New Zealand National Vert competition in Wanaka.
It was our absolute honour and privilege to have been invited to attend the New Zealand National Vert competition in Wanaka this year.
Not only is the Wanaka vert a thing of beauty to behold, the scenic view of the mountains from the deck of this gnarly beast is arguably one of the most beautiful views from a skate spot in the world.
The event was put together by the Wanaka Community in a display of what it truly means to be part of small town New Zealand, with a very special thank you going to the Fellows whanau who opened up their home to the New Zealand skateboarding community.
When we heard that there would be camping next to the vert, Yeah Gnar NZ hired a motor-home and headed south with team member Raph, who was to spend the day with the difficult job of judging the competition. Krysta, who had the difficult job of skating in the competition. And a gaggle of supporters who had the easy job of cheering from the sidelines.
We could not have been more proud of our skater Krysta, who was skating vert for the first time since she broke her leg in the warm ups at the Kerikeri Vert competition at the end of last year. She overcame her fears and skated like a boss, coming away with second place, with the winner of the national title going to Rhya Henare of Taupo.
There is a lot of history behind the Wanaka ramp, which you can watch about in the short film "Fourteen Foot Journey" on Amazon. Check out the trailer below!
