Madars Apse meets Brazilian female skateboarding trailblazer Vitória Mendonça, who came from humble roots to become a skateboarder, model and youth icon. It is no great stretch to say that Vitória Mendonça is the modern face of skateboarding today. Having just been turned professional by her board sponsor Element Skateboards at CPH Open 2023, she has the world at her feet- but it wasn’t always this way. From a humble background in Rio de Janeiro, her skating ability has raised her up to become one of the most visible girls in the worldwide sponsorship game today. Moreover, she has also parlayed her talent into a successful parallel career as a model. Nobody writes scripts for life stories like hers in a world where young black women can face all kinds of prejudice. From the tough streets of urban Brazil to being nominated as Thrasher’s Skater Of The Year 2022, Vitoria is living proof that skateboarding is a dream factory.