As I sat on the grass, strumming my ukulele and singing my original song, I waited for my interview with Olympic.com to begin. It was clear that Bryce Wetstein was in her element. The 19-year-old U.S. park skater wore bright yellow sneakers covered in pen-drawn graffiti that showcased her boundless free spirit, creativity, and open sharing with others. Skating is well known in her community for her warm personality. When asked about her friends, her teammate and fellow park skater Mina Steth said, “Bryce is Bryce.” There is no one like her.
Her unique approach to life and her quirks became more apparent as she began to reflect on her Olympic journey, which began at the Tokyo 2020 Games, where she participated as part of the first Women’s Park Skateboard class. Wetstein finished the contest in sixth place, the best finish for an American.
“I think the difference between Blythe in Tokyo and Blythe now is that here I feel like I don’t want to be who I used to be or what I will ever be.” Wetstein said. “There was a place in Tokyo where I was like, ‘I’m here, but how did this happen?’ So the difference is that I have so many memories that I can draw from in Tokyo. It makes me feel like I’m living my dream, rather than living my dream.”
In addition to reaching the finals, Wetstein was also one of seven skaters to collectively win the Tokyo 2020 fair. Skaters Wetstein and Poppy Olsen shouldered by 16 after reigning world champion Misugu Okamoto fell during the final run. I tried to console the old player. It was a moment that embodied the feel of community in skating and captured the imagination of the world watching from home.
“Perhaps doing the same trick over and over can be the worst. When you’re trying to do the same trick and want to see it in a new way, do you have time to do it now?” Do you have time to look at it in a new light? “And you would say skateboarding is timeless. Long or short, skateboarding has timeless memories.”
Wetstein, who started skating at the age of five, is no stranger to competitive skating. But while others may have a specific goal or outcome in mind when they participate, this American believes that her approach to success is not about meeting specific expectations, but rather on the spot. and feel your way through the experience.
After his success in Tokyo, Wetstein hopes to return to the Olympics and relive his experience skating with his friends on the sport’s biggest stage. Earlier this year at the 2022 Park World Championships, Wetstein finished fifth in the competition, taking an important step in his tournament qualification campaign. Things look good for the American right now as the event doubles his points, but we can’t get too excited about the future. A skater who lives and feels every moment of the present allows himself only hope at this juncture.