Meet Bryce Wettstein, the Technicolor Skateboarder Spreading Love at The Olympics
There is nothing typical about high schooler Bryce Wettstein. Bryce channels a west-coast 1970’s free-spirit vibe along with incredible athletic talent. Her skateboarding style is creative, retro, and downright fun. At seventeen, Bryce is currently ranked 8th in the world for women’s park. The bedazzled rainbow teen will be representing Team USA tonight at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and will undoubtedly bring her signature joie de vivre. “I love skateboarding so much and everything it can do for people. It can help bring out people’s uniqueness and allows us to uphold our true selves. It’s like that best friend by your side making you feel more like yourself than ever before, and it just reinforces love for yourself and others. And pretty soon, there's just this Venn diagram of love and happiness. And love is one of those splendid and multifaceted things. Love gives you superpowers, and that’s the ripple effect of skateboarding.”
Photo by Brie Lakin
Though she will be donning the US Olympic uniform on course, the seventeen-year-old’s usual thrift-tastic style often includes rainbow socks, high-waisted mom-shorts, suspenders in any bright color, and DIY-decorated mismatched converse. Homemade beaded necklaces hang around her neck. She’s often photographed holding wildflowers, wearing floral embroidered shirts from the days of free love. Her home-edited skate videos feature classic jams by seventies bands like The Beach Boys and Big Star.
The teen is always creating; writing, drawing, painting or dabbling with various instruments, including piano, guitar, and ukulele. Bryce just released a single of her singing and playing the ukulele (one month before her Olympic skateboarding debut.)
She still plays on the top-ranked San Dieguito Academy varsity volleyball team and once thought she might pursue a career as a professional surfer. She’s also incredibly book smart and a chemistry aficionado. (She finds chemistry books calming, almost “like a comfort animal.”) Despite her varied interests, Bryce says, “Every bit of my life is skateboarding. Everything that I do, skateboarding can always transcend; even when your drawing a picture making your bed, or like making something, I’m always thinking about skateboarding. I guess skateboarding is like always having an angel on my shoulder. “
Bryce still sounds surprised that she’s a professional skateboarder. “When dreams happen, you never feel like they are really happening.”
Tune in to watch Bryce on the Olympic Stage and follow her technicolor journey @brycewettstein.