Freestyle Now

The 2015 Mandurah Action Sports Games was one of Australia’s largest Action sports events. The event host a round of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation world cup along with skateboard, scooter and bmx competitions and so much more over the two days. This is Australia’s richest skatepark competition with $20000 to share amongst the skateboard, scooter and bmx competitors. The competition was so tight in all the disciplines with crazy action taking place everywhere you looked. But the craziest action was the weather. Cyclone Olwyn was a severe category three cyclone at its peak when it hit Exmouth and Carnarvon on Friday. Olwyn moved on down the coast toward Perth throughout Friday creating havoc in its path. Come Friday night for scooter qualifying the conditions were looking good until everything was set to go and it just started to send some water to the ground. It stopped and the park was almost dry but it was false hope, it started to rain again. Qualifying was postponed.

Brock Horneman was doing the biggest back flips of the weekend, this no hander to barspin flip was just some of the insane tricks that he threw down. 1^st place in bmx park.

Clockwise from top left – Dylan Schmidt was going large like this double whip over the hip – Queenslander 3^rd Nathan Philps was so stoked to throw this flip over the hip from the little kicker, last run of the finals he front flipped the same – Jack Fahey was on fire over the weekend but just not enough to place higher than 4^th, this superman back flip is so rad – Laurence Bakewell could not repeat his 2^nd place from last year and took home the 5^th place with tricks like this double tailwhip 360.

Saturday morning arrived to constant rain and grey dark skies. With bmx and skate qualifiers to get through as well as the halfpipe battle jam Saturday was going to be a hard day. By 11am things started to get much better, the sky was patchy with blue the park had dried up and it was on. First up was bmx qualifying and it was on. Heavy hitters all over the place, flips, flairs, whips, spins and large airs. Dylan Schmidt and David Pinelli were looking good, third time attendee Nathan Philps was rolling it and new comers Daniel Chiarelli and Lee Kirkman were riding well. Brock Horneman wanted the win and you could see it with his dialed riding, though Laurence Bakewell and Jack Fahey were both looking at top placing as well. Large tricks got thrown over the Freestyle Now box jump by all competitors. The top 10 were sorted ready for the finals on Sunday.
Skateboard qualifying was up next. The competitors were sorted into groups of 3 and set off to attack the park. After the scores were in Barry Mansfield and Cory Tyres were both in top position with 107 points followed by Connor Harrington on 106 points. Harry Clark was rolling well but a little in consistence but that might have had to with his damaged wrists, Zac Clinkers was on fire and made it to the finals, he was stoked.
With the qualifying done it was time to move onto the halfpipe battle jam. The concept of the battle jam is simple, ride the ramp, get rad, stay rad, stay in the jam. With 4 rounds to get through and already running behind schedule and dark clouds above it was touch and go with the halfpipe jam. It rained and the halfpipe got drenched, the sun came out and with the help of others it got dried out and the jam was back on. Stand outs in bmx were Daniel Chiarelli who was going so dam high it was scary, Dylan Schmidt hitting large superwhips and Nathan Philps with opposite airs and variations. In Skateboard the coping got a good work out with the skaters grinding that steel in many ways. Brendan Cross was sending it and pushing the air tricks so was Connor Harrington, Cory Tyers was flowing the ramp and using all of his facial expressions to assist with that.
Heading into round 3 the weather was looking slim. But the jam went on with the ever looming chance of precipitation. At the end of round 2 in bmx it was unfortunate to have the first serious injury at Action Sports Games in the 5 years, Jacob DeAbreu came in wrong on a flair whip and ended up with a broken tibular. It’s a reminder to all that these kind of sports do pose a risk of injury. We wish Jacob a speedy recovery. Bmx top 6 was so hard to call, any one of them could make it to the final round. After the third round it was Laurence Bakewell in 6^th, Jack Fahey in 5^th and Nathan Philps in 4^th. In skateboard with six skaters the judges could see who would make top 3 and at the end of round 3 it was Josh Birtwistle with 6^th, Harry Clark in 5^th and Cory Tyers for 4^th
Unfortunately the weather decided that there had been enough radness thrown down and that it was going to win, some rain took place but it was too late in the day and there was no sun to help dry out the ramp, a decision had to be made, top 3 would be based on their round 3 runs, not the best but the competitors were happy with that and the judges saw that not much would change in the order if another round was run so the final placing were bmx 1^st Brock Horneman, 2^nd Daniel Chiarelli and 3^rd Dylan Schmidt and in skate 1^st Connor Harrington, 2^nd Brendon Cross $1000, 3^rd Paul Bruno. The competitors were so stoked that the day was done, it was rest time and ready for finals on Sunday.

Brock Horneman took out the 1^st place in the bmx halfpipe battle jam. He took home $3000 with his double wins, here he is mid flair in the halfpipe battle jam.

Clockwise from top left – Daniel Chiarelli came over from the east coast and went higher than anyone on the halfpipe and took out 2^nd place, big onefooter invert – Dylan Schmidt super whipped his way into 3^rd place in the halfpipe battle jam – Nathan Philps took out the 4^th place with tricks like this flair. The only way to split Nathan and Dylan was that Dylan was landing a little higher on the ramp with each air than Nathan, the competition was that tight – Jack Fahey enjoys bmx and is always having fun, this rad Cherokee air is evidence of that fun.

Clockwise from top left – Connor Harrington took out the first place in the skateboard halfpipe battle jam and took home $1500 for doing so – Brendon Cross front grabbin on his way to 2^nd and $1000 – Paul Bruno did some crazy handplants on his way to 3^rd place – Cory Tyers loved the halfpipe and took out the 4^th place

Sunday morning rolled around at first up was scooter qualifying, the semi finals were being skipped so it was top 6 straight to finals. It was going to be a tight for top 3 in scooter with either Jared Colwell, Jiordan Giacoppo or Ben Thomas able to take out the 1^st place. In the finals it was Jae Yates for 6^th, Luke Sheehan who sent some big tricks took 5^th, 4^th went to Brandon Black, with some bigger trick could have taken 3^rd as there was a 37 point gap to Jiordan Giacoppo who took out the 3^rd place with a total of 213 points. Second was Jarod Colwell with 217 points who was only 4 points behind 1^st place Ben Thomas with 221 points.

Ben Thomas whips his way to 1^st place in scooter.

Clockwise from top left – Jared Colwell smashed out a double inward over the box and took home 2^nd place – Jiordan Giacoppo got the 3^rd place, large flair – Brandon Black with a stretched super grab – Luke Sheehan no hander and a 5^th place.

Skateboard had quarter semis, then semis and then the finals. The quarter semis had the top 9 place getters. The 3 groups of 3 skaters were mixed up and sent off to roll out the rad. It was good to see young Josh Birtwistle in there taking out 9^th place not far behind 8^th place of Joe Bothams. Local Mandurah skater Jesse Nelson scored the 7^th place. Into the semi finals any of the top 6 could win. Consistency was going to be the prime in a field like this. Cory Tyers took out the 6^th place with some good lines but just not landing everything. Harry Clark who was skating with two injured wrists took some good lines around the park but just could not keep his feet on the deck enough, 5^th place. Connor Harrington rounded up the semi finalists with the 4^th place, one of the only skaters to jump the box but again just a little to in consistent, it was close but. Moving into the finals Zac Clinkers was surprised to be in top 3. The finalist had 3 minutes to throw it down. It was easy to see that Zac was skating well but just a little under Aaron Winter and Barry Mansfield, Aaron was hitting some good lines and did the transfer into the portable quarter from the flatbank, the crowd erupted in large noise. Aaron took out the 2^nd place with the man himself Barry Mansfield taking out the win once again. Barry was so consistent with his skating, throwing in hard trick, hard lines and flowing smoothly around the park.

Barry Mansfield front grabbin over the hip on his way to 1^st place once again in the park competition.

Clockwise from top left – Aaron Winter was on a mission, this transfer from the bank into the quarter was one of the raddest things that went down at the action sports games, 2^nd place – Zac Clinckers was stoked to get the 3^rd place, feeble grind down the rail – Connor Harrington boostin the hip and taking 4^th place – Harry Clark board sliding the rail on his way to getting 5^th place

Bmx semi finals was on, it was hit the tricks to get to the finals, first place was $1500 and the glory of the win. With Sam Thomas not showing up, he must have had a hard night of party, and Jacob DeAbreu out from injury from the halfpipe battle jam there was only 8 in the final. Daniel Chiarelli took out the 8^th place, just was not hitting on point like he was in qualifying. Lee Kirkman who has been competing as a professional for the past 20 years took out the 7^th place, some nice original moves in there defiantly helped. 6^th place went to David Pinelli who was riding so rad, 360 variations galore, but just did not use enough of the park to place higher. The top five were now ready for the finals. Laurence Bakewell although placing 3^rd in qualifying just seemed to be lacking the power in the finals and took home the 5^th place with 199 points. 4^th place went to Jack Fahey, last year’s winner, who was riding with a broken toe, his front flip in on the landing ramp of the box was insane and he was stretching his superman seat grabs so far, it was crazy. 225 points. The competition was so tight anyone could have won. 3^rd place and stoked to get that was Nathan Philps. Nathan used some of the smaller ramps to his advantage and moved them around the park to open up different lines, flair into the hip from the small kicker as well as front flip as well as a super clean 720 over the box were defiantly his raddest moments, 236 points. Freestyle Now rider Dylan Schmidt took home $1000 and the second place with 241 points. Qualifying in 6^th place on Saturday Dylan stayed focused on the task and hit the radness in the finals. So much power. It was easy to see who would take out 1^st place, many tried to stop him but it was obvious Brock Horneman was unstoppable. Back flip barspins to tuck no handers, flair whips at height, speed and flow, he had it all going on, extremely consistent and so much rad. 1^st place with 271 points. Brock ended up taking home $3000 from his two wins, bmx park and halfpipe
The Mandurah Action Sports Games had it all, Cyclone, rain, wind, sun, radness, fun and tight competition. A big thanks to all of the event supporters City of Mandurah, Department of Regional Development, Royalties for Regions and Tourism Western Australia. The 2015 Action Sports Games will be the last one held in Mandurah, for 2016 it is intended to host the Action Sports Games in Bunbury but this still has to be confirmed.

Official results – 2015 Mandurah Action Sports Games 13^th – 15^th March 2015

Scooter
1^st Ben Thomas $1000, 2^nd Jared Colwell $700, 3^rd Jiordan Giacoppo $500, 4^th Brandon Black $300 176 points, 5^th Luke Sheehan $200 164 points 6^th Jae Yates $150 144 points, 7^th Levi Mills $50, 8^th Morgan Avery $50, 9^th Peter Ververis $50, 10^th Kieran Ramsay $50, 11^th Talyn Galic.

Skateboard park
1^st Barry Mansfield $1500, 2^nd Aaron Winter $1000, 3^rd Zac Clinckers $700, 4^th Connor Harrington $500, 5^th Harry Clark $200, 6^th Cory Tyers $150, 7^th Jesse Nelson $50, 8^th Joe Bothams $50, 9^th Josh Birtwistle $50, 10^th Joel Pond, 11^th Jamie Pratten, 12^th Mason Brown, 13^th Shaun Paul, 13^th Paul Bruno, 15^th Samuel Gunthorpe, 16^th Craig Firmin, 17^th Reif Wilson, 17^th Daniel Stefanovich, 18^th Tyla D’Arcy, 19^th Leuis Franich, 20^th Ethan Donatti, 21^st Sandra Mitchell, 22^nd Matthew Russell.

Skateboard halfpipe
1^st Connor Harrington $1500, 2^nd Brendon Cross $1000, 3^rd Paul Bruno $700, 4^th Cory Tyers $500, 5^th Harry Clark $200, 6^th Josh Birtwistle $150, 7^th Jeremy Hall $50, 8^th Christian Martinez $50, 9^th Dylan Sharpham $50, 10^th Sean Harding $50, 11^th Shaun Paul, 12^th Daniel Stefanovich, 13^th Joel Pond, 14^th Samuel Gunthorpe, 15^th Ethan Donatti

Bmx park
1^st Brock Horneman $1,500, 2^nd Dylan Schmidt $1,000, 3^rd Nathan Philps $700, 4^th Jack Fahey $500, 5^th Laurence Bakewell $200, 6^th David Pinelli $150, 7^th Lee Kirkman $50, 8^th Daniel Chiarelli $50, 9^th Jacob DeAbreu $50, 10^th Sam Thomas $50, 11^th Regan Lothian, 12^th Jeremy Adams.

Bmx halfpipe
1^st Brock Horneman $1500, 2^nd Daniel Chiarelli $1000, 3^rd Dylan Schmidt $700, 4^th Nathan Philps $500, 5^th Jack Fahey $200, 6^th Laurence Bakewell $150, 7^th David Pinelli $50, 8^th Jacob DeAbreu $50, 9^th Lee Kirkman $50, 10^th Brad South $50, 11^th Jeremy Adams, 12^th Regan Lothian.

The 2015 Action Sports Games was be the last one held in Mandurah, for 2016 it is intended to host the Action Sports Games in Bunbury.

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