Red Bull stood behind the gold medal won by skateboarder Kang Jun-i, 18.
Kang won the men's street final at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sept. 27 at Hall B of the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan, landing his signature nollie 270 heelflip boardslide cleanly for a total score of 180.85 points. It is the first Asian Games gold medal for South Korean skateboarding and the country's first gold in the sport at any international multi-sport event.
Kang has grown quickly since joining Red Bull's roster of athletes last year, competing alongside some of the world's top skaters and gaining experience on the global stage. His win also raised expectations for a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, to be held in the United States, the birthplace of skateboarding.
Kang has already set several firsts for a South Korean skater on the world stage. In November 2024 he became the first South Korean to win Tampa Am, one of the sport's premier amateur contests, and this year he took the title at Street League Skateboarding in Los Angeles in his debut appearance as a wild-card entry.
Red Bull's global athlete support system has accompanied Kang's push onto the world stage. The company has partnerships with Kang and other top skateboarders, backing them in various ways as they test their limits and pursue peak performance. Through its Athlete Performance Center (APC), it provides training, rehabilitation and performance management, while global skateboarding events and content projects such as Red Bull Spot Check and Red Bull Building Drop give athletes a platform to showcase their skills and creativity.
In South Korea, long regarded as barren ground for skateboarding, Red Bull has steadily worked to broaden the culture around the sport. From the Red Bull Local Heroes Tour in 2012 and the Korean qualifier for Red Bull Skate Arcade in 2013 to more recent projects such as Red Bull Road Gap and Red Bull WallRide, the company has connected local skaters with the global skateboarding scene.
