Worth the Wait – Freestyle Now Balga Skatepark Competition
What could have been a washout the Balga skatepark competition turned into one of the better days of the season. Originally postponed due to rain, the rescheduled date brought clear skies, still winds and cold but manageable conditions that made for a great day of riding. The call to push the date back paid off, with big numbers across the board, strong energy from the crowd and some of the best riding we’ve seen at Balga. Families packed the surroundings, signs were being held up in the crowd, and the street park was buzzing from the first run to the last. With a huge area to cover and a diverse street course, Balga always rewards riders who can use the whole park, and plenty of them did exactly that.
Rollerskate and Inline kicked the day off and set the tone beautifully. Four of the six combined competitors were competing for the very first time, each bringing their own style and approach to a big street park. In Rollerskate Open, Larissa Hendry took the win ahead of Willow Hills in 2nd and Helen Slater in 3rd. Honourable mention to Elodie Hereema who has been attending our coaching session for some time now, plucked up the courage to join this competition, even though it required her to push through and face fears. Inline Open saw Tahn Crawford take 1st with a run that included huge air over the gap, one of the most impressive moments of the entire day across any discipline. Pippa Carter followed in 2nd. Different styles, big commitment, and a division that keeps growing every time we run it.
Scooter beginner brought out a packed field of 11 riders and set the tone for the day. Alex Dall took the win, continuing his strong form, with Fabien Gepp finishing 2nd and Theo Bourgeois rounding out the podium in 3rd. Theo has been one of the standout stories of the season, bursting onto the scene at the Fremantle competition and blowing everyone away in his first Freestyle Now event. To see him back and on the podium again showed that wasn’t a fluke. Lenny Hickey finished 4th and both he and Theo had their families going all out in the crowd, signs and all, bringing that community energy that makes these days so much more than just a competition. Intermediate was a well contested division, Curtis Gepp coming out on top with 26.33 points, Aidan Wilcox close behind at 25.67 and Spencer Park not far off at 25 points, with Adam Owen rounding out the field in 4th. Tight scores across the board and a division that continues to build with each comp. The Open was another close one, but Freestyle Now’s own Oben McHoull took the win, and that’s now two Balga competitions, two wins. Two from two and riding with the confidence to match. Corey Van Dam was only 2 points behind him.
Oben McHoull taking his second win in scooter open at the Balga skatepark competition. Two Balga wins from two Balga competitions. Will he or can he make it three for three?
Skateboarding brought a massive 13 rider beginner field and the street layout gave everyone plenty of room to express themselves. Ziggy Wolff took the win with a power and skill style that was hard to ignore from the viewing area, Eva Jackson followed in 2nd and Lilah Wahby rounded out the podium in 3rd. It was also great to see strong female representation across the division. Intermediate was a highlight of the day, with Elena Riley taking 1st and Eva O’Driscoll in 2nd, a great result and good to see the girls leading the way at the top of the leaderboard. Benji Rayson finished 3rd. Liam Davie had the crowd talking with a run that included 5-0 grinds across the mini section, the kind of technical consistency that shows just how much work he’s been putting in. Elliott Hanly also deserves a mention, stepping up into open and immediately showing he belongs there with a frontside 180 over the gap and a boardslide that was as smooth as anything we saw all day. Open itself was a brilliant division, Joe Bell took the win with big smiles, serious power and the tricks to back it up, capping his run with a 50/50 down the hubba that had everyone watching. Yuuki Yasumura was right on his heels, finishing 2nd by just 0.33 points, one point from one judge separating the two. Jason Hills rounded out the podium in 3rd, with family cheering him right to the end.
BMX beginner was a big field and a close one, with Max Godkin taking the win, Serg Potekhin finishing 2nd and Theo Bourgeois claiming 3rd, impressive given he was also competing in scooter on the same day. Aweng Deng started his run with a huge 360 that set the tone early, and Archie Johnson had everyone talking with 13 consecutive backhops on the pegs, the kind of flatland flavour that makes you think we might be watching a future specialist in the making. Olivia Rhodes also competed in the division, continuing to build her BMX journey. Intermediate was as tight as it gets, only six points separating all seven riders across the division. Garnet Rock came out on top for the second competition in a row, continuing to push the limits with his riding and cementing himself as one of the most exciting young riders in WA. Tate Wanless followed in 2nd and Cohen Haigh in 3rd in a division where every placing was hard earned. Open brought the biggest moments of the day. Joel Weller made the trip up from Albany once again and delivered, taking 1st place with highlights like the hop up the down ledge to a turndown off. Both MC’s Shaun and Kim looked at each other in shock, awe and excitement when Joel hit this up. It was a WoW moment. Jacob Roughton finished 2nd, using that same ledge spot to throw down a tailwhip of his own, the two of them turning one feature into a highlight reel between them. Charlie Hill rounded out the podium in 3rd, and if you’ve heard the name you’ll know why people call him THE Charlie Hill. His run was seamless, powerful and covered every inch of the park, trick after trick with the kind of flow that makes it look effortless. Joshua O’Neil also put together one of the best open runs we’ve seen from him, a strong showing in a stacked division.
Balga delivered again. A rescheduled date, a packed park and a community that showed up ready to ride. From first timers finding their feet to seasoned riders pushing each other on the podium, every division had its own story and every rider had their moment. That’s what these competitions are built around, and days like this one are exactly why we do it.
Clockwise from top left – Tahn Crawford getting the rad rolled out and winning the inline competition. – Yuuki Yasumura is moving up in the world of skateboarding, 2nd in the skateboard open class. Theo Bourgeois came to Balga fresh off his double win and the Fremantle competition again with his fan club with supporting signs in hand. On this day it was two third placings, scooter and BMX. – Connor Riley has been in the scene for many years and it was great to see him riding at the Balga skatepark competition. This vader jam was just one of the skills he put on display. – More photos can be found on our Facebook page here.
Stay tuned for more exhilarating skatepark competition as Freestyle Now continues to celebrate the passion and skill of our incredible action sports community. Freestyle Now is dedicated to delivering high-energy events and inspiring communities. From thrilling stunt shows to engaging coaching sessions and well-managed competitions, we promote active and healthy lifestyles while pushing the boundaries of action sports.
Connect with us on Facebook and Instagram, and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay updated on our latest news, events, and behind-the-scenes action. For booking inquiries or to learn more about Freestyle Now, please contact us directly. Be sure to check our coming events page for information on future competitions and other events, and explore our past competition page to look back on all the exciting action from previous events.
We would like to thank our partner, Right By You. Rightbyyou.org.au is a mental health resource made for young people, by young people. There is easy to understand, useful information on the website if you or your friends are in a mental health crisis situation. Head to rightbyyou.org.au if you need to help a friend or yourself today.
Balga Skatepark Competition – Official Results – 2nd May 2026
Rollerskate – 1st Larissa Hendry, 2nd Willow Hills, 3rd Helen Slater, 4th Elodi Heerema
Inline – 1st Tahn Crawford, 2nd Pippa Carter
Scooter Beginner – 1st Alex Dall, 2nd Fabien Gepp, 3rd Theo Bourgeois, 4th Lenny Hickey, 5th Kayden Vannasopa Page, 6th Dawid (David) Cieszynski, 7th Archie Johnson, 8th Milkias Mulugeta, 9th Ryan Owen, 10th Braxton Clarkson, 11th Munir Sultani
Scooter Intermediate – 1st Curtis Gepp, 2nd Aidan Wilcox, 3rd Spencer Park, 4th Adam Owen
Scooter Open – 1st Oben McHoull, 2nd Corey Van Dam, 3rd Josh Atkinson, 4th Flynn Read, 5th Reif Holmes, 6th Kirill Ashchepkov, 7th Joshua O’Neil
Skateboard Beginner – 1st Ziggy Wolff, 2nd Eva Jackson, 3rd Lilah Wahby, 4th Sullivan Arpin, 5th Levi Wahby, 6th Max England, 7th Max Campbell, 8th Summer Lee, 9th Leon O’Driscoll, 10th Lewis Hanly, 11th Jace Jackson, 12th Taimana Bell, 13th Archie Johnson
Skateboard Intermediate – 1st Elena Riley, 2nd Eva O’Driscoll, 3rd Benji Rayson, 4th Liam Davie, 5th Ellie Stathakis, 6th Daniel Ryan, 7th Fletcher Arpin
Skateboard Open – 1st Joe Bell, 2nd Yuuki Yasumura, 3rd Jason Hills, 4th Elliott Hanly, 5th Reggo Pain, 6th Craig Johnson, 7th Geoff Knibbs
BMX Beginners – 1st Max Godkin, 2nd Serg Potekhin, 3rd Theo Bourgeois, 4th Archie Johnson, 5th Aweng Deng, 6th Otis Schnaars, 7th Logan Knibbs, 8th Ryder Hanley, 9th Oakley Hackett, 10th Axel Martin, 11th Olivia Rhodes
BMX Intermediate – 1st Garnet Rock, 2nd Tate Wanless, 3rd Cohen Haigh, 4th Rhys Sockett, 5th Tsuguma Ando, 6th Seth Cooper, 7th Levi Heerema
BMX Open – 1st Joel Weller, 2nd Jacob Roughton, 3rd Charlie Hill, 4th Connor Riley, 5th Joshua O’Neil, 6th Liam Rhodes, 7th Bailey Smith
