DUE TO CURRENT COVID RESTRICTIONS IN NEW ZEALAND WE HAVE POSTPONED THE FESTIVAL UNTIL NEW ZEALAND IS BACK IN ORANGE CODE. THE EVENT WILL RUN IN 2022 AS SOON AS EVERYTHING OPENS UP AGAIN. Please let everyone know. Follow @bowlzilla for updates.
Wellington is set to again be the Capital of Skateboarding with the return of BOWLZILLA Wellington once the current traffic light guidance changes from Red to Orange. Skateboarding New Zealand’s National Park Skating Championships will be roaring back bigger than ever to crown the Nation’s best skaters.
BOWLZILLA Wellington is the biggest gathering of skaters in New Zealand every year. The festival offers; parties, music, art shows, industry catch ups, governance meetings, barbecues, ramp jams, the competition and most importantly community. That is why the festival will run in 2022 as soon as soon as it is possible. And, it will be bigger and better than ever!
The initial goal of BOWLZILLA was to establish a foundational event that the New Zealand skating community could depend upon and utilise as a platform for all things skate every year without fail. The competition is what makes it all possible but the whole week of all the things is the point. That is why this year there is a couple of new gatherings being added to the permanent schedule.
In addition to; the Welcome Party, ARTZILLA, BOWLZILLA Wellington National Park Skating Championships, Dive In after party and the Karori Vert Jam and barbecue, a free women’s Learn To Ride clinic will be added at Waitangi Park during the week and some surprises with the inclusion of the more diverse creative outlets of New Zealand’s skate community for the art show. There are a few other awesome things to be announced once the date is finalised.
Last year BOWLZILLA Wellington was delayed three weeks due to a COVID lockdown and once it ran it was the largest gathering of skaters and fans from the regions that the event had ever seen. So upon return, this year will be even bigger and better as it will be the first truly National celebration of skating once the country goes back to Orange.
There are returning sponsors ensuring the Tech Deck 16 & Unders, Dickies Open, Masters and Yeah Gnar Women’s divisions will be just as spectacular as always and to make it more interesting Protec are doing a special prize for the hardest skating most spectacular slam of the day. The parties are getting a bit of extra wow this year that will be announced shortly and Wellington Skateboarding Association, Skateboarding New Zealand and Wellington City Council via its Community Events and Sports Event funding are lifting the week to even bigger heights. To top it all off there is international broadcast via the live webstream with an international media partner being announced shortly.
“Wellington City Council is excited to welcome back the annual BOWLZILLA Wellington event. Following the debut and success of so many incredible skaters at the Olympics, we look forward to seeing these athletes in action at the National Championships in the Capital. An incredible opportunity for our community to witness the skill of these skaters. To all of those competing at BOWLZILLA Wellington 2022 – we look forward to seeing you in action.” Mayor Andy Foster
Wellington City Council, Wellington Skateboarding Association, Redhead or Dead Events and Miryoku Agency have joined forces once again to bring this fantastic festival to the New Zealand skaters.
“There is no stopping New Zealand skating, which is why BOWLZILLA Wellington will be running in 2022 as soon as is possible. We have the usual full week of amazing with the parties, music, art, skating and friends and family but we are really stoked to be growing it this year with the free Women’s Learn to Ride clinic, some awesome additions to ARTZILLA from the creative geniuses at Manky Chops and some other very exciting announcements to come as we get closer. Skateboarding is a verb, so we can’t wait to get back to the action of it all as quickly as possible. Be ready to go because once we can, we will. See you all in Wellington soon.” BOWLZILLA Director – Chad Ford.
Depending on when the run date is possible, overseas friends may be able to return. BOWLZILLA will be working with everyone to make this possible with accommodation being provided by the legendary Cambridge Hotel, which will also be the daily gathering spot away from the bowl for the week.
BOWLZILLA was born out of likeminded friends in the skateboard community looking for new platforms to promote the extraordinary talents of their friends, talents that run in oversupply within skateboarding but are not often seen in the outside world. BOWLZILLA Wellington is the biggest platform for showcasing all of this amazing talent in skateboarding in New Zealand. There is an open invite for everyone to come and be part of the celebration.
There will be more information coming shortly about all the great events and sponsorships happening as part of BOWLZILLA Wellington 2022.
Dates: Competition; Festival events 2022 ANNOUNCING SOON
Event info: TBC – coming soon!
2022: Women’s Learn to Ride clinic – Waitangi Park Skatepark - FREE
2022: Welcome Party – The Cambridge Hotel
2022: ARTZILLA
2022: BOWLZILLA™ Wellington competition – Waitangi Park, Wellington
2022: Dive In – official after party
2022: Karori Vert Jam, Ian Galloway Park, Karori, Wellington
