Wollongong skateboarder Luke Russell has continued his rise through the ranks with a series of excellent results in a trio of major events this season.
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Skateboarding has its own language of 540 McTwists, kickflips, indys and big melon airs, and 12-year-old Luke's performances show he is an expert at it.
At the recent Australian Bowl Championships (ABC) at Bar Beach, Newcastle, Luke finished third out of 31 competitors and was one of the top four direct qualifiers for the Vans Bondi Bowl-a-Rama at Bondi, a World Cup of Skateboarding event.
At Bondi, Luke faced the other three qualifiers from the ABC, plus four additional invitees in the Vans Bowl-a-Rama, and produced an amazing display to finish equal first in the under 18s, splitting the winner's prize of $3000.
The Vans Bondi Bowl-a-Rama featured some of the greats in the skateboarding world, including Pedro Barros, Bucky Lasek and Steve Caballero.
Luke then took on, and defeated, some of Australia's best skaters in the under-18s vert competition (13-foot high halfpipe) in Melbourne at the Viva Prahran Youth Festival.
Luke mostly competes in the bowl and vert (vertical) categories, churning out incredible moves on a 4.2-metre ramp.
"It's been a lot of fun, making new friends, and it was exciting to meet and skate with the pros
and competitors," Luke said.
The Prahran festival incorporated street, mini ramp and vert ramp competitions.
Former World Cup of Skateboarding Vert champion Renton Millar also showcased his incredible skills as he took on the ramp.
