Before emerging as a rising star on the PPA Tour, 15-year-old Tama Shimabukuro first made a name for himself as a skateboarder with professional aspirations.

The Hawaii native started skating at age 6 after seeing his older brother, Tahje, give it a try, and eventually Tama’s natural talent was not only turning heads at competitions nationwide, but also drawing the attention of notable sponsors like Nike, RVCA, ROKA, and Zero Skateboards.

Shimabukuro was a prodigy in every sense, with boundless career possibilities ahead as a successful contest skater unafraid to push his limits and showcase his creativity.

“I fell in love with skateboarding. I just kept getting better and better,” he said. "I enjoyed going to skateparks and really finding a flow there, like doing lines around the park and just kind of doing trick after trick and grooving."

Shimabukuro’s skateboarding idols included Nyjah Huston, Yuto Horigome, and Jamie Thomas, and he clearly picked up a few pointers from them that paid off.

Yet he also cultivated his own distinctive style.

"It was kind of aggressive, but also kind of chill," he described. "I liked doing crafty stuff in skateboarding and interesting tricks."

Shimabukuro’s mom, Tatum, recalls hearing over and over that Tama was a gifted skater destined for greatness.

From the very beginning, people recognized something special in him.

"People would always say, 'Oh, your kid is different. He just moves differently. Just how he skateboards, there's just something about this kid.' I never really understood what that meant until he started progressing," she explained. "We were just going with the flow as a chill kind of family, but when he succeeded so quickly, I was like, 'Okay, maybe he is different.' He was a phenom at such a young age. I thought he could very well be the next Nyjah with skateboarding."

That’s particularly impressive given that Huston is widely regarded as one of the greatest skateboarders in history, with a resume stacked with medals from some of the world’s most prestigious events.

Tama was just that good.

"His sports IQ is above his age. He was doing skateboarding tricks that grown men or guys who were skating for many years couldn't even do," noted Tatum. "Some of the stuff he accomplished so quickly and so young, like being invited to The Berrics (a former private indoor skatepark in Los Angeles owned by the pro skateboarders Steve Berra and Eric Koston), is such a big deal. The skate community in Hawaii was like, 'Wow! Something's different about this kid.'"

Tatum also revealed that her son once harbored Olympic dreams during his skateboarding journey with an eye on the 2032 Summer Games in Brisbane, Australia.

Ironically, that’s when pickleball could potentially make its Olympic debut.

"It's kind of funny because that was the year we predicted he would be in the Olympics for skateboarding. That's just how far he wanted to take it. That's the year we were shooting for," she mentioned. "Skateboarding actually became an Olympic sport in 2020 while he was still doing it, so he was excited about being able to represent Hawaii and the U.S. But here we are, we're in pickleball now."

That begs the question: why make the transition after six years and so many promising opportunities still on the horizon?

As it turned out, during a skateboarding trip to Southern California, Tama and his family were introduced to America’s fastest-growing sport for the first time—and they were immediately intrigued and eager to learn more.

"We saw people playing it while we were driving, and it looked like everyone was having so much fun," recalled Tama. "My mom wanted to try it, and then our whole family started playing. We went to Target, got some cheap paddles and a net, and just set it up on the road."

That discovery led to recreational play at Mother Waldron Park once he returned to Hawaii, followed by rapid growth, skill development, and victories over time—and the rest is history.

Before long, skateboarding was officially in the rearview mirror.

"When this pickleball thing came about, I didn't even really think it was something serious until maybe like a year ago. I was like, 'Are you sure you're gonna give up skateboarding?' He was like, 'Yeah, I don't want to get hurt. I want to do this.' So then we started pickleball," explained Tatum. "I'm still just like, 'Is this real?' I was actually just telling him, 'Isn't it so interesting how we were just watching the PPA Tour on TV and now you're practicing with these guys and playing against them? It's still so surreal."

Of course, Tama will always have a soft spot for skateboarding.

It gave him lifelong memories.

"Skateboarding is cool," he concluded. "I have so much respect for the guys that are doing it. It's really hard work."