SOME of Australia’s best skaters descended on the iconic Woolstores Ledge for the Red Bull Ledgend competition last week, with a Freo local taking out the top prize. 

Attendees included 14-year-old Olympic skater Chloe Cavell who flew in for the competition just weeks after returning from her Paris campaign. 

Perth-born professional skater Nick Boserio also provided “electric” commentary for the Ledge competition, after commentating the Olympic skateboarding event in Paris. 

Each heat allowed for four competitors to skate on the Ledge for between 10 and 15 minutes, in which they were judged on their ability to perform the best ‘line’, or two tricks in a row. 

• Fresh from Paris, Chloe Cavell tried out Freo’s Ledge. Photo by Daniel Molloy, Backwards Hat Photography

The best skater from each heat progressed to the finals, with Freo local Matt Archer taking out the competition and a $1000 prize. 

WA Skateboarding Association secretary and event organiser Rowan White says the event was an “amazing” opportunity for local skateboarding talent to showcase their skills. 

“The comp started a few years ago, and it’s been run internationally in Austria, Germany, and the US,” Mr White said. 

“This year they picked the Woolstores, which was a no-brainer. 

“It’s one of the best spots in the world to skate.” 

The event was put on by Red Bull and facilitated by the West Australian Skateboarding Association and the Woolstores Forever group, who were recently instrumental in saving the Ledge from development. 

This is the first official event at the Ledge since Woolstores developer Human Urban announced the iconic skate spot would be retained as part of its project plans. 

“We’d organised it long before we had an outcome with the development,” Mr White told the Herald. 

“We held it to celebrate what the Ledge is, what it has been, and what hopefully continue to be.”

by KATHERINE KRAAYVANGER