Right now, the amateur contest circuit is a lot more exciting and unpredictable than the pro division. Whilst you always enter into a pro contest with some expectations of what you’re about to see, the amateur division is just wild. Who will win? Who will drop something brand new? Who is that person, I’ve never seen them before. How are they this good?!
The unpredictability of the division is evidenced by the results, with no less than 12 amateurs winning a contest for the first time in 2024. The competition has also been fierce, with the WFSA world rankings stating that a total of 149 skaters competed in the amateur division throughout the year, including a number of notable debutants and skaters from all across the globe.
With more contests taking place than ever before, there really never has been a better time to get into freestyle as an amateur; however, the numbers don’t lie – standing out has never been harder! With this in mind, we’re taking a look back across 2024 to highlight some of the year’s top-performing amateurs and the skaters that the pros need to be looking out for.
So, without further ado, here are LateTricks’s picks of the top amateurs of 2024.
Carmen Ionita
As the reigning world champion, Carmen came into 2024 as the one to watch and, sure enough, she did not disappoint. In her first five contests of the year, Carmen podiumed on every single occasion, including three first-place finishes. Her finest performance was unquestionably the World Championships, where her contest-winning run was preceded by the timely awarding of her own pro model with Moonshine Skateboards.
Towards the end of the year, Carmen officially moved into the pro division at the JFSA Stage 2 contest in Japan, placing a respectable 10th place, ahead of veteran freestylers Guenter Mokulys and Stefanie Åkesson. As she continues to build out her trick arsenal, whilst retaining the smooth style that she is known for, Carmen will undoubtedly continue to climb the rankings in 2025.
Bryce Noe
Bryce has unquestionably been one of the strongest freestylers in the amateur division for several years, with his musically-driven routines, composed of a carefully curated selection of technical tricks and unique oddities, ensuring that he placed consistently well in contests around the globe. In fact, for many years now, Bryce has been amongst the most well-travelled freestylers, attending events across North America and Europe, showing that, no matter the terrain, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
This became evident early in 2024, with a win at the Tucson Thunderdome in January, followed with a solid victory at the World Round Up in May. By June, Bryce had been picked up by Putain Skateboards and entered his first pro contest, the Slatina Skate Open, at which he earned second place.
Orson Merry
After bursting into the scene in 2023, Orson continued to dominate the amateur contest circuit in 2024. Kicking of the year with his debut video part with Waltz Skateboards, Orson put in a commendable performance in every contest he entered throughout the year, including a second-place finish at the World Round Up and first-place finishes at both the US Open and the Wet Coast Open.
Whilst sticking exclusively to North American contests affected his overall positioning in the WFSA global rankings, there’s no denying that Orson is one of the best competitive freestylers right now, putting together pro-level routines and continually strengthening his trick repertoire. Surely there can be no question that Orson will be amongst the pro ranks before the end of 2025.
Paolo Virgilio Demurtas
I don’t think it’s unfair to say that, as we came into 2024, no-one had pinned Paolo as a contest destroyer. Paolo, or Pillus as he’s better known, has an eclectic mixture of tricks, ranging from the finickity and complex to the confusing and flat-out ridiculous, with his runs focusing more on the tricks he enjoys doing rather than what the judges are looking for.
After putting together some memorable routines in 2023, Pillus managed to get the balance of personality and difficulty just right, starting 2024 off with his first amateur division victory at the DFSO contest in the Netherlands. He then followed this up with his second win, which just so happened to be at the World Championships in Brandenburg. Soon afterwards, after being picked up by Never Enough Skateboards, Pillus moved into the masters division and, sure enough, he won his masters debut at Paderborn as well, making him one of only a small number of skaters with a 100% win rate across multiple contests in 2024.
Rhiana Grigore
Rhiana has remained a dominant force in the amateur division for many years, winning multiple contests around the globe. In 2024, Waltz Skateboards’s Rhiana remained a force to be reckoned with, taking the win at both the DFSO contest and in Paderborn, with her relaxed style and technical combos combining to create some smooth, memorable routines.
Rhiana’s rivalry with Carmen has been a key driver behind the development of the women’s division, as well as the wider scene, as she continues to raise the standards of technicality in freestyle routines. Rhiana officially moved into the pro division at the tail end of 2024 and will undoubtedly continue to push for the top spots in 2025.
Honourable Mentions
Andrei Novelli
Andrei came into 2024 with the goal of turning pro and his contest performance throughout the year will have certainly helped him towards that goal! Andrei got progressively better throughout the year, taking third place at the DFSO, second place at the Slatina Skate Open and first place in Paderborn. As he continues to add increasingly technical tricks to his routine, Andrei is primed to move into the pro division soon!
Stephane Lagorce
Sometimes a skater just omits a ‘pro’ vibe, with Stephane undoubtedly being one of these skaters. Despite having the style and tricks to take the top spots, Stephane was yet to put together a run that showcased his real talent. This all changed with his first victory at the ABF Freestyle contest in France, after which he proceeded to represent his own company, Putain Skateboards, in the pro division, taking a respectable seventh place in Paderborn.
Justin Dane
Wheelie Guy! Justin’s unparalleled mastery of the wheelie ensured that his competitive debut was a memorable one, taking second place in the challenging head-to-head Tucson Thunderdome. This was then followed up with a third-place finish in the pro/am US Open, beating several pro freestylers.
Jillis Groen
After a hiatus spanning over a decade, Jillis returned to competitive freestyle in 2024, with his classic tricks and traditional lines standing out against the current meta. This translated to consistently strong placings in contests across Europe, including second-place finishes in both Paderborn and at the German Open. This translated to a strong overall ranking for the year, earning second place in the overall WFSA amateur rankings.
Tobias Heise
Tobias has been steadily getting better and better over the last few years, with his technical tricks now being woven into carefully planned routines. As such, his placings have steadily risen, starting with his first podium (2nd place) at the ABF contest and ending with his first win at the German Freestyle Open.
So those are our picks for the year. As you can see, the future is looking bright, with many of the skaters listed above having already moved into the pro division. Were there any amateurs who really stood out for you this year? Head over to the LateTricks Facebook page and join the discussion!
