Winter Wonderland
by Emma Makepeace

Photos by Greg Dillon

While wakeskaters in the U.S. melted in the heat at the final stop
of the Wakeskate Tour, Aussie skaters flocked to Go Wake Cable Park on the Sunny Coast for their annual Winter Wonderland weekend.

Winter in Queensland doesn’t get that cold. Wetsuits are optional and you won’t freeze to death without one. Luckily, Wonderland was so late in winter it tumbled over into spring and brought with it sunny, blue skies for a weekend where griptape, shoes and mustaches were out in full force.

If you haven’t been to Go Wake in Australia, then do yourself a favor and get to it. With a full size cable, Go Ride cable (two tower system), skatepark, and the South Maroochy River right next door, there are plenty of ways to get your skate on.

Wonderland doesn’t do competitive competitions. Usually winners are decided by a game of S-K-8 or whoever ends up with the loudest cheers. There’s no official judging, just everyone from first timers to pros throwing down and having a great time. One of the highlights from the weekend included a day out on the Nautique Sport 200. Sydney skater Tim Franco took out first place with a few massive toeside wake-to-wake shuvs, and almost nailing a toeside wake-to-wake 3 shuv. Jarryd Loxton took second place with a few boned ollies and massive wake-to-wake grabs.

But behind all the wakeskating action is where the real shenanigans begin. In the back paddock of Go Wake, tent city rises up around the Barramundi ponds. Drinking games, shredding the skate park, more drinking games, fishing for Barra in the lakes, and probably a few more drinking games help the afternoon fade into night. By this stage, if you remember anything else, then you obviously didn’t play the drinking games, but still would have had a good laugh at everyone else.

By the third day solid of cable, boat and Go Ride sets, the S-K-8 comp kicked off on the Go Ride with riders paired up to throw down all their best tricks. After Matt Edwards and local rider Blair Smith were knocked out in the semi finals, the final game of S-K-8 was between Mayce Dipple and Steve Nuttall. Mayce set first with a front 360, switch front 360, and kickflip before both guys upped the intensity of tricks. Add a 360 shuv, switch 360 shuv, frontside flip, backside big spin and a few more to the list, before Mayce finished Nuttall off on a varial flip for the win.

A huge thanks must go to Wakeskate.com.au and Greg Dillon for organizing the weekend, if he didn’t do it no one would have got around to it. Also Go Wake, Go Ride, Liquid Force, Obscura, Byerly, Nautique Central, Wake Mag, Union Boarder Mag, and The Wakeskate Mag for the support to make wakeskate events happen down under, and maybe even get a few people out of bindings and onto some grip tape.

Video by Jacob Vinall