Freestyle Now

Groundswell Grind  is a celebration of the skateboarding community

RJ Barbaro seemed unstoppable with so much power and flow

The 2022 Groundswell festival in Scarborough was a great event to attend due to its focus on community spirit. The festival brought people together from diverse backgrounds, celebrating diversity, offering excitement through its unique format, and providing a fun and enjoyable experience. The festival showcased the best of different art forms, competitions and activities in a dynamic setting, providing a chance to celebrate various interests and communities in a lively and entertaining environment. One of the competitions that was celebrated was the Groundswell Grind skateboard competition.

The Groundswell Grind skateboarding bowl competition was a showcase of some of the best skateboarding talent from around the great state of Western Australia. Skaters from all ages and skill levels came together to compete at the Scarborough beach bowl, one of the biggest bowls in Australia, pushing the limits of what is possible on a skateboard. The high level of skill and creativity displayed by the skaters left the audience in awe, and the competition was a true celebration of the sport. One of the highlights of the competition was the representation of female skaters with many talented and skilled female skaters showcasing their abilities in the bowl. This not only adds diversity to the competition but also helps to inspire and empower the next generation of female skaters. Another highlight was the impressive turnout of young skaters. The future of skateboarding was well represented with many talented young skaters showcasing their skills and potential. This not only adds excitement to the competition but also helps to inspire and motivate the next generation of skaters.

Mia Kretzer airing out of the deep end of the Scarborough bowl on their way to 1st in the open woman’s class

In the open men’s class Robert-James Barbaro seemed unstoppable but young Cruz Evans was keeping the pressure on for a second place. In the open woman’s class it was a close competition between Mia Kretzer and Hailee Roberts. But, the insane level of competition was not just limited to the open class, many up-and-coming skaters also took the stage and proved that they have what it takes to be the next big thing in skateboarding.

According to the competition manager, Shaun Jarvis from Freestyle Now, “The Groundswell Grind Skateboarding Bowl Competition was a huge success. We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout of talented skaters from all over Western Australia and we are especially proud of the strong representation of female and young skaters. Skateboarding continues to grow in popularity and we are thrilled to be a part of this amazing community.”

A big thank you to the competition supporters, Modus Bearings, Panda skateboards, DC shoes, Aikenheads skateboards, Sneaky Wholefoods, Maple Road skateboards

The Groundswell Grind Skateboarding Bowl Competition is more than just a competition, it is a celebration of the skateboarding community and a testament to the passion and dedication of skaters everywhere. If you missed this year’s event, be sure to mark your calendars for next year and experience the excitement for yourself. With a fantastic lineup of talented skaters, a thrilling competition format, strong representation of female skaters, and a strong showing of young skaters, the Groundswell Grind Skateboarding Bowl Competition is a must-see event for any skateboarding fan.

Clockwise from top left – Cruz Evens was blasting out of the deep end of the Scarborough bowl on his way to 2^nd place in the open class. – Junior is the oldest competitor at the Groundswell grind skateboard bowl competition. At age 56 he is not slowing down. A good representation of older skaters were at the competition in the masters class. Hailee Roberts took out the 2^nd place in the opens womans class with great lines and airs and the crowds were loving it. – Under 12’s mens was won by Zen Evans who could have easily held his own in the open class with such skills like this frontside air in the deep end of Scarborough bowl. More photos can be found on our Facebook page here.

Groundswell Grind – Skateboard competition 2^nd October 2022 – Official results

Woman’s Open – 1^st Mia Kretzer $700, 2^nd Hailee Roberts $500, 3^rd Gogo Dale $300, 4^th Lily Henry

Men’s Open – 1^st Robert-James Barbaro $700, 2^nd Cruz Evans $500, 3^rd Brendon Cross $300, 4^th Vai Evans, 5^th Scott Michael Davis, 6^th Jake Smith

Masters – 1^st Herb Faust, 2^nd Andy Farrell, 3^rd Corey Brown, 4^th Junior Linke

Men’s 15 years and under – 1^st Miles Harding, 2^nd Tyler Rodden

Women’s 12 years and under – 1^st Rosie Connolly, 2^nd Sienna Jones

Men’s 12 years and under – 1st Zen Evans, 2^nd Locky O’Brien, 3^rd Henry Bennel, 4^th Kasper Godfrey

Women’s 9 years and under – 1^st Pepper Connolly, 2^nd Lea Tomolowicz, 3^rd Harlow Clark, 4^th Addison Sie

Men’s 9 years and under – 1^st Otis Sienkewitz, 2^nd Mason Clark, 3^rd Jake Turnbull, 4^th Levi Yamamoto Pagdanganan, 5^th Ilay Godfrey, 6^th James Rixom, 7^th Logan Tomolowicz