Last weekend, the Bill Waterston Skate Park hosted its first ever Skate Park Leagues (SPL) competition, as part of the 2025 Western Regional Series.
The event saw 21 participants showcase their skills across the skateboarding, BMX, and scootering categories, all taking place on the ramps and rails of our facility in front of a supportive crowd.
The under-16s demographic was best represented with 13 competitors stepping up to the plate, while a further 8 attendees entered the over-16s category. Scooters were the overwhelming ride of choice, with 15 entrants; BMXers made up 5 of the total contenders, and skateboarding competitors numbered 3.
A huge congratulations must go to Flynn Latchman (centre in header image), who achieved the highest score of the day with an 88.80 in the Scooter Open Male category. Just a sliver behind Flynn was Murphy Cooper, who accomplished an 88.00 in the BMX Under 10's Male category.
Sponsors of the event included FReeZA, Aus Cylcing, Victorian Skateboard Association, Skate Australia, YMCA Victoria, Skater Maps, Active OutThere, Lux BMX, Tech Deck, and Ararat Rural City Council.
SPL is all about celebrating skate park culture and creating a positive space for young people of all ages and abilities to shine, whether competing or cheering from the sidelines. Launched in 2007 in partnership with the Victorian Skateboarding Association, SPL now runs over 100 events a year across Australia.
The League is open to young people and is free of charge, giving youth a platform to showcase their talent. It also offers a national pathway to excellence: if a participant finishes in the top three places of each age division on their Skate Park Leagues state league ladder, they'll qualify to take part in the Australian Skate Park and Skateboarding League National Championships.
The Bill Waterston Skate Park received a significant upgrade in 2018, principally to its concrete skate bowl, which now sits at 2.4 metres deep at its lowest point. The bowl includes hips (bends in the curved surface, creating a middle ridge for skaters to jump or grind over), a spine (two quarter-pipes connected back-to-back), and three sections with two oblong-shaped bowls.
Image L - R: Dylan Foster, Flynn Latchman, Jett Upton
