate games in 2022.
"I actually beat her for the first time in the giant slalom at the World Skate Games. And so that was a huge accomplishment for me," Ruiz said. "And she was just so happy for me and encouraging, and it was really cool because even though I think we can all be really competitive in the sport, she really felt joy and was really proud of me."
Oyama says she’ll keep skating for as long as it’s still fun.
"I figure I'm just going to skate as long as I enjoy it," said Oyama. "Once I probably don't want to do it or don't like it or something. I want to get back into riding horses."
In the meantime, she’ll keep racing and encouraging younger skaters.
"Do what you love. And don't let anyone tell you you're too old or it's just a toy," said Oyama. "If you enjoy it, keep skateboarding."
