Words: Adriana Calahorra
Images: Raisa Abal

Cote’s real name is Maria José Rojas. The reason behind her well-known nickname comes from how you’d pronounce Maria José in a cute, sort of baby-like voice, which I think matches perfectly with her incredibly sweet personality. But don’t be fooled: behind her cute, friendly ways, you will find one of the most disciplined and inspiring skateboarders you’ll ever meet. A true athlete.  

We love following Cote’s life throughout her social media accounts. When she’s not skateboarding her local skateparks and spots, she’s either training hard on the gym to improve her skills or traveling around the world representing Chile as the best female skater of her country. I had the pleasure of skating around Barcelona with her and seeing her determination on skating the sickest spots, no matter rain or shine -literally-, until she got the cleanest shot of the trick she wanted to land.

Her energy is contagious, and her morals and loyalty are also worth of mention in a world where there’s so much work to do to improve female skateboarding in a community where more often than not women need to be dealing firmly with gender-related issues. 

Thank you, Cote, for being so inspiring both on and off your skateboard. It’s an honor to call you my friend.