Skateboarding was the sign for Cordano and family

Built like a football player, Cordano Russell, who has Forest City roots, has found wild success in skateboarding at just 20 years of age. He’ll compete for Canada at the Paris Olympics.

(Photo: Atiba Jefferson, World Skate).

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Near the intersection of Kingshighway and Bischoff in St. Louis, hidden from plain view, Cordano Russell found his calling.

Under an old bridge, next to self-storage units and railroad tracks, Kingshighway Vigilante Transitions occupied a spot once used for city garbage. Protected from the elements and unnoticed, the area was gradually transformed into a 20,000 square-foot makeshift skate park. A secret for those in-the-know.

As word spread, skaters flocked to the park, and funds were raised for concrete and other materials to build fun boxes, quarter pipes, and other obstacles. Known as The KHVT, the park achieved a cult status beyond the hardscrabble neighbourhood and drew the attention of skaters nationwide, although it was never officially recognized (and often discouraged) by the city.

Don’t go looking for it today, however, as structural issues with the bridge meant it was torn down and reconstructed in 2017. The Gateway City even built its first fully endorsed skate park a few years later.

“I definitely found a community of skateboarders there,” said Russell. “It was a community of skateboarders who actually helped show me the ropes because, at that time, it was just me and my dad trying to figure out, ‘OK, how do we do this skateboarding thing?’”

But while the KHVT may be gone, the spirit it helped spark skates on as Russell rides fate and faith all the way from the Forest City to the City of Lights as part of Team Canada’s Olympic men’s skateboarding team.

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Don’t tell the Yanks, but this seemingly All-American kid has roots firmly planted in Canada.

For a handful of years, the Russell family called London, Ontario home. Originally from Sudbury, his mom, Nadia, graduated from Fanshawe College. In London, the family built a life, centred around church and a tight community of friends. But when his dad, Cortez, was struck by what he saw as divine inspiration in a Costco parking lot – “called by God,” as his son describes it – the family decided to move to San Diego.

As immigration paperwork slowed the journey West, the family ended up in St. Louis – dad’s hometown. Russell was 2. Soon after, he discovered his future hiding in a bush. Seriously.

“It was kind of like a pinnacle moment for me,” Russell laughed. “I found my first board inside of a bush. It was beat up. I stepped on it, it hit my head, and I was like, ‘Let's go!’ Like, that's what I want to do.”

In St. Louis, he found a skate community. Not the easiest task. But the little kid who had only seen three skateboards in his life – counting the one he found under that bush – was soon the talk of a small local circuit. He found parks where he got reps and even a local skate shop and indoor ramp to practice when the Midwestern weather turned.

“I was always the kid who liked to jump off the marble tables, jump off the couch, laugh off the little pains,” said Russell, who grew up on soccer, basketball, swimming, and football. (Yes, the most amazing part of his story is that the kid from St. Louis, a city steeped in baseball history, managed to avoid the diamond.)

He was an athletic kid who liked to do everything. But when he found skateboarding, it stuck. It was the thrill of it, the endless possibilities.

“Most sports you just run, catch, and throw. But in skateboarding, it feels like you can do anything. For a kid, my imagination kept coming up with all sorts of interesting stuff,” he explained. “There was no end. No one can do every trick. Some of the things I’m doing now are tricks that have never been done. I am skating a new path.”

Encouraged by his parents, skateboarding grew into his obsession. His dad was at his side every step of the way – often with a camera in hand.

Russell spent hours working on foundation tricks, as well as studying videos online. Those videos had a lot of commonalities.

“Everyone seemed to be in the same general area — Southern California. I was 8. I was the oldest child. I had watched all the videos of professional skateboarders, and so I knew where I wanted to go. I was like, ‘Hey, mom and dad, let’s move this up in California,’” Russell said.

That’s when his parents revealed to him the call his dad had received in London years before.

“That reignited the vision,” Russell said. “There was a lot of praying on it to see how it could work out to move to San Diego. We didn’t move right away, but we eventually we did – and that’s when we all really knew we’re taking this skateboarding thing seriously.”

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In San Diego, skateboarding didn’t hide under bushes. It was the centre of youth culture.

A pivotal hub for the sport’s evolution and innovation, San Diego offered more than perfect weather. Diverse skate spots, an influential skateboarding community, and a supportive city has seen the Southern California hotspot produce numerous professional skaters and iconic skate brands.

It was there that Russell dove into the competitive side of the sport, a 12-year-old defeating 20-year-olds.

An athlete at heart, Russell played football at Carlsbad High, a D1 high school, for two years, then spent a year at Horizon Prep, where he played all over the field. Middle linebacker. Defensive end. Tight end. Left tackle. Even backup quarterback. He also excelled academically, graduating with a 4.2 GPA and earning a presidential scholarship to the University of San Diego (where he’ll head after the Olympics).

In his junior year of high school, he walked away from football and focused on skating full time. (“I know how to fall better off a skateboard,” he laughed.)

Soon after, he propelled himself into the elite ranks of skateboarding, placing fourth at the 2023 World Skate Street World Championships.

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So, yes, skateboarding is an Olympic sport. So is breakdancing. And something called ‘kayak cross.’ But that doesn’t stop the complaining and, yes, a bit of ridicule.

But Old Heads need to get it through their skulls that times change, and the Olympics isn’t just running and jumping and swimming anymore. The Games evolve to reflect modern athleticism and interests.

Besides, a century ago, they handed out medals for painting and singing. So, dial down your complaints.

Skateboarding made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics – in 2021 (pandemic, remember). The inclusion was a result of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) agenda to make the Games more appealing to younger audiences. The sport will also appear at both Paris 2024 and LA 2028, so it won’t be leaving the Olympic program any time soon.

There are currently four events on the Olympic skateboarding program as men and women each compete in park and street events. What’s the difference, you ask?

§  Street | Competitions take place on a straight course that includes stairs, handrails, curbs, benches, walls, and slopes. One competitor takes to the course at a time, using the features to showcase their range of skills. In each round, riders will perform two 45-second runs and five individually scored tricks.

§  Park | Competitions are held on a hollowed-out course with a series of complicated curves. From the bottom, the curved surfaces rise steeply with the upper part of the incline as close to vertical as possible. Riders achieve incredible heights by climbing the curves at great speed and performing awesome mid-air tricks.

Despite some concerns about “selling out” by hardcore advocates of the sport, the Tokyo 2020 skateboarding events were largely celebrated for their authenticity and the high level of competition. By taking five medals at home, Japan leads the all-time medal count, followed by Brazil (3), the United States (2), Australia (1) and Great Britain (1).

Canada did not medal – but Russell and his three Team Canada men’s skateboarding teammates see that changing, starting Aug. 7.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had this dream of competing in the Olympics. I would watch it on TV. My dad ran track in high school, so we loved watching the track and field events. I would watch those Olympic events and see how the athletes represented their different nations,” he explained.

“I always thought, ‘I was born in Canada. My roots are there. If I ever had an opportunity, I want to represent Canada.’ I love Canada. I love representing the motherland.”

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Russell stands out from – and above – the competition.

At 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, he is powerful, athletic, dominant – a linebacker atop a board. As a larger rider, however, he needs to take care of his body more. Warmups take longer, for example. But that kind of frame also has its advantages. He has incredible power to go with his natural grace.

“My size unlocks new capabilities that are hard to get to,” he said. “It also opens up a whole new bag of tricks that nobody has really ever seen.”

His size also unlocked new possibilities for others to help further Russell’s career.

Paul Schmitt, known as the skateboarding professor, has been a pivotal figure in the sport for decades. Renowned for his innovative approach to skateboard design and manufacturing, Schmitt has significantly influenced the sport’s evolution through his company, PS Stix. His dedication to improving the performance and durability of skateboards has made him the go-to guru.

Let’s just say that if Paul Schmitt designed you a custom board, you have made it.

The sport has never seen someone of Russell’s stature skate at the level he does. To perform the technical maneuvers he performs requires technology that can withstand that kind of impact during both demanding training and competition.

Because of Russell’s unique characteristics, Schmitt has been able to utilize technologies he otherwise would have had no use for. We’re talking materials and concepts that were just theoretical – until Russell stepped onto the board. Now, those ideas are coming to life with the former Londoner atop them.

“Paul is an OG in the business. He’s extremely knowledgeable, extremely talented,” said Russell, who admits to breaking a board a day. “A custom board is pretty cool – as cool as it sounds.”

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Faith has been as much a part of Russell’s journey as his athleticism. He was a kid skating around listening to Christian rap and hip-hop instead of Top 40. Its messages of hope inspired him.

It’s that same faith that has, in part, led him to today.

“Being Christian, my family has trusted the process, had faith, and believed in what we could not see,” Russell said. “I would not have guessed that I would have been talking about the Olympics one year ago. It has required a lot of hard work and a lot of faith from our whole family. We’ve had to stick with it throughout because it definitely wasn’t easy with challenges financially, physically, mentally. We could have easily crumbled and threw in the towel. But we didn’t. We are a praying family and, as they say, a family that prays together stays together. We stood the tests.”

As the family readies for its first trip to Europe – to the Olympic Games, no less – there’s a lot of pride.

“Everyone – mom, dad, aunties, uncles – is really stoked, and they can’t believe it. We’re just head over heels and just grateful as a family. I want to go for gold, and that’s what I’m training for, what I’ve been driving for. Ultimately, though, I want people to see my authentic skateboarding self. I am still that kid. I want people to see that I am at peace and free. I want people to say, ‘I felt Cordano.’”