EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — An El Paso native is climbing the global street skateboarding rankings, traveling the world with a singular goal: earning a spot to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Danny Ruiz is traveling the world to rack up enough points to secure a spot at the games, where he hopes to represent Mexico and honor his family’s roots in Ciudad Juarez. He has already cracked the top 100 to help make that dream a reality, currently ranking 79th in men’s street skateboarding.
In the intense street format, riders get just 45 seconds to pull off their best tricks on city-inspired courses featuring stairs and rails. To punch his ticket to L.A., Ruiz said he needs to break into the top 44 globally.
“No skateboarder has qualified to make it and represent Mexico in the Olympics, so that’d be a great deal for me,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz said his professional dedication to the sport has been over seven years in the making when he first began competing outside of El Paso and taking his skateboarding skills to the next level. He’s competed in international contests in cities like Rome and São Paulo, and along the way, he has also gained international attention and major sponsorships, including Vans Mexico…