Danny León: biography of the Spanish skater
Danny Leon (1994) says he looked out of his window one day and saw a skatepark being built at the nearby sports centre. At first he thought it was a swimming pool, but when he noticed it was a skatepark, his interest was immediate. He began watching the local skaters, and soon borrowed a board to try it out himself.
“I started in front of my house because they built a skate park. I started practicing it as a hobby. Little by little it became professional and by the age of thirteen I was already earning a little money. When I heard that it would be an Olympic sport I thought it would be a typical internet hoax. Going from being chased in the street by the police with fines to being an Olympian was unimaginable. And suddenly it became real,” Danny told EFE.
Leon has competed in numerous international competitions, accumulating an impressive podium record at events such as the World Skateboarding Tour. He also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he placed ninth. Despite having recently suffered an ACL injury, his performance was remarkable.
“It was tough because I arrived at those Games with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. I was limited and I was left with a bitter taste in my mouth because I finished ninth. I was very close to making it to the final. I was going for the medal and I fell just short,” he told EFE.
For Danny, skateboarding is more than a sport; it is a way of life. He grew up admiring local skaters and international figures like Danny Way. “There is a kid from Móstoles, Martín Gutiérrez, whose style I loved. I looked up to him. On an international level, I like Danny Way. He did crazy things. One day he could jump over the Great Wall of China and the next day he could jump over the guitar at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas,” he explained.
Danny León has transformed his passion for skateboarding into a great international career, adding great results such as victory at the WST in Dubai 2024. Now, in his second Olympic Games, he will not only compete for the medal, but to inspire the next generation of Spanish skaters.