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Champion skateboarder Luke Hayward...
answers YOUR questions! 

Luke in action at X-Air!
Photo: Grant Down

Luke, 14, is one of NZ’s top skateboarders.

His sponsor is Assault Boardriders.

Luke’s from Whakatane and has skated at X-Air with pros from around the world, including Tony Hawk.



Q:   Luke, where do you get your skateboards and what brand do you use?
ROBERT WOODHAM, 10, Wadestown School, Wellington   		  

Luke in action at X-Air!
Photo: X-air

     
A:   I get my skateboards from my sponsor Assault. I skate any brand skateboard that is 7.5” or 7.75” wide.  
  
Q:   What was it like skating with Tony Hawk? Do you get nervous when you’re around all the pro skaters?
WAIOIRA MCLEOD, 11, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Manurewa, Auckland
and PETER MORRISON, 11, Napier Intermediate School
  
       
A:   Skating with Tony Hawk was really exciting.

He is one of the best vert skaters ever. Seeing him do every air above your head is crazy. He can do every trick that I can think of in one run.

I don’t get nervous around all the pros any more because I know most of them from skating at X-Air. 		 
    
Q:   HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN:

… you started skateboarding?
– PATRICK GREENAWAY, 7, St John School, New Plymouth and CODY MACDONALD, 12, Ashburton Intermediate School
 
… completed your first real stunt?
- LAURA CANNON, 12, Kumeora Hopelands School, Woodville

… learnt to ollie?
– FINN MUNNELLY, 10, Ngaio School, Wellington 

 
         
A:   I got my first skateboard from Santa when I was four and I have loved skating ever since.

I have only skated seriously since I was seven and I was about eight when I learnt to ollie. Is ollie a real stunt?
 
 
Q: What is your favourite move?
 
– KHAN JELLYMAN, 11, Bledisloe Primary, Napier
– BRODI SKEDGWELL, 10, Lucknow School, Havelock North
– NGARANGI TUHI, 10, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori Ki Heretaunga, Hastings

A: My favourite trick would have to be the kickflip. It’s an easy trick but it’s fun.
Q: I am keen to skate half pipes. How do I begin to do this? What is the best way to practise ‘dropping in’?
– ESTELLA HAMILTON-GIBBS, Taikura Rudolf Steiner, Hastings

A: To start, it’s best to wear pads and a helmet but after that you just have to go for it and drop in.

When you have done it once, it’s easy.
Q: How long did it take you to land a kick flip?
– KAIN GRANT, 12, Kamo Christian College, Whangarei

A: It took me ages to land the kickflip (to land it every time).

I had help from heaps of the skaters at the skate park to get that trick.
Q: How many times a day should you practise? Did you take any steps when you started skating, like first ollying, then ollying onto box, then ollying off?
– DANIEL HICKEY, 13, St Josephs, Temuka

A: Just practise as much as you can.
 
I only started skating boxes like two years ago so I didn’t take any steps to ollie. I just practised on the flat and over other people’s skate boards