As Ryan Sagayaga embarks on improving himself as a football freestyler, he also has a mission to help grow the sport throughout Hawai’i. You see, Sagayaga is currently the islands’ only practicing freestyler, and at the age of 18, his path is just getting started.
Since getting introduced and subsequently hooked to the sport after watching a video of Jereminho and Pixy on YouTube, Sagayaga also has a strong sense of the personal style he’d like to develop. “Since nowadays I see a lot of attention going to big lower tricks/variations in combos, I try to focus mainly on simplicity and style. Incorporating all around style to my freestyle training to help me transition well from trick to trick to create a well put together flow,” he told Urban Pitch.
“My influences would have to be Alex Mendoza from L.A. and Pixy from Japan. Both were the first freestylers I have seen through video back when I started. But in all I hope to push my level very soon this summer and hopefully compete in any USA tournaments coming up once I’m out of high school.”
Sagayaga is from Hawai’i’s capital city Honolulu, and has yet to compete in any major competitions, although he does perform and trains 4 to 5 hours a day, 6 days a week—all while finishing his senior year in high school. “Being the only freestyler in Hawai’i at the moment has inspired me to see the world, meet other freestylers, and to grow the sport here in the islands. Aloha!”
Follow Sagayaga on Instagram here, and listen to all our Freestyler’s Playlists here.
