Medical Examiner: Man Allegedly Attacked by Skateboarder Terry Kennedy Dies at Age 23
Aug 1, 2021
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 11: Professional skateboarder Terry Kennedy attends BET's "Being Terry Kennedy" skater's promotional event at North Hollywood Skate Park on October 11, 2010 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)
Josiah Kassahun, the man allegedly
attacked by skateboarder Terry Kennedy at an Illinois motel Tuesday,
has died from his injuries. He was 23.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's
Office confirmed the news to TMZ Sports on Sunday. Kennedy, who was
arrested and charged with aggravated battery in a public place and
threatening a public official, could now face a manslaughter or
murder charge as a result of Kassahun's death, per TMZ.
No further information about what
caused the alleged attack, which led Kassahun to suffer a fractured
skull and concussion, has been released.
A police spokesperson told TMZ that
Kennedy made nine threats to officers who apprehended and booked him
into jail.
"I will kill one of you police. We
kill police where I'm from," Kennedy said, according to the
spokesperson.
Posts on social media showed Kennedy
and Kassahun had hung out in the past, per TMZ.
Kennedy, 36, starred on the BET reality
show Being Terry Kennedy in 2010. He also appeared on
several MTV shows, including Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and Viva La
Bam.
The skateboarder, a native of Long
Beach, California, was also one of the athletes on the roster for the
video game Skate and its subsequent sequels.
Olympic Surfing 2021: Medal Winners, Scores and Results
Jul 28, 2021
Carissa Moore, of the United States, holds the gold medal, South Africa's Bianca Buitendag holds the silver medal and Japan's Amuro Tsuzuki holds the bronze medal in the women's surfing competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, at Tsurigasaki beach in Ichinomiya, Japan. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Carissa Moore of the United States and Italo Ferreira of Brazil took home surfing's top prizes in the sport's first-ever appearance at the Olympics.
Moore defeated South Africa's Bianca Buitendag 14.93 to 8.46 in the women's gold-medal match. Ferreira had no problems in his gold-medal match against Kanoa Igarashi, scoring an easy win, 15.14 to 6.60.
Women's Surfing Results
Gold: Carissa Moore (United States) def. Bianca Buitendag (South Africa), 14.93 to 8.46
Bronze: Amuro Tsuzuki (Japan) def. Caroline Marks (United States), 6.80 to 4.26
Bronze: Owen Wright (Australia) def. Gabriel Medina (Brazil), 11.97 to 11.77
The weather forecast led organizers to push the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals into one day. The medal matches were originally scheduled to be held Wednesday, but tropical storm Nepartak is expected to cause large rainfalls in the Tokyo area this week.
Despite some gloomy conditions early in the day, things started to clear up in time for the women's final.
A four-time champion on the ASP Women's World Tour, Moore further solidified her standing as the best surfer in the world with this performance.
"I feel super blessed, super fortunate. It's been an incredible experience," Moore told reporters after her win. "It's been a crazy couple of days, a little bit of a rollercoaster of emotions just trying to figure out the break, find my rhythm, learning how to trust myself without my family here."
🇺🇸SURFIN' USA🇺🇸
Four-time World Champion Carissa Moore is the first-ever Gold Medalist (🥇) in the Women's Surfing Shortboard competition, defeating 🇿🇦's Bianca Buitendag.
The defining move of Moore's run was a two-turn combo that garnered a score of 7.33 to put her over the top for gold.
Things were also emotional on the men's side when Ferreira clinched the first gold medal for his country with a brilliant run on the waves.
What a moment.
Brazil's Italo Ferreira made history as the first Olympic gold medalist in men's surfing, and was carried out of the water by his team. #TokyoOlympicspic.twitter.com/8fACqFjmtS
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 27, 2021
It wasn't entirely smooth sailing for Ferreira on his run. He had to make a board change after his preferred choice broke on the first wave he hit.
"I broke my good board on my first wave. That board gives me good speed, the other one is more slow," Ferreira said after his win. "It's super hard out there, but I knew that there was a lot of opportunities around."
Despite not being able to have the board he wanted for the entire run, Ferreira made his backup work with spectacular results.
The host nation was given plenty of reasons to celebrate surfing's Olympic debut. Amuro Tsuzuki beat out Caroline Marks for bronze on the women's side.
Igarashi came up short in his run against Ferreira, but the 23-year-old still walked away from the Games with a silver medal around his neck.
Olympic Medalist Rayssa Leal Lands Skateboard Trick in Fairy Costume in 2015 Video
Jul 26, 2021
Silver medal winner Rayssa Leal of Brazil holds her medal after winning the women's street skateboarding finals at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Monday, July 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
Six years ago, Rayssa Leal was perfecting her heelflip.
Now she's an Olympic medalist.
The 13-year-old Brazilian won a silver medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo this week in the street competition. While she was narrowly defeated by another 13-year-old, Japan’s Momiji Nishiya, Leal became the talk of the Olympics after many shared a video of her doing a heelflip in a fairy costume.
Skating great Tony Hawk originally shared the clip in 2015.
"Six years ago [Hawk] introduced me to the world of skateboarding by sharing my video wearing a fairy costume," Leal wrote in a gallery of photos of herself and Hawk on Saturday, via Karenna Meredith of PopSugar. "Today, he filmed me at the Olympics."
Olympic Skateboarding 2021: Women's Street Medal Winners and Results
Jul 26, 2021
Japan's Momiji Nishiya reacts after competing in the women's street preliminary round during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Sports Park Skateboarding in Tokyo on July 26, 2021. (Photo by Lionel BONAVENTURE / AFP) (Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)
The women's street final in the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo became a battle of the 13-year-olds as Momiji Nishiya edged out Rayssa Leal for gold Monday.
It's a men's and women's double for Japan after Yuto Horigome took first place Sunday.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
Funa Nakayama joined her compatriot on the podium to give the host country two medalists.
Women's Street Final
Gold: Momiji Nishiya, Japan (15.26)
Silver: Rayssa Leal, Brazil (14.64)
Bronze: Funa Nakayama, Japan (14.49)
4th: Alexis Sablone, United States (13.57)
5th: Roos Zwetsloot, Netherlands (11.26)
6th: Zeng Wenhui, China (9.66)
7th: Margielyn Didal, Philippines (7.52)
8th: Aori Nishimura, Japan (6.92)
Expectations were high for Pamela Rosa entering the Olympics. The 22-year-old Brazilian is the No. 1 women's street skater in World Skate's official rankings, and she was a gold medalist in street at the 2019 World Skateboarding Championship.
In a surprising development, Rosa was unable to qualify for the final. She suffered three falls in the best-trick portion, and her two completed tricks weren't good enough to propel her up the leaderboard. She placed 10th with a combined score of 10.06.
Leticia Bufoni will likely be disappointed with her result as well. The No. 4-ranked street skater finished one position ahead of Rosa and missed out on the final.
With Bufoni and Rosa out, it was on Leal's shoulders to carry the flag for Brazil. Despite her age, she wasn't overawed by the occasion. She also bounced back nicely from falling in the first round of best trick, helping to set up a dramatic finish.
Imagine being 13 years old and you're competing at the OLYMPICS?
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
With one round left in best trick, 0.25 points separated the top three skaters, and the trio of Nishiya, Leal and Nakayama were the final three skaters to go.
With Leal and Nakayama failing to land a trick, Nishiya ultimately didn't need to do anything to secure gold. But she earned 3.43 points anyway to pad her final tally.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 26, 2021
The native of Osaka, Japan, dominated best trick. She and Leal were the only two skaters to hit three tricks, and she totaled 12.24 points from that segment of the event.
Alexis Sablone was the lone American in the final. With 4.53 points from the street run, she needed something special in the best-trick category to climb onto the podium.
Sablone fell in the last two rounds, leaving her unable to chase down Nakayama for bronze.
In general, adding skateboarding to the offerings at the Olympics provided the sport an opportunity to showcase its best talent to an audience that may otherwise not watch the X Games or world championships.
It's difficult to imagine a better outcome for street skating than having two teenagers lead the way in Tokyo. Nishiya and Leal are poised to shine for years to come.
Olympic Skateboarding 2021: Men's Street Medal Winners and Results
Jul 25, 2021
TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 25: Yuto Horigome of Team Japan competes at the Skateboarding Men's Street Prelims on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Urban Sports Park on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Yuto Horigomehas made history as the first-ever skateboarder to win an Olympic gold medal.
The Japannative finished in the top spot in the men's street competition with a total score of 37.18. Kelvin Hoeflerwon the silver medal, followed by Jagger Eatongrabbing the bronze.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
This year marks the first time for skateboarding as an Olympic event. Saturday's run will be a historic moment for the sport, as well as all 20 semifinalists who competed in Tokyo.
Men's Street Result
Gold: Yuto Horigome (Japan), 37.18
Silver: Kelvin Hoefler (Brazil), 36.15
Bronze: Jagger Eaton (United States), 35.35
4th: Vincent Milou (France), 34.14
5th: Angelo Caro Narvaez (Peru), 32.87
6th: Aurelien Giraud (France), 29.09
7th: Nyjah Huston (United States), 26.10
8th: Gustavo Ribeiro (Portugal), 15.05
Horigome made it through qualifying in sixth place, well enough to get into the final. He was hurt by posting just one score of 9.0 or better among the top four scores used to calculate his total.
Since the top eight made it through, Horigome started with a clean slate in the final. The 22-year-old made the most of his second opportunity in the trick portion of the competition.
Horigome already held the top spot heading into his final trick with a score of 35.90. He was able to improve on that by landing his signature grind for a score of 9.30 that bumped his overall total up to 37.18.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
As it turns out, that was the right strategy for Horigome. Hoefler posted his best trick score of the round on his final run (9.34) and would have taken over the top spot if Horigome had been conservative or failed on his final trick.
The Olympic gold is the culmination of a long process for Horigome, who has long since established himself as the best street skater in the world. He won gold at three World Skate League events in 2018 and the 2019 X Games.
Eaton had to settle for the bronze after crashing on his final trick attempt. The American star had a rough go in the finals overall. He failed to land three of his five trick attempts, forcing him to take a zero as one of his top four totals.
Given the final margin of victory, if Eaton had been able to land one of the three tricks that missed, he would have had a gold medal. The Arizona native did post the highest individual score on a trick in the final (9.40) when he nailed this grind:
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) July 25, 2021
Eaton was still able to walk away from the street skateboarding with a medal. The same can't be said of Nyjah Huston. The top-ranked skater in the world had a tough day in the trick portion of the competition.
Factoring in the semifinals, Huston failed to land six of his 10 trick attempts. He missed each of his final four tricks in the finals to finish in seventh place overall.
Video: 12-Year-Old Gui Khury Lands Historic 1080 to Win Gold Medal at 2021 X Games
Jul 17, 2021
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 03: Rony Gomes of Brazil competes in Skateboard Big Air at the X Games Minneapolis 2019 at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 03, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
A 12-year-old from Brazil landed the first 1080 on a non-mega vert ramp on Friday and he got to do it alongside his childhood idol.
As Tony Hawk made a surprise appearance during Vert Best Trick at the X Games in Vista, California—the 53-year-old's first X Games event since 2003—Gui Khury became the youngest person in tournament history to win a gold medal.
Khury was stunned, telling reporters he never imagined skating alongside Hawk, let alone competing against him.
He would make an immediate impact on his idol, landing a 1080 in competition 22 years after Hawk landed his iconic 900. The side-by-side of the two feats show both how far the sport has come and Hawk's impact on its growth.
53-year-old @tonyhawk, skating at #XGames for the first time since 2003.
The parallels between Hawk and Gui Khury: 22 years ago at X Games SF 1999, Hawk became the first to land a 900 on a vert ramp. Hawk did this 9 years before Khury was born (December 18, 2008). pic.twitter.com/NrZs5vzF80
Khury became the first skater to land a 1080 on a traditional competition-size vert ramp as an 11-year-old in 2020.
On Friday he made even more history. With Hawk running to his side to celebrate as soon as Khury's run was over.
Video: Nyjah Huston Talks Favorite Sneakers on 'My Road Rotation' with B/R Kicks
Jun 1, 2021
DES MOINES, IOWA - MAY 20: Nyjah Huston looks on during practice for the Men's Pre-seeded Street competition during the 2021 Dew Tour on on May 20, 2021 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Nyjah Huston has amassed quite the collection of sneakers while establishing himself as one of the top men's skateboarders on the street circuit.
The 13-time X Games gold medalist chatted with B/R Kicks about his favorite shoes and life on the road.
Tony Hawk Creates 'Degrassi' Hoodie After Drake Wears Bootleg Birdhouse Gear
Apr 24, 2021
FILE - In this July 25, 2018, file photo, Tony Hawk arrives at the world premiere of
Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk capitalized on rapper Drake wearing a bootleg Birdhouse hoodie by creating an official version of the design.
Hawk, one of Birdhouse Skateboards' founders, named it the "Degrassi hooded sweatshirt" in reference to Drake's breakthrough as an actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation:
The hoodie is listed on the company's official website for $70.
Hawk founded Birdhouse alongside fellow skateboarder Per Welinder in 1992. The company is best known for boards, accessories and other equipment related to the sport, but it also sells apparel.
Last April, the 52-year-old San Diego native told CNBC's Lucy Handley the business had taken a hit early in the coronavirus pandemic because of supply-line issues.
"We do get stuff manufactured here [in the U.S.], we get it manufactured in China and Mexico and we're having to scramble to find sourcing," Hawk said. "So, it's not been that the sales are down, it's that they're delayed. We just can't deliver on time."
Getting some unexpected attention from a celebrity of Drake's stature should provide a boost as the company looks to make up for any lost revenue over the past year of the pandemic.
Video: Tony Hawk, Andy Macdonald Recreate Iconic 1999 X Games Vert Doubles Run
Apr 7, 2021
LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 7: Tony Hawk performs a sketch on THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH JAMES CORDEN, scheduled to air Wednesday October 7, 2020 (12:37-1:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Image is a screen grab. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images)
Tony Hawk and Andy Macdonald are feeling nostalgic for 1999.
One week after posting a highlight video of their vert doubles run from the X Games 22 years ago, Hawk and Macdonald got together in person to recreate the iconic moment for the 2021 crowd:
After posting our 1999 doubles run last week, the feedback was incredible. I received thousands of comments about the love for that era of skating. The nostalgia was so strong that @andymacdonald & I decided to do it again, 22 years later - complete with @selema on the mic. Enjoy pic.twitter.com/DRHWgWsA1e
Hawk and Macdonald were the most dominant athletes at the X Games for an eight-year period between 1995-2003.
They combined to win six individual gold medals and six gold medals in vert doubles, including five consecutive years from 1998-2002.
At the 1999 event in San Francisco, Hawk and Macdonald beat Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist to win gold. They finished with a score of 95.50 on their second run.
Surfer Katherine Diaz Dies at 22 from Lightning Strike During Olympics Training
Mar 22, 2021
A surfer rides a wave during a tow surfing session at Praia do Norte or North Beach in Nazare, Portugal, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020. A big swell generated earlier in the week by Hurricane Epsilon in the North Atlantic, reached the Portuguese west coast drawing big wave surfers to Nazare. (AP Photo/Pedro Rocha)
Katherine Diaz, a 22-year-old Olympic surfing hopeful, died while training at the El Tunco beach in El Salvador after being struck by lightning while training, per Matias Grez of CNN.com.
"Katherine came over to hug her [friend], as soon as she finished hugging her, the noise was heard," her uncle Beto Diaz, who said he was with her in the water, told an El Salvadoran newspaper (h/t Grez). "She, the friend, was thrown by the force of the lightning strike too, the board threw me back. Katherine died instantly."
According toAS, "the sky was clear and it was an unforeseen storm that did not seem to carry much electrical intensity either" before Diaz was struck by the lightning (h/tSven Buschof the Olympic Channel).
The La Bocana and El Sunzal beaches in El Salvador are set to host the International Surfing Association's Surf City El Salvador World Surfing Games between May 29 to June 6, which will also be the final qualifying tournament for the Tokyo Games. Surfing will make its Olympic debut at this summer's Games.
According toChris BumbacaofUSA Today, Diaz was also a chef and had her own business in El Tunco alongside being an Olympic hopeful in surfing.
It is with a heavy heart that the ISA has learned about the passing of El Salvador’s Katherine Diaz. pic.twitter.com/7SQCEHPpu3
— International Surfing Association (@ISAsurfing) March 21, 2021
We send our heartfelt condolences to Katherine’s family, the surfers of El Salvador, and to all those in the international surfing community whose lives she touched.
— International Surfing Association (@ISAsurfing) March 21, 2021
"Katherine was a girl very passionate about sports, she was very motivated and happy for the event that was approaching," El Salvador's surfing association, FESASURF, said in a statement (h/t Grez). "'The Paddle Out'—a ceremony in her honor—will be held next Tuesday."
