When Minna Stess was younger, she watched Olympic swimming and gymnastics on television. Never did she imagine that the sport she loved most — skateboarding — could one day propel her to that level of elite competition.

Stess, a Petaluma native, couldn’t have foreseen that skateboarding would one day be featured in the world’s greatest games, or that she might be skating with the best of the best.

“I never thought skating would become an Olympic sport, so it’s kind of crazy to think about,” says Stess. “It’s so cool that I have the opportunity to get this close.”

Now 18, Stess has already achieved the amazing, if not the impossible. She is currently the No. 3 ranked female Park Skate competitor in the U.S., and No. 13 in the world. She’s also set to compete in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Stess’s Olympic event, Park Skate, takes place on a bowl-shaped course with sloping ramps, quarter pipes and bumps in a test of speed, momentum and aerial maneuvers. It differs from the other Olympic skateboarding event, Street Skate, in the type of obstacles. Both Park and Street skateboarding were added to the Olympic roster for the 2020 Tokyo games.

The Women’s Park Skate events at the Paris games are scheduled for Aug. 6. Judges score as individual skaters perform three 45-second runs, with each skater’s best score from all three runs used to determine the winners.

Stess began skateboarding while still in diapers and was winning major amateur competitions by the time she was 8 years old. The local prodigy first competed in the X Games at just 11 years old.

More recently, she made a name for herself as a world-class park skate competitor. In 2021, she won gold at the 2021 USA National Championships’ Women’s Park competition, putting her among the top two women in the U.S. for the event, and among the top 15 in the world.

Stess made her mark again by earning a bronze medal at the World Skateboarding Championship last October, becoming the first American ever to medal in the women’s event.

This past spring’s final Olympic qualifying stretch has been “nerve-racking.” Stess competed in the final pair of qualifier series competitions — in Shanghai May 16-19 and in Budapest June 20-23 — and ranked in each No. 16 and No. 13, respectively.

Shanghai “was a cool experience,” Stess says, “but it was definitely a lot.”

“These last two series have more points, so it’s a lot more pressure,” she explains. As of late June, Stess qualified for this summer’s Olympic Games.

Stess is one of at least three Olympians with ties to Sonoma County competing in the Paris games. Freestyle BMX rider Nikita Ducarroz was raised in Glen Ellen and competes for the Swiss national team. And Forestville’s Stephen Tomasin, a former collegiate All-American, is a member of the men’s national rugby sevens team.

minnastess.com

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With the eyes of the world focused on the Olympics, we are giddy as we celebrate the champions. What to uncork as we cheer the athletes? Knockout wines that deserve a gold medal, of course. Three are $20 and under, and two are well worth the splurge. Enjoy, fellow spectators.

Angeline, 2014 Paso Robles Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, 13.8%, $16. A lovely red from this Sonoma County winery, shy on cabernet sauvignon characteristics but still a knockout. Tasty cherry fruit rides on a surf of bright acidity. Notes of herbs and spice. Lingering finish. Quite a find for the price.

Korbel, NV Extra Dry California Champagne, 12%, $12. The appeal of this bubbly is that it’s well crafted, and it will please those who like a sparkler that’s a touch sweet. A great commingling of citrus and mineral notes. Nice length.

Frei Brothers, 2014 Russian River Valley, Sonoma County Chardonnay, 13.8%, $20. A well-groomed chardonnay that has a remarkable range for the price. Aromas and flavors of green apple, mineral and butter. Toasty finish. This budget chardonnay is impressive.

Lasseter’s Voila, 2014 Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County White Blend, 14.3%, $46. This wine will delight with its citrus notes and refreshing crisp acidity. A kiss of vanilla is in the mix. Top rate.

Rochioli, 2014 Russian River Valley Sonoma County Pinot Noir, 14.5% $60. This is an old style, Sonoma County classic pinot noir. It trumpets red raspberry fruit in its aromas and flavors. Mineral and spice round out this gorgeous pinot. Definitely gold medal caliber.

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