The three-day festival of speed will see a “freeride” race event on February 12, time qualifications on February 13, then a final race day (Open Class, Women’s, Juniors, Master and Luge) on February 14.
We have our own representative from South Sydney, the very talented Maga B. McWhinnie, who kindly took the time to answer a few questions.
Could you please give us an update on what’s been happening for you?
Well, after five years of racing around the world, I took a break from racing last year and became the Manager of Basement Skate (in Regent Street, Redfern), Director of the IDF (International Downhill Federation) and Director of the WSF (World Skate Federation), which is amazing because it let me contribute to my sport and still spread the stoke with new riders, community and events, locally and around the world.
I still skate as much as I can, even with my new full-time job. I organise a session with my friends weekly and organise with my partner (Rob) some grassroots events for the local crew here. This year though, finally, after four years of absence, I’m helping my friends from ASRA organise a Skateboard World Cup down in Mount Keira, Wollongong, and I’ll definitely be in it racing again, this time for the good times!
Are you racing in this event?
Yes, I couldn’t miss racing my local hill!
What do you wear as protective gear for downhill racing?
In world events like this, we use a custom-made Downhill Skateboarding Leather Suit, a Downhill Skateboard Full Face Helmet and Sliding Gloves.
Is your board specially made for racing?
Yes, our boards are a Downhill Skateboard or a Downhill Longboard, with the perfect concave to grip and get sideways at high speed (80-90km/h), CNC Laser/Precision Trucks, and big racing wheels to hold your grip when you need to and get sideways for pre-drifts.
Where is Mount Keira ranked in the world of downhill skateboard racing? I mean, is it an easy or tough course?
Mount Keira Road is not a very technical road because it doesn’t need any major breaks for turns, but it’s very winding, and in racing that’s what makes it challenging since you can draft and pass by taking better lines, and anything could happen. It’s a very fun track, it’s not crazy fast as other tracks around the world, but fast enough to feel at the edge of gripping and making it through a corner, especially because the road is not all smooth. Last time we had a race there it was pouring rain, and then it became unpredictable and slippery.
Will we ever see a skateboarding race here in South Sydney?
Hopefully! At the moment, the sport is still very unknown for our local community, and it’s a bit hard and expensive to organise events (lots of paperwork, long processes and not too much funding for it). And the truth is, sometimes people think we are crazy people with a “death wish”, but it’s the opposite. We are just a very closed community (family) with a passion for an environmental sport and with the aim to live to skate another day. We have local riders representing us around the world but unfortunately we have no Downhill Skate Parks to train.
So yeah, an event or race here in South Sydney would be amazing. We might need a hill or somewhere steep. We could also do a Border X Skate.
