Trans skateboarder, 29, defends besting 'little girls' in competition: ‘The age thing doesn’t really count’
Ricci Tres, 29, competed against four girls under 17 in NYC skateboarding tournament
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Ricci Tres, a 29-year-old biological male who identifies as female, defended competing against children after coming under fire for besting teen girls in a recent skateboarding competition in New York City.
Tres was the oldest participant in the women's division of The Boardr Open, taking the tournament’s top title along with a $500 prize. Shiloh Catori, a 13-year-old girl competitor, finished runner-up.
"I’m not going to go and be easy on them because they’re kids," Tres told the Daily Mail on Tuesday in defending the win.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Four of the six competitors in the tournament were under the age of 17. The youngest competitor, Juri Iikura — who is only 10 years old — came in fifth place.
"It’s funny it’s what I am getting beat up over the most, people saying ‘You’re beating little kids, little girls,’" Tres said. "I didn’t intend to do that. This is the first one I’ve been to that I actually wanted to win ... the age thing doesn’t really count."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Tres also said that skateboarding is more about determination and skill rather than physicality when claiming she had no physical advantage over the other skaters.
"Look at me. I'm not buff or anything," Tres said. "… And I don't think skateboarding has anything to do with physicality, especially when you look at kids these days."
Tres is ranked 838 in the Boardr Global Ranks, which are bases rankings on performance in skateboarding competitions. (iStock)
Tres is a father of three and a combat veteran who was previously rejected from the Olympics for having too much testosterone. Tres does not intend to medically transition outside of undergoing hormone therapy.
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The skateboarding competition comes amid a national debate over whether biological men have a competitive advantage over biological women.
On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Biden administration has indicated that it wants transgender athletes to enjoy the same protections that Title IX originally afforded women when it passed half a century ago.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News’ Timothy H.J. Nerozzi and Jon Brown contributed to this report.