Not even sure what to say about BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2023 that won’t sound like an exaggeration. It was just that much of step up from previous years. INSERT EXCESSIVE SUPERLATIVE HERE!!!

There’s an expectation that if you want to win the National Championships that you push yourself that much harder and with that it is often criticized by many that there is a level of seriousness that comes with such drive. Well, the skaters at this year’s BOWLZILLA Gold Coast flipped that script on its head. The energy levels were high, the airs were the highest ever scene in Elanora skatepark and every single skater had their mates back and encouraged them to skate even better than they just did which was a pretty tall ask.

The ASF National Park Skating Championships kicked off with the kids and they all pushed and prodded each other which saw them all throwing way gnarlier tricks than is expected for their ages. They most definitely had too much red cordial for breakfast. There is a very big list of rippers ready to take it up a notch. The future looks bright.

Counterbalancing the kids was the Master’s division and it probably shows off the spirit of BOWLZILLA more than any of the other three groups with the comradery, good times, legendary lines and smooth flowing style that can only come from decades on board and being such important members of the skating community. If the kids stick with it like these lifers do you really do they have a great life ahead of them.

The biggest division this year was the Yeah Girl Women’s comp and they set a whole new standard for female skaters globally. The new frontier of Women’s skating is growing at such exponential rates that it is hopefully not too far off that competitions can do away with divisions and the expectations of gender associated ability and the podium becomes more reflective of the entire community. The skating at BOWLZILLA Gold Coast this year moved that reality a few big steps closer.

The skaters in the Opens had no choice but to lift themselves that much higher after what was displayed in the other three divisions. It may have been a National Championships but the skating was at international levels. It is compulsory homework that everyone go and watch the replays and clips from the BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2023 to see how many steps forward Australian skating took on this day. The most important part of it all though, was that every skater in the finals pushed every other skater in the finals to ride better than they just did. Which almost seemed an impossible task.

The BOWLZILLA Gold Coast week was full of all the fun things that make it the biggest week in Australian skating with the Yeah Girl women’s Learn to Ride Clinic, SALKZILLA throwing out cash and good times, celebrations at Zipang, side sessions at all the epic Gold Coast spots, the comp itself and the infamous Dive In after party at Rattlesnake Motel. Year after year the welcome mat is rolled out on the Gold Coast and more friends and family come from far and wide to show their appreciation.

“it is absolutely unfair to single out any of the skaters from this year’s comp but in amongst all of the incredible skating there were some stand outs that broke their respective molds. A 9-year-old legitimately placed second in the Open division. Let that sink in. He skated at such a level as to be on par in style and tricks as the adults well over twice his age. I’m impressed every year with the new levels of stoke everyone brings to BOWLZILLA Gold Coast but this year’s skating was beyond compare. There is serious talk of some of the Yeah Girl Women’s finalists skating in the Opens next year. Every single person involved with this year’s celebrations should pat themselves on the back. Thank you, all of you for what you did. What a time to be alive!” Chad Ford; BOWLZILLA – Director.

None of it would have been possible without the support of the sponsors and prize givers for BOWLZILLA Gold Coast; Gold Coast City Council, Tourism & Events Queensland, Yeah Girl, Kangol, Dickies, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Rattlesnake Motel, FUEL TV, Girl’s Skate Gold Coast, Etnies, Truck Stop Skate Shop, Zipang Fine Dining and Australian Skateboarding Federation.

The final placings for BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2023 are;

YEAH GIRL SKATEBOARDING – WOMEN – equal cash prize purse with Open, prizes donated by Kangol and Girls Skate Gold Coast.

1st Arisa Trew

2nd Zahra Johns

3rd Taniah Meyers

4th Jada Ward

5th Coco Crafter

6th Eliza Pols

7th Alicemay Abagian

8th Summer Rackley

9th Chihiro Young

10th COCO GILLETT