IShowSpeed and His Mayhem Around SF

“There he goes!” “He’s here! He’s here!!” “IT’S SPEED!” we shouted.

It all started with a Curry jersey, camo shorts, and a camera. By noon, IShowSpeed had the city in a choke hold. At Dolores Park, Mission High teens stormed out of classes, security blocked doors, cameras flashed, and students went crazy as they chased Speed down for blocks. Young people and pedestrians alike just wanted to catch a glimpse of the twenty-year-old icon. Teens chased him for blocks, getting shoved by security guards as they tried to keep pace. The crowd was blitzed as if it was a new Jordan sneaker drop, like the reimagined Jordan 1s. 

Sebastian Millan Licona, a senior, noticed Speed while outside school and made his way toward him. “I skipped class to see you,” Sebastian told Speed.

Speed responded, “We going back right now,” and proceeded to walk students back to the school. Little did Speed know he’d be greeted by so many students.

Word quickly spread around the school of Speed’s appearance.. Students rushed out of class just to get a glimpse of the icon. I even left class myself. 

Born in 2005 in Cincinnati, Ohio, Darren Jason Watkins Jr., also known as IShowSpeed or Speed, would begin his streaming career in his early teens with gaming content and with raw unfiltered personality, like his raging and barking while gaming. In 2022, he started to shift his focus towards soccer and became a very big supporter of Cristiano Ronaldo, which spiked his career. Speed would even start IRL streaming in various worldwide locations, including soccer stadiums. He took on the role of cultural ambassador.

Speed later developed his rapping talents. He released one of his biggest songs, “Shake” in 2021, and also dropped his most popular song, “World Cup,” now often played during the World Cup. 

Speed’s fame didn’t just arise from streaming and gaming, it came from being himself and not changing for fame. He is looked at as a big inspiration for the streamer community and for people all around the world. As of 2025 he has accumulated over forty-five million subscribers on Youtube.

Recently Speed went on a thirty-five-day tour traveling across the U.S. and live streaming 24/7. He visited various cities, drawing massive crowds everywhere. On day 29, September 25, Speed made his way to the Bay Area. In San Francisco, Speed visited Twin Peaks, then made his way down to City Hall where even Mayor Daniel Lurie greeted him among fans.

This would not be the end of Speed’s tour. During the after school hours, Speed went to Pier 39 and was swarmed by thousands of teens and various media outlets. 

In Chinatown, Speed went to Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. One supporter showed Speed how to be a ninja and another taught Speed how to break dance.

I went to Chinatown to see Speed and, with a couple of friends, stream sniped him for the rest of the day. I made two new friends who let me get in their car and follow Speed around!

Speed continued to the Golden Gate Bridge where he walked the bridge and did a backflip off of one of the railings. Thousands of fans waited for him when he got off the bridge.

He returned to Pier 39 to try In and Out Burger, where he was trapped by fans all around. Fans cheered, “Speed! Speed! Speed!”

Thank you Speed for coming to the Bay.