National scooter champ has high hopes

National under-10 scooter champ Thor Larsen, 9, has set up a give-a-little page to help him raise money to get to Brisbane in April for the Australian Scooter Association 2016.

A 9-year-old boy who is "mad" about scootering is putting a call out to the public to help him defend his nationally unmatched talent across the ditch.

Fleeing school at the 3pm bell and making his way down to Sk8 Zone Napier every afternoon has paid off for Thor Larsen, who recently took out the under-10-years division of the New Zealand national scooter competition in Napier.

A Give a Little page has been set up to help raise funds for his trip and on it the Napier Central School pupil said: "I am mad about scooters. One of my dreams is to ride with Ryan Williams and Nitro Circus."

Sk8 Zone manager Kyle Hamilton said there was no one else in New Zealand on the same level as Thor, who was known to spend up to 80 hours a week at the rink.

The competition was run to give children like him an opportunity to compete at an international level, which the Australian Scooter Association 2016 final in Brisbane in April would allow him to do.

"This opportunity is going to be amazing for him because he can really test himself over in Aussie," Mr Hamilton said.

Thor's scootering interest was first sparked at 6 years old when he saw online videos.

"I just looked it up on Google, how to do it, and taught myself in a month," he said.

Going to the skating rink almost every day means the 9-year-old's parents have to be almost as dedicated to the dream as their son.

The Sk8 Zone manager said not many parents supported their kids in sports like scootering and skating, but Thor's were "like no other".

His mother Trish Kearns said her son was "a natural sportsman".

She said he was obsessed with scootering and was also an avid cricket and soccer player who seemed to master most things he tried.

"He will see something, Google it and just teach himself. He's quite a 'I can do and I will do' kind of a kid.

"I do worry sometimes, I have picked him up from the rink after he has face-planted before, but he loves it."

While skating and scootering are often thought to be hobbies in New Zealand, Mr Hamilton said there was more competition in Australia because they were offered as extra-curricular activities, just as soccer and other sports were here.

When asked what he thought set him apart from others, the scooter champ said he was doing "crazier stuff than other kids - triple tail whips and stuff" - a stunt that requires flicking your foot out, while airborne and spiralling the deck three times before landing.

So far Thor's give a little page has reached $570 but he needs anotcher $1430 to make it to the $2000 mark by April.

Donations can be made at https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/helpthorget2ozcomp.