The best female golfers of all-time were instrumental in the development, growth, and evolution of women in a sport that was largely dominated by men from the 1400s up through the 1800s. At the turn of the century, women started to emerge as true competitors and contenders in golf.
By 1932, amateur women golfers were competing in the world’s first Curtis Cup between Great Britain, the United States, and Ireland. Two years later, Helen Hicks made history as the first female professional golfer. She went on to win two major tournaments over the next six years.
In the late-1930s and through the 1940s, Babe Zaharias and Patty Berg helped further the continued excellence of women golfers — two names you’ll find on our list of the best female golfers of all-time. By 1950, the LPGA was formed and things have taken off since then.
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Who Are the Best Female Golfers of All-Time?
Over the past 200+ years, we’ve witnessed thousands of female golfers try to etch their name in history and many of them have enjoyed long, successful careers as a result. Of course, there are only a select few that can be considered among some of the best female golfers of all-time.
While there are plenty of factors that go into putting together such a list, there are three that stand out above the rest — longevity, total wins, and major wins. You want to see them win consistently over a long period of time, but you also want to see them win when it matters most.
As we go through and rank the best female golfers of all-time, we’re going to highlight those three areas of greatness and share a brief summary of how their career went — or is going. Without further ado, let’s find out which women are considered the best female golfers ever.
25. Lydia Ko
Country: New Zealand
Winning Years: 2012-present
Total Wins: 16
Major Wins: 2
Lydia Ko started playing golf as a five-year old and began her rise to excellence at the age of seven when she competed in the New Zealand national amateur championships. She went pro in 2014 while she was still in school, but she had already won several tour events at that point.
Since getting her first LPGA tour win as a pro in 2014 as a 17-year old, Ko has won a total of 16 events. Of those events, two of them were Major championships — The Evian Championship and the ANA Inspiration. She’s still just 24 years old and will continue to climb up this list.
24. Yani Tseng
Country: Taiwan
Winning Years: 2008-2012
Total Wins: 15
Major Wins: 5
Yani Tseng found success as an amateur from 2002-2006, winning several tournaments before turning pro in 2007. The following year, Tseng became the youngest player to win the LPGA Championship and the second-youngest to win an LPGA major. She got off to a quick start.
She went on to win 15 events and five majors over the next five years. Over that span, she won LPGA Rookie of the Year in 2008 and the LPGA Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. Her career earnings of $10,551,388 currently ranks 19th all-time and her 15 career wins ranks tied for 37th.
23. Jane Blalock
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1970-1985
Total Wins: 27
Major Wins: 0
Jane Blalock started playing golf at the age of 13 and won several championships as an amateur while she studied at Rollins College. She turned pro in 1969 and made a good first impression after being named the LPGA Rookie of the Year. It was a great start to her career.
Over the next 12 years, Blalock would set a record for most consecutive tournaments without getting cut. She did so in 229 consecutive tournaments from 1969-1980. While she would fail to win a major championship, her 27 career LPGA wins currently ranks tied for 19th all-time.
22. Lorena Ochoa
Country: Mexico
Winning Years: 2004-2009
Total Wins: 27
Major Wins: 2
Speaking of female golfers with 27 career wins, Lorena Ochoa deserves her spot on our list of the best female golfers of all-time. She began golfing at the age of five, winning her first state event one year later and her first national event two years later. She was destined for stardom.
She dominated the sport during a solid two-year college career and turned pro in 2002, winning 27 tournaments and two majors over the next six years. She was an LPGA Rookie of the Year and four-time LPGA Player of the Year. Her $14,863,331 career earnings ranks fifth all-time.
21. Donna Caponi
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1969-1981
Total Wins: 24
Major Wins: 4
Donna Caponi started playing golf at the age of five and won the Los Angeles Junior title as an 11-year-old. She continued to excel as an amateur up until 1965, which is the year she turned pro. While she didn’t win much in the early years of her career, she eventually turned the corner.
In 1969, she achieved her first LPGA victory at the US Women’s Open and repeated as winner the following year — becoming the second female to do so. She finished her career with 24 total wins and four major wins after winning the Women’s PGA Championship in 1979 and 1981.
20. Se-ri Pak
Country: South Korea
Winning Years: 1998-2010
Total Wins: 25
Major Wins: 5
Se-ri Pak, also known as Pak Se-ri, began playing golf at a young age in Daejeon, South Korea. She was her high school’s best golfer and eventually moved to Seoul to continue her training. She eventually turned pro in 1996 at the age of 19 and joined the LPGA full-time in 1998.
1998 was a good year for her, winning her first two majors as a professional — the Women’s PGA Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open — and being named LPGA Rookie of the Year. She would go on to win the Women’s PGA Championship three times in her illustrious career.
19. Beth Daniel
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1979-2003
Total Wins: 33
Major Wins: 1
Beth Daniel helped lead Furman University to a 1976 national championship alongside Betsy King, another golfer on this list. She also enjoyed an incredible amateur career winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur twice (1975 and 1977) and the Women’s Western Amateur in 1978.
Daniel turned pro in 1978 and joined the tour full-time in 1979. After winning LPGA Rookie of the Year, she would go on to win 33 tournaments, including a major win at the 1990 Mazda LPGA Championship. Daniel won LPGA Tour Player of the Year three times in 1980, 1990, and 1994.
18. Amy Alcott
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1975-1991
Total Wins: 29
Major Wins: 5
Amy Alcott turned pro in 1975 after graduating from high school. It didn’t take long for her to transition to the pro league, notching a win in her third tournament. Her efforts in 1975 resulted in her being named LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Alcott’s golf career took off from that point.
She won five major tournaments over her 17-year career, including the U.S. Women’s Open in 1980, du Maurier Classic in 1979, and the ANA Inspiration in 1983, 1988, and 1991. She was the player that started the tradition of jumping into Poppie’s Pond after winning the Dinah Shore.
17. Carol Mann
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1964-1975
Total Wins: 38
Major Wins: 2
Carol Mann enjoyed a lot of success as an amateur, winning the Western Junior, Chicago Junior, and Chicago Women’s Amateur from 1958-1960. She decided to turn pro in 1960 and joined the tour full-time the following year. It took her a few years to record her first victory.
Mann won 38 tournaments during her 12-year career, including major wins at the U.S. Women’s Open in 1965 and the Western Open in 1964. She won the LPGA Vare Trophy in 1968 and was the LPGA Tour Money Winner in 1969. She also served as LPGA President from 1973-1976.
16. Sandra Haynie
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1962-1982
Total Wins: 42
Major Wins: 4
As an amateur golfer, Sandra Haynie won the 1957-58 Texas State Publinx, 1958-59 Texas Amateur, and 1960 Trans-Mississippi titles. She began her professional career in 1961 and won her first tournament as a pro in 1962 at the Austin Civitan Open. Things only got better for her.
Over the next 22 years, Haynie won 42 tournaments and four majors — including the Women’s PGA Championship in 1965 and 1974, U.S. Women’s Open in 1974, and du Maurier Classic in 1982. She was named LPGA Player of the Year in 1970 and is in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
15. JoAnne Carner
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1969-1985
Total Wins: 43
Major Wins: 2
JoAnne Carner saw success at every level of the sport and became the first golfer to win three different USGA championships — doing so in the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Amateur, and U.S. Women’s Open. She won the Women’s Amateur five times and Women’s Open twice.
Despite remaining an amateur until the age of 30, Carner would go on to win LPGA Rookie of the Year in 1970 and LPGA Player of the Year in 1974, 1981, and 1982. Although her last win came in 1985, she continued to play through 2004 at the age of 65. She’s a true golf legend.
14. Nancy Lopez
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1978-1997
Total Wins: 48
Major Wins: 3
Nancy Lopez enjoyed a long and successful career as a professional golfer. Things started to click at the age of 12 when she won the New Mexico Women’s Amateur. She then won the U.S. Girls Amateur at ages 15 and 17, as well as tying for second at the U.S. Women’s Open at 18.
She joined the tour full-time in 1978 and had a monster rookie year, winning nine tournaments (five-straight) and earning several awards — including the Vare Trophy, Rookie of the Year, and Player of the Year, which she would win four times in her career. She was a one-of-a-kind golfer.
13. Pat Bradley
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1976-1995
Total Wins: 31
Major Wins: 6
Pat Bradley might not have as many career wins as Lopez, Carner, Haynie, or Mann, but she won when it mattered most and finished her career with more major wins than any of them. She joined the tour in 1974 after enjoying a great deal of success as an amateur from 1967-1973.
She got her first win as a professional at the 1996 Girl Talk Classic. She won three titles in 1978 and led all female golfers with four in 1983 and five in 1986. Her 1986 campaign was special, winning three of four LPGA major titles and earning her first of two Player of the Year awards.
12. Juli Inkster
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1983-2006
Total Wins: 31
Major Wins: 7
Juli Inkster was a three-time All-American at San Jose State as she built herself a very successful amateur career. She won three consecutive U.S. Women’s Amateur events from 1980-1982, becoming the first female to achieve that feat since 1934. She was unstoppable.
Inkster turned pro in 1983 and won two major events the following year — the du Maurier Classic and the ANA Inspiration. She would go on to win the ANA Inspiration in 1989, the U.S. Women’s Open in 1999 and 2002, and the Women’s PGA Championship in 1999 and 2000.
11. Betsy King
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1984-2001
Total Wins: 34
Major Wins: 6
Betsy King was teammates with Beth Daniel at Furman University and was a member of the 1976 national championship squad. She turned pro in 1977, but wouldn’t earn her first win as a professional until 1984. Of course, that’s the year her career took a turn for the better.
She won Player of the Year in 1984 after winning three events and finishing in the top-10 21 times. Over the next five years, she won more championships than any other golfer, male or female. She won Player of the Year again in 1989 and 1993. She won at least one event every year from 1984-1993.
10. Inbee Park
Country: South Korea
Winning Years: 2008-present
Total Wins: 21
Major Wins: 7
Inbee Park is just 33 years old and has accomplished more than most golfers have in her 13-year career. She won three-straight major championships in 2013, won the Women’s PGA Championship three times in a row, and is the youngest player to with the U.S. Women’s Open.
She’s one of just nine female golfers to win at least seven major championships and her $17,850,220 career earnings currently ranks fourth all-time. She doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so you can expect to see her continue to climb this list in the near future.
9. Patty Sheehan
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1981-1996
Total Wins: 35
Major Wins: 6
At 13 years old, Patty Sheehan was ranked as one of the country’s top junior snow skiers. In high school, she started to dominate the golf scene in Nevada and won a plethora of titles as an amateur. She attended both the University of Nevada, Reno and San Jose State University.
Sheehan turned pro in 1980 and went full-time in 1981, winning Rookie of the Year in the process. She won the LPGA Championship back-to-back in 1983 and 1984, and was named LPGA Tour Player of the Year in 1983. She’s one of 13 females with at least 13 major wins.
8. Karrie Webb
Country: Australia
Winning Years: 1995-2014
Total Wins: 41
Major Wins: 7
Karrie Webb began her amateur and professional career in Australia, but eventually found her way to the LPGA Tour in 1996. She won four tournaments in her first season and was named Rookie of the Year, as well as LPGA Money Winner with over $1 million in 1996 earnings.
She would later win her first major championship in 1999. Webb was named LPGA Player of the Year, LPGA Money Winner, and winner of the Vare Trophy in 1999 and 2000. Her 41 wins ranks 10th all-time and she’s one of nine female golfers with at least seven major championships.
7. Babe Zaharias
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1940-1955
Total Wins: 41
Major Wins: 10
Not many athletes can say they’ve done what Babe Zaharias did between 1930-1955. She competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics and won two Gold Medals in track and field. She then turned her focus to golf and went on to become one of the best female golfers of all-time.
Zaharias finished her career with 41 total wins and was one of just five female golfers with at least 10 major championships. She won the Western Open four times, the U.S. Women’s Open three times, and the Titleholders Championship three times. She was a true golf champion.
6. Betsy Rawls
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1951-1972
Total Wins: 55
Major Wins: 8
Betsy Rawls isn’t one of the five female golfers to win at least 10 major championships — she won eight in her career — but she is one of six female golfers with at least 55 total career wins. She didn’t start playing golf until the age of 17, but found quick success as an amateur.
She turned pro in 1951 and won the U.S. Women’s Open that same year — the first of four times she would win the Women’s Open. She also won the Western Open in 1952 and 1959, and the Women’s PGA Championship in 1959 and 1969. She won 10 total tournaments in 1959.
5. Louise Suggs
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1946-1962
Total Wins: 61
Major Wins: 11
Louise Suggs began playing golf at a young age and eventually won the Georgia State Amateur at just 16 years old. She won a variety of other amateur titles before turning pro in 1948. In 1950, she was one of the pioneers that founded the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
Suggs won 61 total titles — which ranks fourth all-time — and 11 major championships — which ranks third all-time. She won the Western Open four times, The Titleholders’ Championship four times, the Women’s PGA Championship once, and the U.S. Women’s Open once.
4. Patty Berg
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1937-1962
Total Wins: 60
Major Wins: 15
Speaking of the LPGA founding members, we can’t forget Patty Berg on our list of the best female golfers of all-time. She was the first president of the LPGA, won 60 total championships (fifth all-time), and won 15 major championships (most all-time). She was a true competitor.
She turned pro in 1940 after winning 29 titles as an amateur. As a pro, she won the Western Open seven times, the Titleholders’ Championship seven times, and the U.S. Women’s Cup once. She also served in the Marine Corps and was a speed skater in the winter months.
3. Kathy Whitworth
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1962-1985
Total Wins: 88
Major Wins: 6
Where Patty Berg finished her career with the most major wins, Kathy Whitworth finished her career with the most total wins. She started playing golf at the age of 15 and turned pro in 1958 after four years of playing as an amateur. By 1962, she won her first LPGA tournament.
She won 88 LPGA tournaments between 1962 and 1985, including six major championships. She was named Player of the Year seven times (four-straight), Money Winner eight times (four-straight, twice), and Vare Trophy winner seven times (four-straight). She retired in 2005.
2. Annika Sörenstam
Country: Sweden
Winning Years: 1995-2008
Total Wins: 72
Major Wins: 10
Annika Sörenstam is the greatest female golfer that doesn’t represent the United States. She’s the only female to shoot a 59 in a real competition, her $22,577,025 career earnings is more than any other female golfer, and her eight Player of the Year awards is the most all-time.
Sörenstam ranks second all-time with 72 total wins and is one of just five female golfers to win at least 10 major championships. She was Rookie of the Year in 1994, an eight-time LPGA Tour Money Winner, and six-time Vare Trophy winner. Not many female golfers won as often as her.
1. Mickey Wright
Country: United States
Winning Years: 1956-1973
Total Wins: 82
Major Wins: 13
At the top of our list of the best female golfers is Mickey Wright. She played for Stanford University and enjoyed success as an amateur before turning pro in 1954 and joining the tour in 1955. Her 82 total wins and 13 major championships both rank second among female golfers.
Wright won the U.S. Women’s Open four times, the Women’s PGA Championship four times, the Western Open three times, and the Titleholders’ Championship twice. She was named the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in back-to-back years in 1963 and 1964.
Who Are the Best Female Golfers Right Now?
Every year, we see new female golfers enter the biggest stage in the golf community. The LPGA Tour is home to the best female golfers and houses the greatest competition in the world. If you’re a golfer that wants to make a name for themself, the LPGA Tour is where you do it.
If we were to look at the LPGA Tour today, some of the best female golfers include Inbee Park, Danielle Kang, Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Patty Tavatanakit, Jeong-eun Lee, Amy Yang, Ariya Jutanugarn, Brooke Henderson, In Gee Chun, Lexi Thompson, and Minjee Lee.
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One of the wonderful things about golf is you never know who’s going to show out each tournament and it’s not always the best female golfers that win the event. It seems to be someone different each time, which helps keep things interesting for the viewers at home.
25 of the Best Women Skateboarders
The best women skateboarders of all-time played an integral role in the rise and continued growth of skateboarding over the past 60+ years. They took their passion for the sport to new heights and were proud to showcase their talent as the rest of the world watched in awe.
Skateboarding was invented sometime in the late-1940s and early-1950s and while women have been skating ever since, the sport was largely dominated by men for the first decade. It wasn’t until the 1960s that we saw the first major women’s skateboarding competition.
Over the next 30 years, women continued fighting for equality in the sport. By the 1990s, women skateboarders started to flourish and were getting noticed globally. Women are still breaking barriers to this day and receive just as much, if not more, attention than their male counterparts.
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Who Are the Best Women Skateboarders of All-Time?
The best women skateboarders of all-time are regarded as pioneers in the sport. They turned what used to be a hobby into what could be a prosperous career. They helped set the bar for incoming generations of female skateboarders and acted as role models to those before them.
Through the years, we’ve witnessed a number of women exemplify greatness when they stand tall on their board. We all understand how difficult it is to control a skateboard, but the best women skateboarders of all-time make it look easy. Best of all, they had fun while they did it.
As we make our way through the best women skateboarders of all-time, we’re going to highlight a healthy mixture of old and new. Since women are still breaking barriers, some of the pioneers of the sport are still competing today. Without further hesitation, let’s see who made our list!
25. Sakura Yosozumi – Japan
Sakura Yosozumi was born in Iwade, Wakayama, Japan. Influenced by her older brother, Yosozumi started skateboarding at the age of 11 in 2013. When she started to take the sport seriously, she would train up to five hours every day after school. She was destined to be great.
Since finishing 29th in the 2016 World Cup Skateboarding park event, Yosozumi has claimed three Gold Medals — the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, the 2018 World Championship in Nanjing, and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She also has a bronze at the X Games.
24. Pamela Rosa – Brazil
Born in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, Pamela Rosa began skating at an early age. She was lucky enough to have an indoor skate park open up near her home, which gave her the space she needed to fine-tune her skills. Since then, it has translated well as a professional.
Rosa has dominated the X Games over the past seven years, winning two gold medals (both in 2016), three silver medals (2014, 2015, 2019), and one bronze medal (2018). She also won two gold medals at the World Skateboarding Championship, once in 2019 and once in 2021.
23. Margielyn Didal – Philippines
Margielyn Didal was born in Cebu City, Philippines and began skateboarding with her friends at an early age. By 2012, she was being coached by Daniel Bautista and competing in local tournaments in Cebu City. Injuries in 2014 slowed her progress, but she quickly recovered.
She was dominant in 2018 and 2019. She competed in the Street League Skateboarding twice and X Games once during that span, but also captured a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games (street) and two gold medals in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (street, game of skate).
22. Mariah Duran – United States
Mariah Duran was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and began skateboarding at an early age. By the age of 13, Duran started competing in local skateboarding competitions. Nearly seven years later in 2016, Duran turned pro and has been sponsored by Meow Skateboards since.
In 2016, she brought home a silver medal in the street event at the Summer X Games in Austin. Two years later, she brought home two gold medals in the street event in 2018. She also competed in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, but failed to make it past the preliminary round.
21. Samarria Brevard – United States
Samarria Brevard contributes her love for skateboarding to her family, who introduced her to the sport at the age of 13. Nearly five years later, she was competing in local tournaments. Over the years, she has become a pioneer for incoming African American female skateboarders.
She was the first African American female to have a pro model board, the first African American female to win a medal at the X Games (she won silver in 2017) and the first African American female to have a full part in a skate film (the all-female skate video, Don’t Quit Your Day Job).
20. Jaime Reyes – Hawaii
Born in Oahu, Hawaii, Jaime Reyes grew up surfing in the 1990s. She went to go surfing one day, but there weren’t any waves to surf. Instead, she bumped into a group of skateboarders and that’s how she was introduced to the sport. Ever since that moment, her career took off.
Her first competition was held at the legendary A’Ala Park in Hawaii. After winning that event, she started to compete in more prestigious events and was one of a few skateboarders that could run with Elissa Steamer and Lauren Mollica. She was on the cover of Thrasher in 1994.
19. Vanessa Torres – United States
Vanessa Torres was born in Anaheim, CA, but comes from Mexican descent. She started skating at an early age and eventually dropped out of high school to pursue a career in the sport. It didn’t take her long to make a name for herself and find success as a female skateboarder.
In 2003, Torres became the first female to win a gold medal in skateboarding at the X Games. It was the inaugural year for female skateboarding and she would go on to win a silver and two bronzes over the next 13 years. She was also the third female to appear in a video game.
18. Jen O’Brien – United States
The 2003 Summer X Games were extremely important to the rise of women in the sport and while Vanessa Torres won the gold medal, Jen O’Brien was one of the leading voices that made the competition possible. Oh yeah, O’Brien went home with a silver medal to top it all off.
Born and raised in DeLand, Florida, O’Brien is a true pioneer for women in skateboarding. Even when she helped women get invited to the X Games, she didn’t stop there and continued to fight for equal prize money, equal television coverage, and equal opportunity when on the skateboard.
17. Amy Caron – United States
Amy Caron grew up in Castro Valley, California and enjoyed skating, surfing, and going to the beach growing up. At just 12 years old, Caron began skateboarding and eventually rose to be one of the best women skateboarders of all-time. It didn’t take long for her to mark her territory.
She has won three bronze medals at the X Games, one in the park event in 2003 and two in the street event in 2007 and 2008. She’s currently sponsored by Meow Skateboards, was heavily featured on AKA: Girl Skate film, and is also the co-founder of Bigfoot Skateboard Magazine.
16. Rayssa Leal – Brazil
Born Jhulia Rayssa Mendes Leal in Brazil, Rayssa Leal started to make a name for herself at just seven years old. She would make videos of herself skateboarding in a tutu, which led to her being dubbed ‘A Fadinha do Skate,’ which translates to ‘The Little Fairy of Skateboarding.’
After placing third at the 2019 Street League Skateboarding Championship in London, Leal placed first at the SLS Championship in LA a few months later. She also won a silver medal in the 2020 Olympic Games and two silver medals at the World Championship in 2019 and 2021.
22. Leo Baker – United States
Leo Baker was born in Covina, California in 1991 and began skateboarding at the age of five. They started to take the sport seriously by 11 years old and started competing by 14 years old in 2006 — which is when they placed first at the Slam City Jam and West 49 Canadian Open.
Their best win came at the 2014 Summer X Games in Austin when they won a Gold Medal in the street event. Baker also has four other first place finishes over the past 13 years — including the Maloof Money Cup, the Mystic Skate Cup, and the Street League Super Crown twice.
14. Lucy Adams – Great Britain
Perhaps no other female skateboarder is more revered in the United Kingdom than Lucy Adams. She’s the pride of Great Britain and played an important role in the rise of women in the sport, especially in her country — where women skateboarding was basically non-existent.
Adams has been skating for over two decades after falling in love with the sport in 1997. She was the founding chair of Skateboard GB, the National Governing Body for skateboarding in Great Britain, England, and Whales. She eventually stepped down from the position in 2020.
13. Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins – United States
Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins was a true athlete growing up in San Diego and Mexico. Although she played soccer, baseball, basketball, and gymnastics throughout her childhood, it was surfing and skateboarding that always came first. She started skateboarding at the age of six.
Hawkins became the first female to skate the DC Mega Ramp and enjoyed an illustrious career at the Summer X Games. From 2003-2010, she won three gold medals in the vert event, three silver medals in the vert event, one silver in the park event, and one bronze in the vert event.
12. Sabre Norris – Australia
Sabre Norris was born just 16 years ago in 2005, but she has emerged as one of the future stars of women skateboarding and is one of the most talked about female skateboarders today. She started to gain national attention on YouTube, which helped her showcase her talent early.
In addition to being the third female and first Australian female to complete a 540 (at just 9 years old), Norris became the second-youngest female to ever compete in the World Surf League. Much of her impact has yet to be witnessed, so keep an eye on her in the coming years.
11. Sky Brown – Great Britain
Though Sky Brown was born in Japan, she represents Great Britain as a skateboarder and spends a lot of time in the United States. She started skateboarding at an early age and started competing as early as 8 years old. She’s the youngest skateboarder to compete in an event.
After winning Dancing With the Stars: Juniors in 2018, she earned her first medal in 2019 — a bronze medal at the World Championship. In 2020, she became the youngest person to earn an Olympic medal (bronze) for Great Britain and then won a Gold Medal at the 2021 X Games.
10. Alana Smith – United States
Alana Smith was born in Mesa, Arizona in 2000 and formed an early interest in skateboarding. Once they started to compete, it didn’t take long for them to earn their first medal — winning a silver medal at the 2013 X Games in Barcelona. They were the youngest to ever win a medal.
Two years later, Alana Smith won the Girls Combi Pool Classic and eventually joined Tactics as a brand ambassador. While they ended up finishing in last place of 20 competitors, Alana Smith became the first nonbinary athlete to compete at the Olympics during the 2021 Olympic Games.
9. Nora Vasconcellos – United States
Nora Vasconcellos was born in Pembroke, Massachusetts, but didn’t pursue a career in skateboarding until 2012 — she was 19 years old at the time. She quit her day job and moved to California in hopes of making it big someday. And that’s exactly what she did with herself.
She joined Adidas as an amateur in 2016 and appeared on Thrasher’s King of the Road Season 2 that same year. The following year, she won the 2017 Vans Park Series World Championships and turned pro with Adidas and Welcome Skateboards that same year. She’s also an artist.
8. Lizzie Armanto – Finland/United States
Lizzie Armanto is one of the best women skateboarders ever and she’s still doing her thing to this day. Her love of skating began in Santa Monica, California in 2007 and has continued to grow ever since. In fact, she became the first female to complete Tony Hawk’s famous loop.
With over 30 awards to her name, Armanto is one of the most decorated female skateboarders. She was the No. 1 points-getter in the World Cup of Skateboarding three years in a row, she won gold medals at the X Games and Nitro World Games, and competed in the 2020 Olympics.
7. Aori Nishimura – Japan
Aori Nishimura was born just 20 years ago, but has already accomplished more than most in the sport. She started skating at the age of 7 and eventually made her pro debut as a fifth grader. In 2017, Nishimura won the Gold Medal at the Japan National Skateboarding Championship.
That same year, Nishimura won another Gold Medal at the 2017 X Games in Minneapolis. She would win two more gold medals in 2019, as well as a silver and bronze in 2018. At the World Championship, she won a Gold Medal in 2018 and 2021, as well as a bronze medal in 2019.
6. Alexis Sablone – United States
Alexis Sablone grew up in Connecticut and started teaching herself how to skate in her garage at just nine years old. By the age of 12, Sablone was competing in local events. Unfortunately, she had a hard time finding an agent after she graduated from high school and stopped skating.
After receiving a degree in architecture, Sablone eventually made a return to skateboarding at the age of 23. She entered her first X Games that year and appeared in every X Games since — winning three golds (2010, 2012, 2015), two silvers (2009, 2011), and one bronze (2018).
5. Leticia Bufoni – Brazil
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Leticia Bufoni formed an interest in skateboarding at the age of nine. She received her first board at 11 years old, but her father eventually broke it to prevent her from skating. At the age of 14, she moved to the United States to pursue her skateboarding career.
Bufoni entered her first X Games in 2007 and while she didn’t earn her first medal until 2010, she holds the record for most gold medals by a female with six — including three in 2013. She also has three silvers, three bronzes, and a Gold Medal at the World Skateboarding Championship.
4. Elissa Steamer – United States
Elissa Steamer grew up in Fort Meyers, Florida and began skating at the age of 14. By 1995, the 20-year old skater was a sponsored athlete and appeared in her first film in 2016. She would appear in several other films over the next few years, but her real break came in 2004.
That year, Steamer won her first Gold Medal in the street event at the 2004 Summer X Games in Los Angeles. Steamer won the Gold Medal four times in the next five years and she would’ve won it six years in a row if it weren’t for her silver medal in 2007 and bronze medal in 2009.
3. Cara-Beth Burnside – United States
Cara-Beth Burnside started skating at a time when female skaters were rare. She was born in Orange, California and grew an interest in skating at the age of 10. She would practice her tricks for up to seven hours each day. By the 1990s, she was competing against professional men.
Burnside was a playable character in two video games, won over 16 competitions as a professional (including two X Games Gold Medals), is the first female to have a skate shoe, and has been featured in a variety of big films. She’s also one of the best snowboarders of all-time.
2. Peggy Oki – United States
Speaking of female skateboarders who started skating before it was a thing, Peggy Oki broke barriers for women in the sport in the 1970s. Born in Los Angeles, California, she received her first skateboard at the age of 10 and fell in love with the sport from that moment forward.
In the 1970s, she was the only female member of the Zephyr Competition Team, which originally consisted of Peggy and 11 boy skaters. By 1975, she won the Del Mar Nationals freestyle event and established herself as a pioneer in the sport. She’s also an art teacher and environmentalist.
1. Patti McGee – United States
Before the skateboarding world had Peggy Oki, it had Patti McGee. Born in Southern California, McGee was one of the few females to start skating during its first wave of prominence in the early-1960s. Her and her friends would attach a 2×4 piece of wood to the bottom of roller skates.
As a senior in high school, McGee used skateboarding as something to do when she couldn’t surf. She turned pro at the age of 19 and was eventually featured on the covers of LIFE magazine and The Quarterly Skateboarder. She was the first female inducted into the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
Who Are the Best Women Skateboarders Right Now?
The skateboarding community continues to grow and evolve as more people tune in to witness the intense amount of skill and talent that’s displayed. It’s one of the few sports that’s dominated by youth and just recently debuted as an Olympic event during the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
While many of the best women skateboarders of all-time are still competing, especially considering how new the sport is, there are still plenty of talented female skateboarders we didn’t get to mention above. They might not be on the list now, but they could be in the future!
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Some of the best women skateboarders in the world right now — not including the ones mentioned above — include Misugu Okamoto, Poppy Star Olsen, Kokona Hiraki, Kisa Nakamura, Bryce Wettstein, Dora Varella, Mami Tezuka, and Brighton Zeuner.
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