Thompson skateboarders and bikers were the high flyers at the 13th-annual Northern Manitoba Skateboard and BMX Championship at the Norplex skatepark June 6, taking top spot in all three skateboarding categories and two of three BMX divisions while claiming 12 of the 16 top-three places overall.
The 12-and-under skateboarding competition was a sweep for Thompson, with D.J. Hunter taking top prize, Karalyn Blackmore second place and Kage Jesso third. The 18-and-over BMX category was also an all-Thompson affair with Tomasz Bak, Sean Gillis and Matt Hause – the only competitors in the division – finishing in that order.
Luke Cablik of Thompson won top prize as the only 12-and-under BMX competitor, while Jack Robson was third in the 13- to 17-year-old BMX event behind winner Brandon Sawchyn of The Pas and runner-up Cole Bland-Hart of Churchill.
The 13- to 17-year-old skateboarding crown went to Brayden Wood of Thompson, while Ethan Moore was the host city’s other top-three finisher, coming in third behind Dre Lafreniere of Opaskwayak Cree Nation.
Thompson’s Justin Goulding was first in the 18-and-over skateboarding event, beating out Brendon Sanderson of Winnipeg and Cahlin Jesso of Thompson.
Approximately 200 people came out over the course of the day to watch 35 competitors, the youngest of whom was only four years old. The competition, organized by Funky Threadz in The Pas, rotates among Northern Manitoba skateparks from year to year. It was first held in Thompson in 2011.
