North Bay's Minna Stess Competes At Paris Olympics

PETALUMA, CA — She was barely 2 years old when she got on a skateboard for the first time.

She turned professional at 11, and when she was 15, she became the youngest female national champion in Park Skateboarding.

Now, at 18, Petaluma native Minna Stess has her sights set on a medal at the Paris Olympics.

As a young girl, Stess wanted to ride with her big brother Finnely Stess and immediately fell in love with the sport. Before too long, "she was tackling stairs, ramps and bowls with impressive ease and infectious energy."

Her family turned their Westside Petaluma backyard into a skatepark to help her get better. She still uses it regularly, inviting friends to join her.

"I feel really lucky because, in my town in Petaluma, there's not like a really good skate park so the best skate park is probably in my backyard."

Stess competes in the Women's Park Prelims starting at 3:30 a.m. (PT) Tuesday.