Wollongong skater Luke Russell has proved himself among the world's best juniors after finishing third in the world championships in Colorado Springs.
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Luke was among an international invitation-only field of 10 competitors in Vert, Bowl and Street categories at the Rocky Mountain Rampage (RMR) in the United States city.
Travelling with his mother, sister and grandmother, 14-year-old Luke had to overcome a horror lead-up that included his bags being lost, and missing his connecting flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City following a 15-hour trip from Sydney.
Even after his late arrival in Colorado Springs Luke had more mishaps, with the booking at their motel inexplicably cancelled and then finding another motel riddled with ants and not having a kitchen.
But after another move to more suitable accommodation, Luke settled into his final preparation for the RMR, turning heads and impressing his rivals.
In the Vert ramp competition, the star-studded field faced a heat, semi-final and final on the one day.
Luke skated well in his heat, nailing some big tricks and advancing to the semi-finals.
He again impressed the judges and made the top-three final.
With all three finalists exhausted from a full day of skateboarding, Luke produced a couple of great runs to finish in third spot and effectively a podium spot in the world championship for his age.
The following day Luke took part in the bowl comp, which featured all the Vert competitors from the previous day chasing a victory in the Bowl Jam.
In the 30-minute "jam" session Luke produced some rad lips and aerials to win the event.
Finishing with the top prize against some of the world's elite skaters was an impressive effort.
Having returned home, Luke is gearing up for another big season in Australia and the next step in a promising career.
