Whitehorse’s Richard Hager must have struggled leaving the Canada Day Skate Competition at Second Heaven Skateboard Park – he was weighed down with prizes.
The 17-year-old FH Collins student swept his divisions at Thursday’s competition, leaving with three new skateboards and additional prizes.
“I felt pretty good about it,” said Hager. “The free flip over the bank – I’ve landed it before, but never in a competition, so I’m pretty stoked about it.
“Three boards I won, so I’m pretty happy.”
His best showing in four years, Hager not only won the advanced division, he also won both best-trick competitions. Although three boards may sound like a lot, Hager can go many more than that in a season, he said.
“I’d say 10 – maybe more. I’m skating pretty hard nowadays,” said Hager.
Also taking home a new deck was Jessica Gormly, 26, who just moved back up to the Yukon recently from Tofino on Vancouver Island, winning the girls’ division.
“I haven’t really skated much in the Yukon – I’ve been living down south for the last five years and I started skating down there,” said Gormly. “I started surfing there and then I started skating – they kind of go hand-in-hand.”
Just her second time skating at Second Heaven, Gormly hopes future competitions will see more females entered – last year only one skater was in the division.
“I hope more girls will get into skating, but it’s intimidating,” said Gormly. “What I love about it is you have to be really present … in the moment.”
After finishing second in last year’s intermediate division, Dusty Knorr, 14, went one better this year with a first place result, relying on some old school tricks to wow the crowds.
“The boardslide on the handrail is always a crowd pleaser. I did a couple new tricks I just learned this year and a couple old tricks that people like,” said Knorr. “I’m just 14 and I just started learning how to do tricks two-and-a-half years ago.”
At just 10 years old, in just his second year skating and first time competing, Brady Ford impressed himself by taking the beginner division.
“It all came together with the tricks,” said Ford. “A frontside 180 and a lot of other tricks helped me win it.
“It was a really good run for me. I was hoping hard, practicing lots, trying to do a lot of tricks I can do – trying tricks I couldn’t do. I landed a heal flip and I never really landed one before in a competition.
“I’m pretty proud of myself.”
The Canada Day Skate Competition, which in all intents and purposes doubles as the Yukon Championships, was hosted by Board Stiff, the Boys and Girls Club and the youth services group B.Y.T.E. (Bringing Youth Towards Equality).
“It’s to promote clean fun for kids. We’re trying to get kids to come in from the communities,” said Temam Himour, an event organizer with Board Stiff. “And hopefully it’s so the city can see the park as something positive, and put more funding towards it. It does take maintenance.”
Results
Girls’ category
1st Jessica Gormley
2nd Jessica Harrison
Beginner
1st Brady Ford
2nd Harold Risby
3rd Fin Matrishon
Intermediate
1st Dusty Knorr
2nd Jerry Miller
Advanced
1st Richard Hager
2nd Sean Bossenberry
3rd Steve Richards
Contact Tom Patrick at tomp@yukon-news.com