Everyone getting keen for the Gnarpark - Photo Lisa Oxley
My dad, PC has been skating for over 30 years and has given out so much stoke to the skate community, so my sister Astrid and I decided we needed to give that stoke and love for skateboarding all back to my dad PC for his 50th birthday. We organised 2 events for everyone to celebrate his birthday. A carpark race and a Hybrid Slalom and we got the raddest Aussie companies behind the events too.
Under the cover of nightfall shredders dressed as 70's superstars, Z-boys and even the occasional cross dresser made their way to a carpark in Gosford, known to the skaters as the NACCOS gnar park. It was good to see a lot of the local groms, NACCOS members and some new faces there, ready to race. After setting up a few pump humps and having heaps of practice runs getting everyone warmed up and ready.
The cops showed up just before heats started and after a quick chat with them about what we were doing and a laugh about Kurt's lovely dress they decided they were all good with it and happy that we had radios and spotters to help us stay safe. Bugs from ASRA arived with the computer and racing system. We got everyone sorted into groups and got the racing started at 9pm, 3-man heats in a round robin format.
Nick, PC and Duddy ready to race.
We ran 4 rounds and it was sick to watch everyone get faster and more confident every run. We had a good mix of people so you had some really interesting heats. The groms were ripping all night, dudes like Brendan Andrew, Jack Glenn, Ben Edwards, Jack Meyn, and Chad Gibson, but all the groms were really showing us what they are made of and stylin in their 70's getup too. As well as the older dudes, like Glenn Mills, PC, Heelside's Kurt Nischel, Shaddow, Dubes, Pickles and Duddy and awesome to see 2 girls there as well, Imi and Cat.
After all the racing was done, we had the preso,sang happy birthday to PC and had some cake! Massive thanks to Benbro, Bugs, My mum Lisa and the Sponsors, Hopkin, Daddow Skateboards, Early Skateboards, One Liner, Heelside and ASRA
Defending champ of the Gnarpark, Mr. Carpark took out the top spot, Glenn Mills stylin!
Opens podium.
Opens:
1st: Glenn Mills.
2nd: Brendan Andrews.
3rd: Jack Glenn.
Groms:
1st: Brendan Andrews
2nd: Matthew Brown
3rd: Wesley Bishop
with Jack Glenn and Chad close behind.
PC, stoked.
We awoke the next day to sunny clear skies and stoke was still running high. We got the car packed with the 1.6 metre start ramp. We got to the hill and set up the ramp and the fast 50 cone hybrid slalom. Practice started and ASRA arived with the computer and timing system. Robbo and Bugs explained the Jam format that we would be running for the race. 29 people rego'd and were ready to tackle the course. Again, there was a mix of people, groms, NACCOS & ASRA crew, The guys from Queensland, Kurt, Jez and Chad. Blue Mountains Ross and Craig Symes. After a quick riders meeting and final touches on the course we started round 1.
Each person had 4 runs and 16 riders with the best averaged times went into the next round as well as the top 3 riders from that round getting some cash. Round 2 started and the riding got faster and a lot more interesting, again at the end of that round the top 3 guys got some more cash and we moved on to the next round with the top 8 riders. Round 3 got everyone skating harder, the top 8 guys included Ross Sulfaro, Dave Robertson, Paul Carey, Ryan Nicholls, Glenn Mills, Paul Shaddock, Nathan Paff and Kurt Nischel. At the end of this round we had our top 2, Kurt Nischel and Paul Shaddock. They both went into the last round with 2 heats to get the best average score.
They both took their first runs and got really close scores, not even seconds between them. Then they both took their last runs as everyone watched them take off in turns and then everyone looked to the big screen to see who got what place. In the end is was NACCOS' Paul Shaddock that took the top spot with Kurt just behind him. We had a preso, cake and then down to Warnies Cafe' for a BBQ.
Opens podium
Opens:
1st: Paul Shaddock.
2nd: Kurt Nischel.
3rd: Paul Carey.
Groms:
1st: Chad Gibson.
2nd: Jack Glenn.
3rd: Macca Pettersson.
I just want to say a massive thankyou to everyone that came to the races, to celebrate PC's birthday. To our amazing sponsors that have supported my dad over the years,so many thankyous! DADDOW SKATEBOARDS, HOPKIN SKATE, EARLY SKATEBOARDS, HEELSIDE MAGAZINE, ONE LINER AND ASRA! To everyone that helped at the races, thankyou! To my mum for the awesome photos and cake and to my sister Astrid for organising the events with me and a massive happy birthday to PC, x! Congrats to everyone that raced, such awesome racing from all of you! YEW NACCOS, taking out top spots at both races, well done!
Photos by Lisa Oxley.
Seeyou at the next one everyone.
great report on a stokin' weekend...!!.. where's the like button?... :)
RAD RAD RAD! PURE EPICNESS! ALL WEEKEND!
Thank you so much girls, was great for me to get faster each run and to be back on my board in a comp format.
Had a fantastic day.
Happy birthday is an understatement.
This was seriously the most amazing birthday event of my life.
So stoked to spend it with so many great friends, thank you all for being part of it.
To my two beautiful daughters,Evie & Astrid,
I'm blown away by your efforts & skill putting on these events for me & everyone else.
Thanks for the raddest event report too Evie.
The awesome photos of the events by my wonderful Lisa capture all the stoke, emotion & craziness of the whole festivities. Thank you for always being there for us, supporting & capturing our passion for skateboarding.
Check out some more great photos of the races on face book.
I will be instantly stoked every time I think about the weekend.
Skate for life. Skate everything.
Looks like loads of fun.
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