#87 Be Badass Every Day: From 1970s Skate Rebel to World Champion at 65 — How Judi Oyama Outlasts Everybody - Ageless Athlete - Longevity Insights From Adventure Sports Legends

At 65, Judi Oyama is still lining up at the start gate — not in a “Masters” category, but shoulder-to-shoulder with athletes half, or even a quarter her age. She’s a World Champion slalom skateboarder, a Guiness record holder, a Hall of Fame inductee, and a pioneer who’s been breaking barriers since she first picked up a board in Santa Cruz in the early 1970s.

Back then, women’s divisions barely existed. Prize money was unequal. Media crews left during women’s finals. Judi skated anyway — pushing through invisibility, injury, and a sport that wasn’t built to include her. Five decades later, she’s still competing, still winning, and mentoring the next generation of racers who may one day take the sport to the Olympics.

In this episode, we talk about:

What slalom skateboarding actually is — and why it’s so addictive
How Judi fought for gender and racial equality in skateboarding
The longevity toolkit she’s built: CrossFit, heavy lifting, recovery, and smart nutrition
Why representation matters, and how she’s mentoring young women in the sport
How to stay competitive, joyful, and relevant in your sport for decades
Her motto: “Be badass every day” — and what it means in practice

Whether you’ve ever stepped on a skateboard or not, Judi’s story is about rewriting the limits others put on you, and replacing them with your own.

- Follow Judi on Instagram

- Judi in the Guiness Book of Records

Cover pic 📸 Dave Re

---

🚀 Love the show? Here’s how to support it

If something you’ve heard here has stayed with you, made you smile, or helped you keep going, I’d be honored if you’d consider supporting the show. 👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/agelessathlete

📰 Subscribe to the Ageless Athlete newsletter !

1-2x a month, no spam. We share behind-the-scenes reflections, longevity tips, and athlete wisdom you won’t find anywhere else. You can sign up at https://www.agelessathlete.co/newsletter/ 📩

Support the show