Women’s Park Qualifier, Two-Time Defending Champion Mizuho Hasegawa Earns Top Transfer Spot | RSEO PDX 2026
Mizuho Hasegawa. Photo: Ballard
Breaking in the bowl at the 2026 Rockstar Energy Open (RSEO) in Portland was the Women’s Qualifier contest, where we saw only a preview of what’s to come in the Final, especially so from the top qualifier Mizuho Hasegawa.
The contest was complete with 15 women (four of which earned their invitation by way of the Video Qualifier Series) divided into two heats, and each skater was given three :45-second runs with only their best score counting. In the end, just the top 10 advanced to the Final.
Bryce Wettstein.
After a full pull on her third and final run of the first heat, Bryce Wettstein busted out the bubbles for the crowd after besting her previous (and already leading) score to top the leaderboard at the halfway point. Like her positively cheery personality, Bryce’s skating and bubbles spread smiles across the crowd.
Photo: Muller
Lilly Erickson also gave everyone a reason to smile, including the judges as she earned a 75.66 with her first run during the second heat. Lilly’s signature stalefish opened her run with perfect execution at full height to send her into a backside bluntslide and then a incredibly smooth line that would be capped off with half cab blunt stall to fakie—everyone loved it, from start to finish.
By the end of the second heat, though, Mizuho came out correct with two scores of her own that would ultimately top the charts once the coping resettled. Mizuho made a full run on her first go that was good enough to best Bryce, but it was sans 540, which everyone from the crowd to the judges seemed to be waiting for. On her second run she wasted no time and came out with a 540 to begin her run and to become the first and only woman of the day to earn a score into the 80s.
Lilly Stoephasius. Photo: Durso
Hasegawa isn’t super confident with conducting interviews in English, but was willing to give it a try and put it well: “Portland is so good! The crowd energy is so good! So many of my favorite skaters are here,” she said after taking the top spot in the Qualifier.
Mizuho is the two-time defending champion in the bowl at the RSEO Park contest, from 2024 and 2025, rendering her undefeated. Despite the fall on her third run in the qualifier, she gave us a peak at a few upgrades we will have to wait for the Final to see her put down…namely the nosegrab 540 to start and her floaty backside no-grab air.
Joey Yarbrough (left) and Heili Sirvio (right). Photo: Muller
“I've already won this contest twice, so I love it here,” Hasegawa said, gesturing to the fans in the stands after the contest. “To win again, I have a run planned with a 540, a frontside kickflip, and a backside kickflip Indy. If I can do all that, I will be so happy.”
One of the best surprises of the contest? Seeing the youngest competitor— Mazel Paris, age 12—make good on her VQS entry to move on to Sunday's Park Final with a 5th place qualifying slot and joined by her good friend Joey Yarbrough, the second youngest in the contest at age 13.
Joey Yarbrough. Photo: Durso
“I'm so shocked right now,” Paris said after the contest. “I fell on my first two runs because I was so nervous, so to get in on my third run, I'm so happy, super excited. This competition is the best. Like, it's so hype, but so fun. The crowd in Portland goes wild, and everyone's skating at their best.”
The VQS series is aimed at surfacing new skate talent and pathway into the top tier of competition. Paris says she now considers herself as proof that the pipeline concept works as intended.
Minna Stess. Photo: Durso
“I was really excited to see the opportunity to get in through the Video Qualifier Series, and it's such a cool opportunity,” she said. “Lots of my other friends did videos for it too, and I'm super happy that I got in. Even if I hadn’t advanced today I would have been so hyped just to be here. Now I’m headed into the Final with a bunch of my faves!”
The 12-year-old has real podium potential now that she's made the cut for the Final: She won the Exposure Bowl Open Pro in November 2025 and, in June 2026, won both Bowl and Vert at the Mystic Sk8 Cup, a World Cup Skateboarding event in Prague, Czech Republic.
Watch the top 10 skate in the 2026 RSEO Women’s Park Final tomorrow (Saturday) at 12pm (noon) PT, LIVE on theplatfrm.com.
Fingers crossed we made it finals, baby! Photo: Dillon
Rockstar Energy Open Women’s Park Qualifier Results
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Mizuho Hasegawa, 83.33
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Bryce Wettstein, 77.33
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Lilly Erickson, 75.66
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Heili Servio, 73.66
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Mazel Paris, 72.66
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Joey Yarbrough, 72.00
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Asahi Kaihara, 71.00
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Yurin Fuji, 68.33
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Lilly Stoephasius, 67.00
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Minna Stess, 65.66
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Ruby Lilley, 63.66
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Grace Marhoefer, 59.66
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Katelyn West, 55.66
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Kiara Kermoade, 52.66
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Jordan Santana, 49.00