<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The best skate comps are just excuses to get the tribe together for a week of good times and ripping sessions. Wellington is the perfect city for an event like BOWLZILLA where the community is the focus. The week is full of free learn to ride clinics, street jams, parties, art shows, barbecues, free jams and the excuse of the National Bowl Skating Championships.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Many were not able to attend BOWLZILLA Wellington at the last minute because of a cyclone hitting the North Island. Everyone in attendance went above and beyond to make it another legendary year though, but more importantly, celebrate for those in our community who could not.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Having the support year in year out from Wellington City Council has ensured not only that BOWLZILLA Wellington is the largest skate gathering in the country every year but that Wellington is also home to the most thriving skate scene because of the We Skate Poneke initiative. The BOWLZILLA Wellington week is growing and becoming more representative of the whole colourful community and the best is yet to come.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The support that goes into festivals like these are so important and everyone in attendance: fans, staff, friends, family and the competitors all step it up a little bit more to show their appreciation. Watch the ripping skating in the Hot Wheels 16 & Unders, Masters, Women and Opens and you'll see the future really looks bright for New Zealand skating.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sponsors and partners like The Cambridge Hotel that housed all the crew and competitors and all the other sponsors combined; Radioactive.FM, Monster, Hot Wheels, Kangol, Santa Cruz, Independent, Dickies, Manual Magazine, Powerhaus Automotive, Manky Chops, Wellington Skateboarding Association and Skateboarding.NZ were bloody awesome.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The BOWLZILLA Wellington Champions for 2023 are; Hot Wheels Skate 16 & Unders: Monty Graham, Masters: Ramon Thackwell, Women: Yeva Butler and Open: Shaun Boucher, and a special congratulations to Yeva Butler for taking out the Hot Wheels Skate fingerboard competition as well, she’s going to need extra baggage allowance to get home.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A huge THANKS goes out to all the friends, family, fans, media, sponsors, supporters, community, crew, and skaters for what was truly one of the best years ever for BOWLZILLA Wellington.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>BOWLZILLA Wellington 2023 placings:</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Hot Wheels Skate 16 & Under</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st Monty Graham</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2nd Ari Saffer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3rd Marshall Littlefair</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4th Ace Findlay</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5th Rio Saffer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6th Tate studd</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Masters</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st Ramon Thackwell</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2nd Von Griffin</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3rd Chris Wood</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4th Simon Hunt</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5th Orson Reynolds</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6th Nick Bennett</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7th Craig Harris</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8th Adam Warriner</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9th Jason Hill</div><div style="text-align: justify;">10th Scott Wilkinson</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Women</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st Yeva Butler</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2nd Ignacia Munoz</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3rd Krysta Ashwell</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4th Gala Baumfield</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5th Ella Vincent-Hyde</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6th Rose Nawalowalo</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7th Georgia Hudson</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8th Chrystal Doller</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Open</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st Shaun Boucher</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2nd Zedyn Fellows</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3rd Jett de haan</div><div style="text-align: justify;">4th Bowman Hansen</div><div style="text-align: justify;">5th Josh Wilson</div><div style="text-align: justify;">6th Felix Griffin</div><div style="text-align: justify;">7th Brynn Fraider</div><div style="text-align: justify;">8th Zef Robinson</div><div style="text-align: justify;">9th Johan Dowley (Lex)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">10th Louis Newman</div><div style="text-align: justify;">11th Dallas A J Waitokia Marshall</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Hot Wheels Skate – fingerboard video winner</strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Yeva Butler</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">BOWLZILLA stands on the shoulders of giants and we strive in all we do to acknowledge the influential skaters and scene that came before us; Patti McGee, Tony Alva, Lora Thornhill, Jay Adams, Adrian Jones, Grant “Biff” Murdoch, Dog Town, Steve Alba, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag, Pearl Jam, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Hellmen, Glen E. Friedman, Thrasher, Independent, The Bones Brigade, The Beastie Boys, Lance Mountain, Chris Miller, Cara Beth Burnside and Tony Hawk. The new guard of Poppy Olsen, Keegan Palmer, Taniah Meyers, Grant Taylor, Lizzie Armanto, Danny Leon, Nicole Hause, Rune Glifberg, Omar Hassan, Bucky Lasek, Jack Fardell and Pedro Barros, would not be here without this heritage. BOWLZILLA™ acknowledges and celebrates this with plans to build on the past and write a bright and energetic future.</div>