BOWLZILLA Wellington is CANCELLED for 2024

It is with deep regret that we announce the cancellation of BOWLZILLA Wellington for 2024. The current global financial challenges have impacted the ability of BOWLZILLA Wellington to secure the necessary sponsorship funds required to conduct the event successfully. Despite the dedicated efforts of the BOWLZILLA Wellington team, the legacy National Bowl Skating Championships cannot proceed without adequate financial support.

BOWLZILLA Wellington has been a cornerstone of the community for the past eight years, and it is disheartening to make this decision. The BOWLZILLA team takes great pride in supporting local and skater owned businesses and acknowledge the impact this cancellation will have on Wellington's skate economy.

While New Zealand’s National Bowl Skating Championships is on hold for this year, we strongly urge the skate community to rally behind other skater owned and run events such as Mangawhai Bowl Jam and other SBNZ (Skateboarding New Zealand) supported competitions. In these challenging times for many it is crucial for the community to show their support by getting behind skater-owned and run businesses and events, who are all no-doubt doing it tough too.

The BOWLZILLA team extends heartfelt gratitude to every individual, business and organization that has played a role in making BOWLZILLA Wellington the premier skate festival in New Zealand since its inception in 2016. Thanks to Wellington City Council for your ongoing funding and support of BOWLZILLA. Your support has been invaluable, and we look forward to the possibility of resuming the event in the future.

BOWLZILLA Wellington 2023 Highlights

BOWLZILLA Wellington brought the heat this summer for the National Bowl Skating Championships. As

winter sets in in the southern hemisphere this clip will get everyone all fired up again. After the last few

years of weather and lockdowns it was the celebration everyone wanted and needed – watch, enjoy and

GO SKATE.

The best skate comps are just excuses to get the tribe together for a week of good times and ripping sessions. Wellington is the perfect city for an event like BOWLZILLA where the community is the focus. The week is full of free learn to ride clinics, street jams, parties, art shows, barbecues, free jams and the excuse of the National Bowl Skating Championships.

Many were not able to attend BOWLZILLA Wellington at the last minute because of a cyclone hitting the North Island. Everyone in attendance went above and beyond to make it another legendary year though, but more importantly, celebrate for those in our community who could not.

Having the support year in year out from Wellington City Council has ensured not only that BOWLZILLA

Wellington is the largest skate gathering in the country every year but that Wellington is also home to the most thriving skate scene because of the We Skate Poneke initiative. The BOWLZILLA Wellington week is growing and becoming more representative of the whole colourful community and the best is yet to come.

The support that goes into festivals like these are so important and everyone in attendance: fans, staff, friends, family and the competitors all step it up a little bit more to show their appreciation. Watch the ripping skating in the Hot Wheels 16 & Unders, Masters, Women and Opens and you'll see the future really looks bright for New Zealand skating.

Sponsors and partners like The Cambridge Hotel that housed all the crew and competitors and all the other sponsors combined; Radioactive.FM, Monster, Hot Wheels, Kangol, Santa Cruz, Independent, Dickies, Manual Magazine, Powerhaus Automotive, Manky Chops, Wellington Skateboarding Association and Skateboarding.NZ were bloody awesome.

The BOWLZILLA Wellington Champions for 2023 are; Hot Wheels Skate 16 & Unders: Monty Graham, Masters: Ramon Thackwell, Women: Yeva Butler and Open: Shaun Boucher, and a special congratulations to Yeva Butler for taking out the Hot Wheels Skate fingerboard competition as well, she’s going to need extra baggage allowance to get home.

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

NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS BLAZING IN THE HINTERLAND

The first NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS blazed through the Lismore district with skaters from near and far getting the locals sparked up for the end of summer.

The Lismore district got hit hard by the 2022 floods and a lot of businesses and locals survived things that most people in modern Australia have never experienced. NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS was part of the one year anniversary to celebrate the incredible community and bring the good times back to The Hinterland. The week kicked off with drinks and celebrating at Two Mates Brewing in Lismore, who exactly a year before had a flood of three and a half metres wash through their brewery. Within a few weeks they managed to get set up enough to be a local gathering point and offer locals cold tinnies and community. It was a fitting place to get the weeks festivities started and they kept it going with all the goods and prizes for the main event on Saturday.

Lismore is getting ready to upgrade its skateparks and add a world class national sized facility. The first skating of the week was the Flea Circus for the Under 18s at Goonellabah skatepark which is about to get a rad redo as part of the new skate strategy for Lismore. With prizes and snow cones being given out to all in attendance from MODUS Bearings, Emerica Shoes, 36 Chambers Skate Shop and BOWLZILLA, the skating was definitely radder than anything the locals had seen for quite some time. There was a ripping group of youngsters scratching out new lines and tricks all over the park. Huddy, the Brandini brothers, Keke, Tāne, Kaedyn and the rest of them amped up the session and left new marks all over the park.

Nimbin is an all welcoming no egos kind of place and all the skaters that turned up for the open invite were sufficiently rewarded for their efforts and being part of the whole. The day kicked off with the Time Trials and it was an all in shred fest. Everyone started and stopped their own clocks which got them amped that much more. Nikki Lovelace took out the Women’s division with her next level training, Tony Chavez strategised into first and Shaun Boucher was the one to beat straight out of the gate. With $1000 for 1st, $600 for 2nd and $400 for 3rd, everyone had a serious go but in the most unserious way you could imagine as all egos were left at home.

PJ Sheek and Soy Division rocked out on the platform all afternoon as certified Australian legends Robert Brasher, Matt Davis, Trout and Dave Adair handed out $6000 in cash for ripping and good vibes to everyone charging the park. They were calling out tricks to be done, lines to run, spots to hit and vibes to be shared and everyone joined in and shared the stoke. The cash, challenges and good vibes were shared by Masters, Women and Opens equally. The field was massive with crew like; Chris Enwright, Matt Beer, Kayla Mathews, Marcio Brandini, Barry Taniwha, Nikki Lovelace, Nick Hepenstall, Shaun Boucher and even Steven Pineiro who trekked all the way from Puerto Rico pushing everyone to higher levels for which they were suitably rewarded.

All skaters and fans alike were grateful for Lismore Council and NSW Government supporting the local skate community and bringing back friends and family from all points for a final summer celebration of skating. They gave back to the Nimbin community making them busier than they’d been for years and everyone was stoked that it was because of skaters.

"NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS was our way of saying thank you to the skate community for stepping up and putting on ripping shows for everyone at all the events they continuously support. It was an open invite with free accommodation and celebrations and all in attendance went home stoked and rewarded. It just felt like the right gathering for Nimbin and the wider Lismore area for the example they set for what true Australian spirit means in how everyone came together a year ago during the devastating climate crisis. Bringing everyone together to celebrate and acknowledging the efforts they put in set a different tone to the standard gatherings and on behalf of our entire team we were all incredibly grateful we got to be a part of it.” Chad Ford – Event Director

All the things that make skaters lifers were be in full effect for the week. Good times, rad concrete, crazy challenges, road tripping, camping, live bands rocking it out on the platform, huge gatherings of epic skaters, art, parties, generations deep with gnarly skating and bags of cash rewards for everyone that turned up the stoke levels.

It is important to acknowledge the influential skaters and scene that came before us. NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS acknowledges and celebrates this by building on the past while writing a bright and energetic future.

All photos by: Michael White

NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS RIPPING IN THE HINTERLAND

NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS 04/03/2023 – Nimbin Skatepark

NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS is launching the first week of March with 4 days of skating, music and gnar-factor 100!

Four days in The Hinterland filled with music, art and skating will be getting everyone hyped. More fun, bigger challenges, go fast, make the friends, rip the concrete and have at it. Skaters will be getting it around Lismore with an Under 18s Flea Circus at Goonellabah full of fun and challenges, art shows and music and then the main Gnar-Walls rally at Nimbin Skatepark on Saturday 4th March. Don’t expect the ordinary and only come for fun.

Lismore Council and NSW Government are supporting the local skate community and bringing back friends and family from all points for a final summer celebration or skating. Local businesses and local legends are all getting on board to ensure the famous Hinterland hospitality is turned up to 11.

"When you’re given the support to do something a bit different that gives back to the community in ways not often possible then you should grab hold of that opportunity and invite everyone along to celebrate it to the fullest. The whole week of NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS is about fast paced good times. It will be another epic chapter in the legend of Nimbin.” Chad Ford – Event Director

All the things that make skaters lifers will be in full effect for the week. Good times, rad concrete, crazy challenges, road tripping, camping, live bands rocking it out on the platform, huge gatherings of epic skaters, art, parties, generations deep with gnarly skating and bags of cash rewards for everyone that turns up the stoke levels.

NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS is getting everyone together for a ripping week in The Hinterland. Pack your bags and get there.

Radio Active Announce Media Sponsorship of BOWLZILLA 2022

We are proud to announce we are officially partnering with Radio Active for BOWLZILLA Wellington in 2022.

Radio Active know BOWLZILLA is one of the most important events in the Te Whanganui-a-Tara calendar. Aotearoa's biggest gathering of skaters alongside art, music and community, it makes perfect sense we team up with the capital's best alternative station.  Following two postponements due to COVID-19 this year is going to huge and we are looking forward to Radio Active being part of it.

Listen in to Radio Active to hear about all the BOWLZILLA news and events information running up to the event then join us on October 29th down at Waitangi Park for the main competition.

BOWLZILLA Wellington – Once Again Back Is The Incredible

Wellington is set to again be the Capital of Skateboarding with the return of BOWLZILLA Wellington on Saturday 29th October. New Zealand’s National Bowl Skating Championships will be roaring back bigger than ever to crown the Nation’s best skaters.

BOWLZILLA Wellington is going to be the biggest gathering of skaters in New Zealand this year. With New Zealand opening back up again, this year’s festival is going to be a celebration like no other. The week offers; parties, music, art shows, industry catch ups, governance meetings, barbecues, ramp jams, the competition and most importantly community.

BOWLZILLA was established as a foundational event that the New Zealand skating community can 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 are a couple of new gatherings being added to the permanent schedule.

In addition to the Welcome Party, ARTZILLA, BOWLZILLA Wellington National Bowl 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 gatherings being announced as we get closer to the festival.

This is the second year in a row that BOWLZILLA Wellington has had to postpone due to COVID lockdowns and it will be the second year in a row New Zealand skaters will come out the other side with a bigger and better gathering to celebrate the awesomeness and resilience of their community. More skaters, more events, more fun and it’s all free.

There are returning sponsors ensuring the Tech Deck 16 & Unders, Santa Cruz 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 partnership 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.

“Skaters are some of the most resilient people in the world. We are brilliant at adapting and taking whatever is in front of us and turning it into the best moments possible. BOWLZILLA 2022 is going to be a case study in this and we can’t wait to reunite with our friends and family in Wellington for the week of the 29th October to celebrate. The continuing support of Wellington City Council and our sponsors, which make it all possible, will be rewarded with the biggest skate party Wellington has seen to date. The whole week is free and everyone is welcome to come celebrate with us.” BOWLZILLA Director – Chad Ford.

With the new run date and borders now open, overseas friends are 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 and their talents that run in oversupply 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.

26/10/2022: Women’s Learn to Ride clinic – Waitangi Park Skatepark - FREE

27/10/2022: Welcome Party – The Cambridge Hotel

28/10/2022: ARTZILLA

29/10/2022: BOWLZILLA™ Wellington competition – Waitangi Park, Wellington

29/10/2022: Dive In – official after party

30/10/2022: Karori Vert Jam, Ian Galloway Park, Karori, Wellington

BOWLZILLA Gold Coast Turned the Tide

BOWLZILLA Gold Coast was postponed a week so friends and family could put their houses back together after the flooding. Beautiful Gold Coast came through to make sure their reunion celebrations were epic.

After the torrential rain and flooding of the weeks before, the water rolled back and everyone had a fantastic week of celebrating in the epicentre of Australian skateboarding; the Gold Coast. With Yeah Girl putting on a free women’s learn to ride clinic and a skate zine workshop, the debut of SALKZILLA, the ASF National Park Skating Championships and the final celebration – Dive in at Beach Burrito Company, it was the week everyone needed.

Once again the sponsors stepped up to make sure the skating community knew how much they are appreciated. Yeah Girl ensured the women had equal prize money once again making it the biggest Equality in Skateboarding competition in Australia and Girl’s Skate Gold Coast raised the stoke with some extra prizes, Dickies had the Opens covered, Protec raised the stakes by rewarding the Best Slam of the whole competition which ended up having to be shared three ways (heal up everyone0, and Vans, Santa Cruz, Independent, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Zipang Fine Dining, Fryzee Tattoo, Girl’s Skate Gold Coast, Fiik, Beach Burrito Company, FUEL TV, along with Major Events Gold Coast, City of Gold Coast and Tourism & Events Queensland helped out with the all-important structural support and prizes.

Everyone worked so hard to help friends and family recover during the postponement and that good energy flowed over into the entire week. It wouldn’t have felt right to run the week before while our friends and family were going through so much. What a difference a week makes though. The community was so happy to rally and get together at BOWLZILLA. The festival is an opportunity for friends and family to gather from near and far to catch up, show off their art, get creative, socialise and skate. It is a gathering point first and foremost and that was what supplied all the best moments of the week.

SALKZILLA was a new addition to the festivities this year and will grow into its own beast soon enough, it seems. Yeah Girl, Girl’s Skate Gold Coast, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Zipang Fine Dining, Fryzee Tattoos and City of Gold Coast all got together and created a night of good times, free barbecues, loads of prizes and cash giveaways for random tricks and maximum stoke. The whole of the park was set alight by all our friends for hours. No stress, good times, nothing timed or serious, just get in there and get at it. The beast has been unleashed.  

As the world recovers and adapts more friends and family from far and wide will be able to make the journey to BOWLZILLA. The last couple of years have been a challenge but that has laid the groundwork for even more awesome times ahead with the BOWLZILLA community.

“You can crush us, you can bruise us, but you’ll have to answer to the fact that skating is our way of life and no matter what is thrown at us we will always rise above and find ways of gathering to celebrate the best of our skate community. Skateboarding won’t change the world but skateboarders sure are. The resilience and fortitude and goodwill that skating teaches us has been shared far and wide the last few weeks. Look at the many members of our family that have been working overtime to help water-soaked communities recover. They weren’t doing it with skateboards but skating lifted them and supported the support. BOWLZILLA Gold Coast was bloody fantastic again this year, one of the best ones yet but I’d rather you take the time to celebrate those in our community that worked far harder and for far nobler causes. They deserve the accolades. I just hope we did enough to show them all how truly grateful we were this week. Thank you, every single last one of you.”  Chad Ford; BOWLZILLA – Director.

Sponsors and prize givers for BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2022 were: Gold Coast City Council, Tourism & Events Queensland, Yeah Girl, Dickies, Santa Cruz Skateboards, Independent Trucks, Vans, Fiik Electric Skateboards, Gold Coast Skateboard Coaching, Beach Burrito Company, FUEL TV, Protec, Girl’s Skate Gold Coast, Truck Stop Skate Shop, Fryzee Tattoos, Zipang Fine Dining and Australian Skateboarding Federation.

The final placings for BOWLZILLA Gold Coast 2022 are;

PROTEC BEST SLAM OF THE COMPETITION – special prizes by Protec

Indi Barnard

Jake Thatcher

Harvey Campbell

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

1 Ruby Trew – ASF National Park Skating Champion 2022

2 Arisa Trew

3 Heili Sirvio

4 Taniah Meyers

5 Anneka Lewis

6 Zahra Johns

7 Coco Crafter

8 Haylee Powell

9 Jada Ward

10 Mila Sirvio

11 Isla Lillie Bower

12 Tanisha Gardner

13 Tora Waldren

14 Mel NC

15 Chihiro Young

16 Marley Williams

17 Kayla Matthews

18 Olive Williams

19 Jazz Kennedy

16 & UNDER – prizes donated by Protec, Santa Cruz, Independent, Vans                                                                                

1 Louie Daiguchi – ASF Australian Park Skating Champion 2022

2 Caylen Goldsbrough

3 Taj Wolfenden

4 Hudson Walker

5 Cayden Hawker

6 Noa Barnes

7 Jack Lewis

8 Jacob Hanson           

9 Asher Watt

10 Oliver Macdonald

11 Kruz Lovett

12 Jackson Schulze

13 Kai Gould

14 Yo Wuoti

15 Samson Scott

16 Tasman Cahill

17 Zion Gallagher

18 Elijah Jack Smith

19 Zen Dickson

20 Zane Perez

21 Gustavo Baker Brandini

22 Noah DC de Campos          

MASTERS

1 Trev Ward – ASF Australian Park Skating Champion 2022

2 Chris Enwright

3 Marcio Godinho Brandini

4 Justin Leslight

5 Iain Watt

6 Deryck Murton

OPEN

1 Marley Rae

2 Jake Thatcher

3 Shaun Boucher

4 Jesse Noonan

5 Ash Wilcomes

6 Matthew Beer

7 Charlie Holland

8 Marcos Baker Brandini

9 Nixen Osborne

10 Logan Graff

11 Kai Farrelly

12 Barry Taniwha

13 Jorge Tichbon

14 Bryce Mckean

15 Levi Yeaman

16 James Stuurman

17 Dylan Phillips

SALKZILLA!!!

The first ever SALKZILLA is on tomorrow 15th March from 5-9PM at Salk Oval Skatepark; 2 Thrower Dr, Currumbin QLD 4223, Australia.

There’s gonna be some $10 and $20 notes being given our with some prizes for tricks and good vibes for all our rolling friends across the spectrum.

There’ll be a bit of a free barbecue and an over supply of good times. Everyone is welcome.

We want to thank all our sponsors and supporters for making this first year possible for us to share the stoke and have a bit of fun with all our friends and family.

BOWLZILLA Wellington – DATE CHANGE!!!

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