This weekend’s Cloverdale Rodeo will feature more than just ridin’ and roping – the fair’s popular World Freestyle Round-Up skateboarding competition is also back on the schedule.
The event, which runs from May 19-22 at the Cloverdale Curling Rink is now in its sixth year being part of the rodeo, which has long been a staple of the local Victoria Day long weekend schedule. And as in previous years, the skateboarding talent is top-notch, and will see competitors from Canada, Japan, Germany and Sweden vie for $10,000 in prize money.
White Rock’s Andy Anderson – fresh off a skateboarding tour of India, where he took part in demos for company Active8 Sports – is among those competing in Cloverdale. The 20-year-old has become something of a household name on the local skateboarding scene, a news release issued earlier this month notes, but he’ll face stiff competition this weekend.
A fan favourite from last year, 13-year-old skateboarding prodigy Isamu Yamamoto of Japan, is back again this year, and he brings will him three other youth skaters from his home country. Yamamoto has become something of an online viral sensation, with a Facebook fan page liked by more than 170,000 people. One of his skateboarding videos – a clip from last year’s Cloverdale rodeo, in fact – was also featured on Ellen Degeneres’ website last year.
Otheres in the Round-Up field include amateur Brazilian freestyler Diego Pires Afonso, 53-year-old professional Geunter Mokulys from Germany, China’s Shen Meng and Sweden’s Stefan Akesson, a longtime pro with 38 years experience.
Ryan Brynelson – a pro skateboarder from Delta – is also in the field, as is well-known freestylist Rodney Mullen.
For tickets and information, visit www.cloverdalerodeo.com