Stefanie Åkesson (she/her) is from Falun, Sweden and has a long legacy of competitive skateboarding and an inspiring story. Her full list of contest wins can be found on her website such as being the Swedish freestyle champion over fifteen times!
Stefanie explained via Facebook that “I got my first skateboard August 28, 1978. But I tried skateboarding the first time in 1977.” She rolled around on her friend Paul Hastings’ aluminum board but sprained her ankle, which meant that it took another year before her parents could be convinced to buy her one, especially since they had some concerns considering how the media would suggest that skateboarding was dangerous.
Stefanie persisted and noted that, “A few months after I got my skateboard I was featured in a local newspaper riding a ramp. The headline says, ‘Skateboarding premiere,’ which is a very fitting headline.” Stefanie considered vert but after breaking her Alan Gelfand skateboard doing a “death jump” on her local ramp in Slätta in Falun (see photo below), she decided to stick with freestyle.
Here’s a selection of photos from the 1980s with Stefanie competing, practising, and performing demos:
Stefanie was then recruited for a team called Hallmans Sports and began attending the annual Eurocana Summer Camp starting in 1981. This Swedish skate camp attracted skaters from around the world including Swiss skater Corina “GoGo” Spreiter, Steve Caballero and Mike McGill in 1982. In 1985, Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain and Rodney Mullen made the trek. Stefanie even helped build the iconic ramp at the camp.
Stefanie traveled to the U.S. with Per Holknekt and Shane Rouse in 1982 for five weeks, and had a chance to skate the Upland Combi Pool in California and the Hermosa Pier almost daily. Stefanie had a blast watching American movies and shows like the Twilight Zone, and going to the arcades. After a fire at Per’s house, Stefanie landed at Dogtown skater, Paul Hoffman’s place for a weekend (Paul claimed the cover of Skateboarder, April 1978).
Stefanie also met Fred Blood, the legendary rollerskater who inspired Mike McGill to invent the McTwist, and hung out with Steve Rocco, visiting his home and going skimboarding. And Stefanie even had a photo session with Stacy Peralta at Venice Beach with Per Holknekt and got to visit Stacy’s home where they all watched the first Bones Brigade movie.
Here is a feature on Stefanie, written by Per Holknekt for the December 1984 issue of TransWorld, which described her training routine, and an ad from her sponsor, Tracker trucks, included in their book Tracker: forty years of skateboard history (2015). Stefanie was a pro skater for Tracker starting in 1983.
Stefanie shared that it wasn’t always easy because, “When I came back to Sweden I was in hell… I felt so alone.” This was around the time freestyle had begun to dive in popularity compared to streetstyle and vert, and the winters were especially bleak in Sweden.
Here’s a letter that Stefanie wrote to TransWorld magazine printed in the June 1985 issue, explaining the realities of what it was like as a skater in winter, in Sweden:
Stefanie can be seen skating on a Swedish TV show called Fantastiskt in 1986, here on Facebook.
Stefanie would dream of California, eventually getting back there in 1987, although that trip was apparently another ordeal. At least in 1986, Stefanie enjoyed a whole summer in London, staying with Shane Rouse and skating Southbank (see photo below).
“I actually did not bring a freestyle board as I was burned out on freestyle and played around with some basic streetskating. But Shane quickly set up a freestyle board for me and I was hooked again! Now, Shane regret[s] doing that as I won the European Championships in 1987, and he was in 2nd.”
The event was hosted in Täby, Sweden, and Stefanie skated to the song “Wasteland” by the Mission. The arrow was added by Stefanie to show her location.
After the success of this big win, Stefanie was part of the Swatch watch “Rad Tour” in 1989. And it’s a credit to Stefanie for sticking with what she loved despite the ups and downs of skateboarding trends which at times, like the 1990s made it impossible to purchase a freestyle board.
Video of Stefanie at a Freestyle contest at the Velodrome in Carson, CA 1987:
Stefanie is featured in a Swedish magazine called OKEJ in 1989:
Stefanie still skates today and is riding for Moonshine skateboards with a signature board, Seismic, and Etnies. She continues to compete in the pro division or Masters category in freestyle events like the Freestyle World Round-Up in Vancouver, Canada and World Freestyle Championships in Brandenburg, Germany.
In 2016, at the Freestyle World Round-up, Stefanie chose to repeat her performance from the Prague European championships in 1988 when she chose a song by the Bananaramas, which was a cover version of “Help” by the Beatles.
Here is some footage from 2017:
In 2023, Stefanie began her medical transition to feel more like her true self and said, “It took me more than 50 years to finally do something about my gender dysphoria. I guess I am one of just a few Transgender women competing as professional skateboarders… Thank you all that is supporting me on this journey. You have no idea how much it means to me.”
On June 22, 2025, Stefanie celebrated receiving her new personal I.D. from the Swedish Legal Council that she belongs to the female gender. Stefanie is an awesome ambassador for what it means to be a skateboarder, which involves skating for the love of it, and being true to oneself. And a big shout out to the freestyle community! Stefanie shared that “I was so afraid to come out, but when I did the freestyle skateboard community totally accepted me! It was amazing! I got included in ways I never could have imagined.”
Check out Stefanie’s website here and follow along with her journey!
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