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Melvin McNutt three peats at skateboard comp

Nothing impresses judges like a clean run with no mistakes. It's all about consistency, says Whitehorse's Max Melvin-McNutt.
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Nothing impresses judges like a clean run with no mistakes.

It’s all about consistency, says Whitehorse’s Max Melvin-McNutt. He should know: the 19-year-old won his third straight advanced division at the Canada Day Skate Comp at the Second Heaven skate park in Riverdale.

“I wasn’t expecting it, the guys younger than me are getting really good,” said Melvin-McNutt. “It was just my consistency. I was able to put down a whole run, every trick landed, which is what got it. Consistency is a big part of it. If you’ve got big tricks, that’s cool, but you’ve got to be able to land them.”

It was his third straight time winning the advanced and fourth in total. He has also won the junior division and the intermediate in the past at the competition that doubles as the Yukon skateboarding championship, hosted by B.Y.T.E (Bringing Youth Towards Equality) and the Boys and Girls Club of Whitehorse.

Melvin-McNutt clinched the top spot with a front-door down a rail, a nollie flip down the six-step, a backside 180 over the handrail, a smith on the pyramid and a 360 flip on the ramp.

“Those are just tricks I’m consistent with and was able to land,” he said.

Melvin-McNutt’s prowess on the board continues in the winter months as the first-ever Yukoner to make it on to the B.C. Provincial Freestyle Snowboard Team.

He also won the best trick competition on the six-step with a nollie flip on Monday.

After three one-minute runs for all the boarders, Lower Post’s Cody Ball placed second in the advanced division, the same as he did in 2011.

“I almost got it,” said Ball. “I wasn’t expecting a third run. My legs gassed out on me - all wobbly, noodlely.”

Ball claimed second with a 50/50 up the hubba, a backside shove out on the funbox, a boardslide down the six-step and a pop-shove it 50/50 on the pyramid.

“Then I did a pop shove board-side on the rail. I think that’s what won me second,” said Ball. “I took me two tries because I didn’t land it on my first run.

“I’m happy. I was expecting fourth.”

Yukon’s Curtis Carlick, who now lives in Prince George, B.C., returned home to take third in the advanced division.

He also won best trick on the park’s pyramid with a back nose-slide with a 360 shove it out.

Michelle Gormley took first in the small two-person women’s division.

About a dozen skateboarders took part in this year’s competition.

Contact Tom Patrick at

tomp@yukon-news.com