Oceania Scooter Competition: Napier abuzz after word-class riders show off skills

Barney Sullivan, 14, from New South Wales, in action at the Oceania champs. Photo / Connull Lang

The highest-calibre scooter competition to descend on Napier drew large crowds over the weekend, which an organiser hopes will translate to more young riders taking up the sport.

Some schools even let classrooms out during school hours on Friday to soak up the World Skate Oceania Scooter Competition.

The competition at Bay Skate on Friday and Saturday featured the crème de la crème of scooter riders from across New Zealand and Australia.

Hawke's Bay scooter queen and now Oceania champion Alexandra Madsen. Photo / Connull Lang

About 100 participants took part including Napier’s Alexandra Madsen who won the women’s park title.

The Oceania competition is new and has filled a hole in the scooter scene around Australasia, as there was previously nothing between the national and world championships.

“The national champs is kind of the end of the line [for many riders] and even though the national champs is a big event it puts that next stepping stone in place,” Bay Skate manager Kyle Hamilton said, for those wanting to go further in the sport.

Some young spectators soaking up the competition over the weekend. Photo / Connull Lang

Hamilton said a lot of the riders knew of one another, from either New Zealand or Australia, but it was the first time many of them had got to meet which created a great vibe.

“Everything just went so smoothly,” he said.

“The weather played ball, all the competitors had the best time, the families had the best time, the spectators enjoyed it all, we had [three] schools in on the Friday and the kids loved it and were getting autographs from the riders.”

Australian scooter rider Taj Shambrook, a junior world champion, in action over the weekend. Photo / Connull Lang

He said the crowds were on par with the national championships held in January, and it was fantastic support.

The competition included two disciplines - park and street.

There was $8500 up for grabs in prize money, with the winners in the men’s and women’s divisions pocketing $1000 each.

Organisers were rapt with the weather. Photo / Connull Lang

Results:

Women’s: Park winner Alexandra Madsen (Napier, NZ); Street winner Bianca Dilworth (Australia)

Men’s: Park winner Corey Sponseller (Australia); Street winner Joel Ingold (Australia)

Junior (aged 10-17): Park winner Taj Shambrook (Australia); Street winner Riley James (NZ)