BOWLZILLA Wellington, the National Bowl Skating Championships, tamed Tāwhiri-mātea. Even though 2022 started with a COVID hangover it is finishing with a pool party. There was nothing gonna get in the way of BOWLZILLA Wellington 2022

Shaun Boucher - BOWLZILLA Wellington 2022 Santa Cruz Open New Zealand National Bowl Champion. Photo: David Read, Manual Magazine

BOWLZILLA Wellington is a massive team effort every year and no one was going to let the worst of the last few years get in the way. Skateboarding.NZ and Wellington Skateboarding Association rallied with Wellington City Council to help the BOWLZILLA team achieve what everyone has been waiting for since early 2021. Skaters made their way from all around the country and OVERSEAS for the first time in a few years. The locals were stoked, the stands were filled and the festival’s week of events were all at capacity.

The New Zealand skateboarding community know just how fortunate they are to have such great support from Wellington City Council. The We Skate Poneke initiative that WCC have started up this year has given an even bigger boost to the community and is bringing some incredible spaces and gatherings for everyone to utilise. The BOWLZILLA Wellington week is like a big thank you for all their efforts.

Festivals like this are not achievable without the invaluable support of the volunteers, community and sponsors. For several years the women have been supported by ensuring the largest equality in skateboarding prize purse in New Zealand with the Yeah Gnar Women’s division. The future generation have been fortunate for years to have the Tech Deck 16 & Unders division nurturing and supporting them. The Masters are always inspiring and showcase how rad skating is as a lifetime pursuit and this year Santa Cruz stepped up to ensure the Open division was epic as always.

The Cambridge Hotel housed all the crew and competitors and provided the perfect gathering place and all the sponsors combined; Radioactive.FM, Tech Deck, Yeah Gnar, Pier People, Santa Cruz, Independent, Dickies, Skullcandy, Manual Magazine, Spitfire / Irrom Distribution, Protec / Hardcore Distribution, Powerhaus Automotive, Vans, Red Bull, Wellington Chocolate Factory, Wellington Skateboarding Association and Skateboarding.NZ were bloody awesome.

The BOWLZILLA Wellington Champions for 2022 are; Yeah Gnar Women – Taniah Meyer AU, Santa Cruz Opens champion for 2022 is Shaun Boucher, Tech Deck 16 & Unders champion – Felix Griffin combines with the Masters champion for 2022 Von Griffin to give us New Zealand’s first ever father and son division champions!

A huge THANKS goes out to all the friends, family, fans, media, sponsors, supporters, community and skaters for what was truly one of the best years ever for BOWLZILLA Wellington.

BOWLZILLA Wellington 2022 placings:

Tech Deck 16 & Under

1st Felix Griffin – New Zealand Bowl Skating Champion 2022

2nd Monty Graham

3rd Devon Adams

4th Zandar Hanson

5th Tate studd

6th Carlos Davies

Masters

1st Von Griffin – New Zealand Bowl Skating Champion 2022

2nd Chris Wood

3rd Simon Hunt