New recruit Naomi on a roll - February 2015
RIDING HIGH: New national women's skateboard champion Naomi Craig finds some air down at the Kowhai Park skate bowl.
Naomi Craig's skateboard is taking her places she never dreamed of.
The 17-year-old Wanganui High School student won the women's open at the Cheapskates Skateboard National Championship at Porirua Park on Waitangi Day.
Two years ago she would never have dreamed such a lofty achievement was possible.
While Naomi had rolled around on a board in rather ungainly fashion as a toddler, it was only in more recent times she began to get the hang of it.
"I did roll around on one when I was little, but it wasn't until much later that I boarded regularly," Craig said.
Like many teenagers, boarding began as a form of transport for the affable young skater.
"Yeah, I used my skateboard to get around town instead of a bike and it was only two years ago I started trying a few tricks."
The skateboard bowl at Kowhai Park in Wanganui East and the streets and pavements around town became her practice grounds.
Living on Durie Hill means it's a pretty quick trip to town, but the payback is the return trip home up the Durie Hill stairs with skateboard in hand.
Skateboarding is pretty much a male-dominated sport and Craig is one of only a few females seen regularly kick-flipping, frontsiding, backsiding, faking or performing the ollie down at Kowhai Park. Most are young teenage boys.
Among her favourite moves are the kick-flip, blunt-faking and ollie.
"They're good guys down here at the park and they've given me a few good tips that came in handy at the nationals in Porirua.
'I might take it a bit further, but I'd rather keep the passion [for skating] and not get too seriously into competitions at this stage," Craig said.
For her performances at the nationals Craig won a bunch of skateboarding gear, including clothing and shoes, but her favourite prize was a new deck, the riding platform screwed to the trucks, or front and rear wheel assemblies.
"I've only got one board, so it was neat to get a new deck for when my old one gets worn out."
The Cheapskates Skateboard Nationals is run in conjunction with the Porirua Skate Jam which is now a regular mainstay of the Porirua Festival of the Elements.
The Porirua Skate Jam offers local skaters, alongside talent from all over the country, the opportunity to compete for prizes, recognition and the respect of their peers.