BOWLZILLA Gold Coast injected some well needed heat into the Australian skateboarding world today with the largest Equality In Skateboarding prize purse in its history.
BOWLZILLA Gold Coast had great partners this year with Yeah Girl and Surf Dive ‘n Ski, that helped push skateboarding forward with a big statement in fairness for all in skateboarding. What is already an exciting event managed to ignite with this goodwill which saw the largest participation so far with the most enthusiastic competitive field Australia has seen in a long time. This enthusiasm is made possible because BOWLZILLA Gold Coast is a skater owned and run event, it is of its community for its community. Everyone is stoked to be part of something that supports their friends and it is really obvious in the energy and fun levels on display all week.
BOWLZILLA Gold Coast is the largest park / bowl competition in Australia and the scoring is based around use of the whole park in each run with the best run counting. The only way to move ahead to the finals was by using the whole park in your runs. The skaters that stuck to this stood out above all the others with the flow and style this approach gives their skating.
Women’s skateboarding is going through a renaissance globally which was clearly evident today at BOWLZILLA Gold Coast. No longer content to wait for the skateboard industry and the world at large to recognise them, they are out there blazing their own path. Shari Lawson who was the first women to ever judge a professional skateboard competition last year at BOWLZILLA Gold Coast was back again this year on the panel to oversee the largest ever Equality In Skateboarding cash prize purse in Australian history. BOWLZILLA Gold Coast is proud to be working with the women’s scene to amplify their voice and ensure they control their platform. The first of many big steps forward.
The week’s festivities kicked off with Yeah Girl and Beach Burrito Company hosting the opening party on Thursday night at Coolangatta, then on Friday night the locals shared their hospitality with the many visitors from Malaysia, UK, New Zealand, Brazil, Finland, USA and beyond with a session at Salk Oval skatepark. The competition ran Saturday at Elanora skatepark and on Saturday night it all wrapped up with Dive In hosted by Yeah Girl and Surf Dive ‘n Ski at Beach Burrito Company in Coolangatta. Another great week to finish off the summer season on the Gold Coast. Bring on 2019 BOWLZILLA Gold Coast.
The placings for the 76 BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2018 competitors are;
WOMEN – prize money donated by Yeah Girl and Surf Dive ‘n Ski
1 Poppy Star Olsen
2 Taniah Meyers
3 Shanae Collins
4 Ava Godfrey
5 Charlotte Heath
6 Indiana Barnard
7 Aimee Massie
8 Krysta Ashwell
9 Evie Rider
10 Izy Mutu
11 Victoria Waldren
12 Mistie Mildenhall
16 & UNDER – prizes donated by Goliath and Fiik Skateboards
1 Kieran Wooley
2 Jett De Haan
3 Marley Rae
4 Louis Newman
5 Mitchell Ballard
6 Dylan Donnini
7 Riley McComb
8 Ash Wilcomes
9 Zane Hetherington
10 Reese Hall
11 Nakula Boag
12 Cooper Larman
13 Charlie Holland
14 Alex Moreu
15 Tom Enwright
16 Calan Dixon
17 Jackson Donnini
18 Sumanyu Black
19 Kayden Jack Bate
20 Oscar Southerden
21 Jack Thatcher
22 Jaylen Jones
23 Phoenix Cam
24 Kai Gould
MASTERS
1 Nick Heppenstall
2 Tony Chavez
3 Ramon Thackwell
4 Brian Jacobson
5 Dave Crabb
6 Simon Dixon
7 Chris Enwright
8 Kevin Moran
9 Marcio Brandini
10 Robert Brasher
11 Shaun Caulfield
12 Iain Watt
13 John Bogaerts
14 Justin Leslight
15 Simon Travis Bate
16 Toby Mellonie
OPEN
1 Keegan Palmer
2 Jakob Robinson
3 Jesse Noonan
4 Sam Windhorst
5 George Richards
6 Sam Renwick
7 Noah Fuzi
8 John Boyd
9 Ian Davidson
10 Dylan Phillips
11 Ethen Mannix
12 Shaun Boucher
13 Miksu Rautio
14 Bowman Hansen
15 Kobe Graf
16 Luke Phillips
17 Nixon Osborne
18 Jamie Leigh Bunt
19 Robert Ayton
20 Barry Taniwha
21 Peewee John Dickenson
22 Arina Rahman
23 Oscar Price
24 Jackson Bogaerts
BOWLZILLA Gold Coast has long term plans to grow every year to increase the fun potential for Australian skating by using a competition as the excuse to gather the widest range of generations of skaters for good times and great skating. BOWLZILLA Gold Coast invites all the skaters to come and be part and have a say in how they want their fun.
City of Gold Coast Councillor Daphne McDonald proudly supported the BOWLZILLA Gold Coast events for a third year running. She was instrumental in the funding of the skatepark, getting the lights in, building out the site to better enable events to happen and being a fantastic advocate for skateboarding in general. Everyone at the event is grateful for her ongoing support. This year all the competitors wanted to give her a special thank you and all signed a unique piece of memorabilia for her in appreciation.
“This year has been a long time coming and we at BOWLZILLA are so proud to be part of it. Women make up over 50% of Australia and the World’s population and always get considerably less. To do something that helps in some small way move everyone forward to an equal footing in the lifestyle we love so much fills us with stoke. Everyone in skateboarding won today with what was achieved. Thanks to Councillor Daphne McDonald’s very generous ongoing support and belief in the skateboarding community we have been able to build a platform that made today possible. Gold Coast City Council, Tourism and Events Queensland, Goliath, Fiik, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Beach Burrito Company, Australian Skateboarding Federation, International Skateboarder’s Union all assisted and Yeah Girl and Surf Dive ‘n Ski gave it the extra nudge to really make the moment so awesome. Thank you everyone and looking forward to skating with you all again next year at BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2019.” Chad Ford – Director of BOWLZILLA and Miryoku Agency LLC.
BOWLZILLA Gold Coast would not be possible without the incredible support of its sponsors and supporters, a huge thank you to; Gold Coast City Council, Beach Burrito Company, Protec, Goliath Distribution, Fiik Skateboards, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Yeah Girl, ISU, Darkside, Dickies, ASF, Redhead Or Dead Events and Miryoku Agency.
