Judi, a skateboarding legend from Santa Cruz, has been part of the local scene since her first downhill race at 15 in Capitola in the 1970s. Her early jobs with NHS, where she packed and shipped skateboard parts and learned how to silkscreen boards, kickstarted her career in graphic design. She also airbrushed surfboards and created window displays for NHS.
For about 20 years, there were few slalom skateboarding races to attend, but Oyama continued to skate for fun and transportation around town. In 2001, she received a call from a friend informing her that official races had started up again. Despite having two young children at the time, Oyama eagerly dove back into the world of racing. Her kids even accompanied her to the races when they were still in diapers and while she was breastfeeding in her early 40s.
Upon reentering the racing scene, Oyama began winning and has continued to do so without slowing down. In 2018, she was honored with an induction into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame. Oyama played a role in curating the NHS Skate Museum when it opened in Santa Cruz, which features photos and videos of old competitions, colorful skateboards, and vintage skate art. Her original Santa Cruz skateboard team bag is displayed in the museum alongside other skateboarding gear from the 1970s.
One of Oyama’s early skateboards is highlighted in the museum – a Santa Cruz brand board made of deep red fiberglass with red wheels and yellow block lettering – as well as one of her helmets from her early days being housed in the Smithsonian Institution Archives. Oyama jokingly remarks that having her items in a museum makes her realize she’s getting older.
In conclusion, Judi’s journey through competitive skateboarding has been nothing short of inspiring. From her first race at just 15 years old to being inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame over two decades later – she’s proven herself to be one of the greatest competitors on both local and national levels.
The resilience Judi displayed throughout her career is commendable – especially considering she had two young children during her comeback run after not competing for several years