Founder and owner of the Blunt Side Skate Series Tours Ricky Konza, who bought the tour to Young on Sunday November 11, said “it was a bloody good turn out”.
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Ricky and his team are touring the Central West and running a competition through Blunt Side Sk8 Park Tours, with the support of NSW Sport and Recreation, the Australian Skateboarding Federation and local councils.
It allows local competitors to compete for a place in nationals which will be held in Mackay, Queensland in September next year.
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Two competitors from each division are selected, the divisions include under 12s and open skaters. They then compete in the region finals with a chance to qualify for naitonals.
Moving into the next round from Young for the under 12s include siblings Sol and Tallow Condon and Kai Hayes.
“The under 12s were also up against 33 year olds in the open skaters and beat them, so it just goes to show that age doesn’t matter,” Ricky Konza said of Sunday’s competition at Young.
Tim Johnson and Steve King will also have a chance of heading to nationals after qualifying through their respective division.
“It’s all about exposing regional talent and sticking it too them you know? Everyone thinks we don’t do much out here in the country other than play with Kangaroos,” Ricky said.
The tours started as a way to bring the skate park users together throughout the Central West regional areas such as Cowra, Young, Orange and Bathurst so that the skaters and riders have the chance to encourage and support one another, learn from each other and get themselves out there and showcase their talents, Ricky said.
“It was a bloody good turn out and there was a lot of people there, a lot,” Ricky said.
The Blunt Siide Series is open to girls and boys and a diverse range of ages so the qualifiers are chosen based off of pure talent – girls are up against males, under 12 may be up against 30 year olds in the opens.
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Rick said the competition is all about changing the reputation around skate parks and their users, and helping to bridge the gap for athletes across the Central West.
“We’re closing that gap, we’re bringing kids together so that every athlete knows one another.
“The competition support is there and these kids have something to strive for now.
“I’m a country kid myself so I know what all the struggles are about.”
Rick and his team intend for the series to be annual, with a different town hosting the finals every year. Parkes has been scheduled to host the final in 2020 and Orange in early 2019.
“Kids need structure,” Rick said.
“So we’re working on that.”
