Meet Dashawn Jordan, Skateboarding Pro and Musician

Dashawn Jordan didn’t come from a lap of luxury. Raised by a single mom who sometimes struggled to make ends meet, Dashawn never let his humble roots hold him back from chasing his dreams. The dreams? Becoming a world-renowned skateboarder and musician — a double threat. Spoiler alert: that’s exactly what he’s done. With a variety of accolades and the title “Olympic athlete” under his belt at just age 27, Dashawn has been unstoppable in his skateboarding career. When it comes to music, Dashawn has had no trouble transferring his passion from the board to the recording booth. Despite being relatively new to the music game, he’s released some pumped-up tunes that are sure to stick in your head.The latest guest on The Team Ignition Show, Dashawn sits down with Leticia to discuss the skills and thrills of his skateboarding career and what shaped him into the man he is today.

Background: Skate Dreams and Family Scenes

Born in 1997 in Chandler, Arizona, Dashawn was raised by his mother alone, never knowing his father. “I grew up without my pops my whole life,” he said in a 2020 interview with Jenkem Magazine. “My mom’s been a single parent her whole life, she’s played both roles.” Dashawn acknowledges that playing both roles got more challenging as he became more involved in skateboarding. Having started boarding in middle school, it became clear early on that the interest was here to stay — which meant the costs associated with the sport were, too. “It was hard though, watching my mom struggle with bills, dealing with the struggles of being less fortunate, not being able to afford skate shoes, boards, everything, until I got my first sponsors,” he shared. “I just tried to take hand-me-downs from everyone. I was skating shoes that weren’t my size, I was going to demos trying to catch stuff in the product toss.” Despite the hardships, Dashawn never wavered in his love for the sport. Although he felt like he had found his calling, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing throughout his upbringing: a relationship with his dad. “I never had any animosity, anger, nothing. I just really wanted to meet him,” said Dashawn. It was only in 2020 that he finally got his wish, reconnecting with his father as an adult. After receiving a message from a woman claiming to have a daughter by Dashawn’s father, he soon met his new siblings as well as his dad. “My dad walked up, and in my head, I’m tripping! I never had any hate, whatever happened back in the day [between him and my mom], that was what they went through. This is the future. The future is present. I wanted to start fresh. It was cool just to finally meet him,” he recalled.

CAREEER: FROM HAND-ME-DOWNS TO HIGH FLYING

At just 16 years old, Dashawn began competing in skateboarding competitions. From the start, he made a splash; in his very first competition (the Tampa Am 2013), he placed seventh out of 38 competitors — nothing to scoff at for a rookie. Two years later, Dashawn claimed his first-ever cash prize, a cool $2,500 for claiming third place in The Boardr Am Finals in Montreal. Although he continued showing off his skills at various competitions over the years, it wasn’t until 2017 that Dashawn made the biggest splash in his career to date. Held in Chicago, the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Finals crowned Dashawn the first-place winner after he pulled off a jaw-dropping laser flip. In addition to the gold medal, Dashawn walked away with an incredible cash prize of $80,000.

In 2019, Dashawn went on to claim another epic accolade: second place in the Shanghai X Games in the Men’s Street Finals. The achievement earned him a silver medal (his first in the X Games) and an $18,000 cash prize. But the best part? Two years later, he would compete again in this exact same category at the 2021 X Games. But this time, he would take home the gold medal and the $20,000 prize that came along with it. Of course, these are just a few of Dashawn’s amazing achievements and awards.

Newest Projects: Skate, Sing, Repeat

Although Dashawn won’t be competing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, he’s been staying booked and busy — in both sports and music. From a skating standpoint, Dashawn most recently participated in the X Games in Ventura, California, his competitive spirit stronger than ever. But Dashawn’s music career is flourishing just as much. Despite only releasing his first single “White Claw” in 2020, he’s caught the attention of some major players in the industry already — including The Kid Laroi. In July 2024, The Kid Laroi invited Dashawn to open for him at his Arizona show — an offer he gladly accepted. Performing for a live crowd of thousands in his home state was undoubtedly a career high for Dashawn, one that he quickly took to Instagram to share.

Fun Facts: What You Don’t Know About Dashawn Jordan

• Dashawn’s favorite White Claw flavors are mango and black cherry
• When he first went pro, Dashawn celebrated by throwing a party at a roller rink
• Dashawn co-owns a skate shop in Phoenix, Arizona
• Dashawn has over 17,000 followers on Spotify
• Dashawn has several sponsors, including Nike SB, April, Faces Skateshop, Glassy Sun
• Haters, Hardies Hardware, Kill The Hype, Bones Swiss, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire, Essentia, and Cup Noodle
• Dashawn is one of the only pro skaters with an agent
  

Follow Dashawn on social media: