Bri Zeuner isn't even five feet tall yet, and she slays as hard as ladies twice her 11 years. Brighton Zeuner photo.
Ah, middle school. A time of raging hormones, heavily chaperoned slow dances, and orthodontic care. Unless you are 11-year old Brighton "Bri" Zeuner. Zeuner, in addition to her braces, has been ripping half-pipes and making history as the youngest female to compete in the X Games. While she may be an average sixth grader in some regards, she loves to listen to Beyoncé and Nicki Minaj, write in her diary, she is anything but.
Bri's appearance in Austin last week made her the youngest female athlete to be invited to the Games; a podium finish would have marked her as the youngest medalist, stripping Alana Smith of her current title. Unfortunately, Zeuner narrowly missed this landmark with a fourth place finish, but still has received a massive amount of street cred from those who have worked with her over the years.
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The pint-size blonde was competing against girls twice her age, and practicing with those who even quadruple her time on earth. "She's a 4-foot, 8-inch powerhouse," claims skateboarding veteran Jeff Grosso, 48, who practices with Zeuner. "She makes it look easy." Many others echo Grosso's sentiments. "She's a little maniac," according to pro-boarder Rune Glifberg, after watching Zeuner skate. "She was weaving in and out of the big girls, nearly getting run over. She didn't care."
She began to skate when she was five years old, following in the steps of her older brother. The family's paradise of a backyard includes San Diego sunshine, an in-ground pool, and 10.5 by 40-foot vert ramp. The ramp has drawn pros such as Darren Navarette, Lance Mountain, Christian Hosoi, Chris Russell and Ben Raybourn to come and practice with the pre-teen.
I’m competing with some of the best girls skaters, and I’m just here to have fun.
Zeuner is unfazed by the fame and the age of her competition. “It’s really cool,” she told Circuit of the Americas media on Wednesday. “I’m just honored to be here. I’m competing with some of the best girls skaters, and I’m just here to have fun.”
While she may not have cinched a medal at X Games this year, Zeuner hasn't been slacking off. She took first place in November at the Vans Girls Combi Classic in the amateur division, as well as finishing the 2014 World Cup Skateboarding season as the overall points-leader. 2016 also gave Zeuner the opportunity to be cast in Camp Woodward, a reality TV series that follows up-and-coming BMX riders and skateboarders.
Zeuner tried Girl Scouts and ballet for a few years before deciding it just wasn't for her. X Games photo.
One of the main comments about Zeuner's attitude is that she is relentless, and inspires others to keep pushing themselves. According to Zeuner's mother, Nora Vasconcellos once joked about Bri's level of devotion: "Shoot, little one's coming up. I need to dial up some new stuff."
How does she keep above it all? Zeuner's personal mantra, according to her Instagram is "good vibes only". She recommends that those interested in bettering their skateboarding skills find themselves a solid girl crew and skate with girls who will push you to be better.
"I would say get a group of girl skaters and just have fun. That’s what I did. It’s just more fun with girl skaters. You progress better. I definitely advise being with girl skaters."
