Photos: Young guns clean up in Kerikeri skate competition

Zedyn Fellows, 13, performs a trick called judo air during Saturday's Vert Jam skate competition. Photo / Adam Creighton

Young riders dominated at the third annual Vert Jam skateboard competition in the Bay of Islands on Saturday, with skating prodigies aged 13 and 14 taking out the top prizes in the open division.

The event, which draws some of the country's top skaters, is held at the Kerikeri skate ramp and is organised by former pro skateboarder Dave Crabb.

This year's competitors ranged in age from 10 to 56 skating in open, masters (over 40), girls and under-16 divisions.

Crabb said this year's event heralded a changing of the guard with Niwa Shewry, 14, of Taranaki, and Zedyn Fellows, 13, of Wanaka, outclassing former pro skaters of much greater age and experience.

The event coincided with the Kerikeri half marathon - guaranteeing a big crowd for the spectator-friendly sport - which involves riders performing challenging tricks and spending almost as much time in the air as they do on the ramp.

Photos by Adam Creighton and Peter de Graaf.

RESULTS

Open: 1 Niwa Shewry, Taranaki; 2 Zedyn Fellows, Wanaka; 3 Chris Wood, Wellington.
Masters: 1 Cale Tolley, Mt Maunganui; 2 Ramon Thackwell, Auckland; 3 Mark Weber, Palmerston North.
Girls: 1 Billy Morrison, Auckland; 2 Rhya Henare, Taupō; 3 Ia Stirling, Kerikeri.
Under-16s: 1 Remus Henare, Taupō; 2 Oska Robinson, Kerikeri; 3 Monty Graham, Mangawhai.

Wanaka skating prodigy Zedyn Fellows performs a 540, possibly the first time the trick has been seen in Kerikeri. Photo / Adam Creighton

Open division winner Niwa Shewry, of Taranaki, gets high to execute an indy air. Photo / Adam Creighton

Rico Henare from Taupō makes pulling off a frontside air look easy. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Vert Jam's youngest contestant, 10-year-old Monty Graham from Mangawhai, goes frontside. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri's Ia Stirling, 11, has competed at every Vert Jam to date. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri 13-year-old Oska Robinson does a lien to tail. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Taupō's Rico Henare, 17, executes a frontside air. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Taupō's Remus Henare, 14, executes a frontside tailslide. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Palmerston North's Von Griffin, or Griff for short, performs a frontside air. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Nik Clegg performs an invert. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Whoa! Steve Nickolls from Auckland bails from the top of the ramp. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Kerikeri's Cam Bardley executes a trick called rock to fakey. Photo / Peter de Graaf