TEMPE, AZ — Street League Skateboarding's Tempe Takeover brings a star back to her roots this weekend, as Tempe native Paige Heyn prepares to skate in front of a home crowd for the first time.
The 18-year-old has built an impressive résumé in her young career. At 14, she won the USA Skateboarding National Championships women's street title. She finished third at the SLS Super Crown World Championship as a rookie in 2023. And at 16, she placed sixth at the Paris Olympics as one of the youngest athletes on Team USA.
Heyn said performing in Paris felt surreal.
"To this day, I'm still processing that I was there, and I did that, and I skated in front of all those people."
SLS' Tempe stop carries a deeper layer of history: the league held its inaugural event in Glendale back in 2010 when Heyn was just two years old.
"Didn't even have a thought in my brain yet when they were here," Heyn said. "[SLS] coming back and me being in it--that is super exciting."
Her path in the sport started at age four, fueled by a competitive nature against her older brother and inspired by a skateboard her uncle gifted her.
"He had my name carved into the grip tape, and that was super cool to me when I was younger," Heyn recalled.
Now, she hopes young girls learning to skate see her as inspiration.
“I feel like having more girls in sports is just like such an amazing thing,” Heyn grinned. “I want every girl that’s younger—like the age I started—to pick up a skateboard and try it, and fall in love with it how I did.”
Her message to young dreamers is simple: don’t listen to doubters.
“Everyone's gonna have an opinion," Heyn said. "Being yourself, and doing what you love, is most important.”
Heyn isn't alone as a Valley native competing on home turf this weekend. Dashawn Jordan, who grew up honing his craft at Tempe Skate Park and designed a signature Nike SB sneaker highlighting Arizona, and Mesa’s Jagger Eaton will compete in the men’s contest.
The SLS Tempe Takeover comes to Mullett Arena at Arizona State University Saturday, Aug. 29.
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