Oakura Bowl Jam wheely popular
A 30-year age gap stood between two of the finalists at the fourth Annual Oakura Bowl Jam on Saturday.
Von Griffin, 51, had travelled up to the Taranaki coastal township from Palmerston North to compete alongside his 13-year-old son, Felix, who is better known among the skateboarding community as ‘‘Flea’’.
Von Griffin found himself in the final alongside 15-year-old Niwa Shewry, who lives in Oakura and has his sights set on the Paris Olympics in 2024.
And it was the younger finalist who won the men’s division, taking home a $500 prize.
‘‘I was blown away by how good Griff still is,’’ Phil Culf, president of the Taranaki Skateboarding Association, said.
‘‘He blew some of the other competitors away. It gives you hope,’’ he laughed.
Culf said the event went very well, although as organisers they had had to make several changes in order to deal with Covid-19 restrictions, such as requiring vaccine passports.
Although fewer people attended this year, probably because of the pandemic, Culf said they still managed about 35 entrants across all divisions.
‘‘We had the best numbers we have had’’ for under-12s and under-16s taking part, he added, and about 100 spectators throughout the day.
Yeva Butler, 12, was the women’s division winner, also collecting a $500 prize, beating Billie Morrison, 15, who was second, with Christchurch’s Krysta Ashwell, 27, a previous New Zealand national bowl champion, third.
Culf said the event began as a competition for Taranaki skateboarders, but had grown in popularity, with strong support from local sponsors, New Plymouth District Council, and the Oakura community
While the Bowl Jam was still very much a Taranaki event, it and now attracted entrants from much further afield.
‘‘It’s good that we now get competitors from Auckland, Wellington, all over he place,’’ Culf said.
‘‘We got some really good feedback.’’