THE TIME FOR ACTION ARRIVES
A new action sports academy that focuses on surfing, skateboarding and freestyle BMX has launched
EVERYONE needs a dream. Funny, when I was at university, all students were asked to do an assignment on a vision they had for education.
Of course, with my passion for sport, mine was sportbased. It was to start up a special academy/school for track and field where athletes could come and undertake their studies but also train during school hours.
Well, it has happened. Not for track and field, but for action sports.
Level Up National Action Sports Academy has been developed on the Gold Coast with this in mind.
The brains behind the academy took everything they knew from being current and former pros and built what they dreamed of.
Based in Currumbin Waters, Level Up is the future of action sports and focuses on skateboarding, surfing and freestyle BMX.
Level Up high-performance manager Anthony Pope said: “This is an exciting time for action sports in this country.
“The National Action Sports Academy will provide our talent with the best chance of podium success.
“Athletes will access schooling, elite coaching and training all in the one location, so they can purely focus on their development. Other countries have been running similar ‘live in’ programs for some time and now we can offer the same opportunities.”
Level Up Skate Park and Training Facility was founded in 2019 by former pro skater and X Games medallist Trevor Ward and has been going from strength to strength.
Some of Australia’s best action sports athletes, including BMX founding coach Kyle Baldock (6 x BMX X-Games
The athlete will be developed in a holistic manner.” GLYNIS NUNN
gold medallist), Logan Martin (BMX Olympic gold medallist) and Kieran Wooley (Olympics skateboarding), and future surf stars such as Oscar Berry and Dane Henry, have been using the training facility.
With the excitement and success in freestyle BMX at the recent Tokyo Olympics by Martin, what young kid wouldn’t want that? The sports of surfing, skateboarding and BMX are individual sports that are also highly creative and all are part of the Olympic program.
I recently went down to chat to directors Trev Ward and Anthony Pope to see what they have set up.
They have identified that all three sports have synergies. Level Up has developed a facility that can work with beginners right through to elite athletes to get the results you are looking for.
The ramps and jumps are pretty special. Looking down from the near 7m drop on the ramp was frightening. How athletes do this was beyond my bravery.
The facility Level Up has developed is exceptional.
Based at Currumbin, the facility includes classrooms and learning areas, fitness and a training gym, treatment rooms and recovery centre all within rolling distance to the Level Up indoor skate park.
The academy will welcome current elite athletes from Olympic disciplines including skateboarding, BMX freestyle
and surfing. Programs will run four terms a year, mirroring the Queensland school terms, and athletes will be invited to apply for the strictly limited positions available.
Once open, it will also provide opportunities for userpays access to the academy high-performance program services.
“We have put together an amazing team of talented coaches and support staff to provide our athletes with expertise in terms of both technical coaching but also to share our experience as professional athletes on the world tour,” Kieran Wooley said.
The approach to professional skateboarding, BMX, surfing and competition preparation will be a minimum of 12
months, building daily, weekly and monthly.
The athlete will be developed in a holistic manner, developing riding physically and mentally. The academy develops a mindset to develop success.
With the 2032 Olympics being confirmed for Brisbane, this program has been developed to support athletes from as young as seven years old.
The focus is on student learning while developing their skills as an athlete. There is also an in-house welfare co-ordinator/teacher who will work with children to become the best person they can be.
The belief is that education is key to a well-rounded athlete.
The Level Up National Action Sports Academy EDU day
school has a total capacity of 40 students for the 2022 cohort from year 2 to 12.
The inaugural year will see the facility in Currumbin open in early January.
It will include classrooms, theatre and learning spaces, along with kitchen and dining areas.
The academy will also introduce a gym, recovery pools and treatment rooms in 2022 to support the athletes.
The academy will work with three groups of athletes – those emerging, the elite and a distance education section where athletes will live at the academy’s onsite accommodation facility for 12 weeks of the year.
The academy has developed programs and are led by coaches the likes of Andy
King, who coaches three-time world surfing champion Gabriel Medina, Trevor Ward and Kyle Baldock.
The company is building on the recent Australian Olympic success to provide current champions and emerging talent a home base ideally located within an hour’s drive of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic venues.
With a total of 40 places for the 2022 program across the three Olympic disciplines, it is a great opportunity. The cohort will be split into two categories: Emerging and Elite talent squads.
Applications for 2022 enrolments will open this month.
To register your interest, go to www.nationalactionsportsacademy.com.au.