In 2014, Samarria Brevard was the first African American female skateboarder to win the Kimberly Diamond Cup Women’s Street Championship in South Africa. To her chagrin, some have started calling her the Serena Williams of skateboarding.

Her interest in skateboarding began nearly a decade ago in Riverside, CA. She noticed her brother and a close friend skateboarding. After giving it a try, everyone saw her natural aptitude for skateboarding. “I was pretty stable,” she remarked.

Quickly falling in love with the sport, she decided to master the basics of skateboarding by frequenting local skate parks of Riverside and Los Angeles. She transitioned quickly into doing difficult tricks.

Over the past nine years, the 5-foot-6 Samarria has made a name for herself in the action sports world. She took first place in the Supergirl Am Jam 2011 in Venice Beach, CA in 2011, and gained a place on the Hoopla Skateboards team. She placed 4th at the X Games in Los Angeles in 2013. The following year in Austin she placed 10th in the X Games for 2014.

Samarria Brevard Kimberly Diamond Cup Women’s Street Championship 2014

She came back hard with a win at the KDC Street Championship. Winning the KDC was a big confidence booster, and door opener for her. She said, “It means that I can keep skating with the best of them in women’s skateboarding and be a part of the progression for women’s skateboarding.”

She doesn’t have a specific skateboarder that she models herself on or wants to be like. To prepare for competition, she says she visualizes herself doing the tricks; she uses her hands and feet to get a feel of how she will be off the ground.

Her advice to any female trying to get into professional skateboarding is to put in the work. Skating every day and publishing proof of your skating ability with pictures and videos.

Woman Athlete Fact Sheet:

• Name: Samarria Brevard
• World Rank:104th Overall
• Born: 09/22/93
• Hometown: Riverside, CA
• Resides: Riverside, California
• Stance: Goofy
• Favorite skate spot: Pirates in San Bernardino
• Personal Greatest Achievement: Winning 1st in the Supergirl Am Jam
• Favorite Music: Dubstep, Rock, Alternative, Rap, Hip-Hop, and R&B.
• Favorite Food: Coney Island Hot Dogs

About the Author: Jim Stroesser, “The Brand Master”

With nearly four decades of experience, Jim Stroesser is a driving force in the world of global consumer branding across the sports, fashion, and entertainment industries. His journey from tech rep to CEO of iconic brands showcases his unparalleled ability to transform and elevate businesses.

As Co-Founder and CEO of CALI Strong, a direct-to-consumer sports brand based in San Diego, CA, Jim leads the charge in creating premium sports apparel, footwear, and equipment that embody the California lifestyle.

His legacy as an industry turnaround expert was cemented at Converse, where he spearheaded the brand's resurgence from bankruptcy, elevating its sales from $120 million to $285 million and finally a $305 million acquisition by Nike – a landmark deal that reshaped the industry.

Jim's expertise extends to leadership roles at Nike, Quiksilver, Oakley, LA Gear, Roxy, RL, Pony, Bob Marley and Adio. He currently serves on several boards, including SDSI, where he mentors emerging companies alongside Chairman Bill Walton.