Isa Neko came onto the streetboard scene and quickly carved out their own space with their vibrant personality and an incredible bag of tricks.
When Isa "Neko" stepped onto the podium at Innsbruck to claim 1st place in both Mini and Street categories, it wasn't just a celebration of athletic skill—it was the culmination of an incredible journey of resilience, self-discovery, and community support. After lives strong emotions together we were excited to get to know the person behind the rider a little better.
Our conversation really stayed with us, and we feel it’s important to give their a platform to share their voice through the Snake Like A Girl network.
Their answers offer a refreshing perspective on what it means to reach the podium in competition. The depth of their reflections goes far beyond words. Questions of identity, solidarity, and new ways of thinking about gender run throughout these lines.
We’d like to thank Neko for spending time with us and opening up so honestly and wholeheartedly. Above all, we want to thank them for the courage it takes to express what’s inside.
How did you feel about competing in the Women’s category instead of Open as a non-binary person?
To be honest, competing under the label "Women’s" was not an easy choice. As a non-binary person who came out late in life and who may be rather perceived as female by others, I knew I would put myself in a spot where I could be easily misread and misgendered. Also, I feared I would contribute to making queer identities invisible. I still wouldn’t say it was the only or the right choice to participate under these conditions. At some point I just decided to do it due to various reasons: Because I have somewhat grown confident in who I am and that the misperception of others won’t change that. Because I knew the great souls I would be riding with and I feel safe with them, and with many people out of the community I already know. And I didn’t want to miss out on the fun. Also, I have a transgender symbol on my helmet so there was at least some kind of visibility. But honestly, it was a decision based on gut instinct.
How do you feel about the streetboard community in general today, and what would you like to see improve in the future for the sport to grow?
I like the feeling of community. When I came to the Worlds 2024 for the first time, I wasn’t sure how to manage to participate with a child, but so many people I met for the first time in person helped and supported me, like Tina, Micha, Volker and many more. I felt really welcome and have found some really close friends through streetboarding and I think that’s unique.
This year, I was really impressed by all the new competitors in the juniors division, they brought so much energy and creativity to the park. I’m looking forward to witness their progress.
What I’m not feeling so well about is a vibe I feel some times that appears to me as competitively aggressive. For me, streetboarding is about trying my best while also knowing and respecting my own boundaries. I feel happiest in jam sessions, when everyone goes a bit crazy and tries new stuff and we cheer for the tries too. Luckily, I think that’s a feeling most people streetboarding share.
My thought for the future, apart from the inclusion of trans* women into the women’s category, is that skating and streetboarding are great resources – mental as well as physical – that should be accessible for everyone. Or at least as much as possible, and to think about where there are barriers because of privileges, money, time, etc. is the start of it. Right now I don’t have much capacities to do stuff, so this part is a bit talking big. At least once I find somebody who’s genuinely into streetboarding and wants to start, I’ll gift them my old board so they don’t have to buy one and that’s it.
How was your recovery after Regensburg 2025, dealing with a tough surgery and only getting back on the board in November?
It was tough to take such a long break, six month no streetboarding and lots of rehab. I struggled with that, because streetboarding is such a strong mental resource for me. So instead, I spent a lot of time in my head and imagined riding and practicing different tricks. Also, I tried to regard the rehab as a chance to strengthen my ankle joint to be better at jumping afterwards. When I was able to go streetboarding again, I tried not to overdo it and with time all tricks came back. My right foot used to feel a bit stiff and heavy in the beginning, but after some months it returned to normal. I’m very glad the recovery went well and everything healed well too. And jumping became indeed easier.
Neko’s story shows us that streetboarding isn't just about competitions or landing clean runs—it’s about finding freedom, supporting your community, taking care of your mental health, and building a village around you. Thank you, Neko, for your openness, your advocacy, and for inspiring all of us on and off the board.
At times when the sport feels like it’s in a slump, individuals with Neko’s transparency and humility are the most valuable treasure we can hold onto and cherish.
How do you feel today after becoming a world champion in both categories (Mini and Street) at Innsbruck? Did you expect it at all, or was it total madness?
Wow, it was a lot to process. For the most part I’m very happy and grateful. Because the concept of winning is abstract to me, I can’t identify feelings attached to that, but it was a surprise I didn’t expect. Also, I felt very happy and relieved to have done one clean run in street without injuring myself, since I used to struggle with ledges and rails.
The strongest memories and feelings that remain are the moments I shared with other streetboarders, like when Sofi encouraged me to ride the rail with her. I love this feeling of community, experimenting together and learning from each other.
And to wrap up: You're a single parent, balancing life, organizing yourself, training, and reaching this incredible level. How do you juggle all of that? If you want, we’d love to highlight the huge effort behind every single trick and your daily life.
I am able to do this thanks to my friends, especially Emilie and Nikita. Those two are friends with my child too, once a week they spend time with her and bring her to bed, so I have at least one free evening where I can go skating. Also, I have some other friends from university and families from kindergarten whom I can ask to pick up my child, when I have work or team work to do in the late afternoon. My child also likes to visit their friends or get visited, so on some weekends we organize sleepovers – and the other families get some childfree time back. I’m very grateful that even though I’m a single parent, my child has other adults whom she trusts and can rely on, who enjoy being with her and see her the way she is. Emilie, Nikita and I also share thoughts about her development, which is a huge relief to me.
Also, I have the privilege to study in part-time. So when there are no deadlines or group projects, at times I can go skating during day while my child is in kindergarten.
Now that my child is bigger, we also go skateboarding together on the weekends. Skateboarding is a good common activity for us since she’s really into it and unlike with a streetboard, I don’t have to strap in and out every time I help her. I feel like learning skateboarding has also improved my streetboarding skills.
This sounds all very active but I have to say, organizing things is a mental load too, and together with my other mental load, at times it makes me also physically exhausted. So there are days when I’m tired and if I have the option to do so, just try to relax and recover. At the same time, streetboarding is what helps me clear my mind and makes me feel free. So I know I have to maintain this in my daily life to keep on going.
In a way, the event was emotionally very complex for me, and there also remains a feeling of sadness. Since the Women’s Division doesn’t include trans women, who are women, I thought a lot of my dear friend Rebeka. This year I experienced the difference between riding in the same run and truly competing against each other in the same division. And I’d wish for her to have the opportunity to decide that by herself too – where to compete, be it Women or Open category.
When it comes to sports, there may be strong opinions about fairness. So I’d like to take this opportunity to recommend a meta study of 50 separate studies. It came to the conclusion that the physical fitness of transgender women and cisgender women is comparable (Br J Sports Med 2026; DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2025-110239). So in my opinion, the Women’s category should include trans women.