SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The United States will send 12 athletes to the Paris Olympics as part of the team skateboarding team, and four of the skaters are from San Diego. Among those competing for the red, white, and blue is Point Loma High School graduate Tate Carew.
Like many kids, Carew grew up on a skateboard and knew at a young age that he was talented on four wheels.
"The first skate competition I ever did I was with my dad. That the morning we woke up and he said just go out and have fun skating today," Carew said. "I told him I wanted to win."
Carew has won quite a few skateboarding events since he was a kid. Despite his success, he never dreamed of the Olympics.
"I had no idea, and at the time, skateboarding wasn't in the Olympics. Not until recently was that a goal of mine, so to accomplish this is an amazing feeling," he said.
Carew won an X-Games title in 2019 and continues to impress. He credits a lot of his success to the skaters he grew up around, specifically the ones he skated with in the Clairemont area.
"The way that I am as a skater has been molded by some of the skaters I grew up skating with in San Diego at the Clairemont Skate Park," Carew said. "From there I met some of the best skaters in the world, and now they are my friends. They have helped me become the skater I am today."
Carew came up short in his bid to make the 2020 Olympic skateboard team that went to Tokyo. He said that disappointment motivated him to work harder, and ultimately helped him earn a spot on the 2024 team heading to Paris.
"I think it just came with age and the way my skating has evolved with maturity," he said.
Now as he gets set to skate in the Paris games, he has his goals in mind.
"Obviously to win a medal is ideal, and a gold one would be even better," Carew said.
