Post-Olympics skateboarding boom

SKATEBOARDING is experiencing a surge in popularity after Australia’s success at the Paris Olympics.

Byron Bay Skateboard School founder Flavio Biehl said he has been fielding calls from parents whose children were interested in taking up or rejoining classes since seeing 14-year-old Gold Coast girl Arisa Trew become Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic champion when she won a gold medal for the sport.

“A lot of girls are taking up skateboarding as well,” he said.

“With Arisa winning the gold medal I’m sure we will see more girls than ever.

“The skate school is turning 10 years old this year.

“I would say that for a lot of the time there was a lot more boys than girls, but that’s changed a lot recently.

“We have a girls-only class and it’s full.”

Biehl said Byron Bay’s lifestyle attracted both surfers and skaters.

The Byron Bay Skate Park, Jarjumirr Park, which opened at Sandhills Estate in 2023, has also given the sport a boost locally.

It features a large skate bowl with a waterfall and granite coping, a ramp and bowl area for beginner to intermediate skaters, a climbing boulder, table tennis table, barbecues and picnic tables.

“The skate park is a really good facility so Byron has also become a skateboarding town,” Biehl said.

Biehl first came to Australia from Brazil to compete in the Global World Cup in 2004.

“I’m turning 50 this year so I don’t really have the energy for competitions anymore but I still love the sport and skating as much as I can,” he said. “It’s great to be involved in a different way.”

Sports retailer Decathlon has also seen a 54 per cent increase in searches for skateboarding products since the Olympics.The company is giving away $100,000 in sporting equipment to primary schools across Australia to help the next generation of athletes.

For more information, head to playgroundstopodiums.com.au