By Jake Howard
Just how does a 5-year-old get into ’80s hair metal? That’s a question perhaps only Willow Wilder Holman can answer.
Not only is Willow, a hard-charging kindergartener, into some of the raddest ’80s bands, but she’s also obsessed with the boardsports life.
Recently winning the SC Open Skate Contest’s highly competitive, and amazingly inspiring, 5 and Under division, Willow is reportedly “obsessed” with skateboarding and skates everywhere she goes.

Working with instructor Shane Sheckler at Foot Plant Skate in San Clemente, Willow’s been blasting ollies, hitting hips, and just dialed in her rock ‘n’ roll to fakie on a 5-foot ramp. Her goal is to “be a Sandlot Times Skateboarder when she is 6.”
“She loves ’80s hair bands, Quiet Riot, Billy Squier and Val Halen. Her biggest inspiration and hero is her big ‘brother’ Zack. She also loves classic mopars, going fast and doing huge burnouts with her dad, Jason,” reports Willow’s family. “In her spare time, she enjoys shopping at Rocket Fizz, watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and she wants to be Transformer Optimus Prime for Halloween.”
In fact, Willow is so into the music that she’s having a Quiet Riot-themed birthday party—which absolutely rocks!
Keep on skating and banging your head, Willow. In the words of the late, great Eddie Van Halen, “You only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them.”
If you have a candidate for Grom of the Week, we want to know. Send an email to jakehoward1@gmail.com.
Discussion about this post