In Search of the Canna Ramp reaches Boardmasters
After nearly a week of exploring skateable terrain across the West Country, finally the search for the Canna Ramp reaches Boardmasters and the ramp is found.
Boardmasters is an annual five-day event first held in 1981, involving surf, BMX and skate competitions, as well as music performances. It is held at two iconic locations along the Cornish coastline – the big music acts perform at Watergate Bay, while the sports events go down at Britain’s home of surfing, Fistral Beach, Newquay. The skate and BMX competitions are both free to attend.
The skate competition is one of the highlights of the weekend, attracting a large crowd to the purpose-built mini ramp set up on the headland, where a top line-up of skaters take the competition to the limit. Over the years since the first Boardmasters, some of Europe’s finest skaters have made an appearance, competing either on the mini ramp or in the street competition which was held until 2012.
In 2013, Dannie Carlsen from Denmark took first place and the £2000 cash prize – his half cab blunt 360 shove it and blunt tre-flip perfectly illustrating why he was the man to beat. The girls’ comp was a battle between Lois Pendlebury, Beckie Jacques and Steph Nerding, with Pendlebury eventually emerging on top, landing tricks including a front tail lip and backside lip slip.
There was also a no holds barred Best Trick competition, won by Ben Grove’s frontside nosepick off the back barrier, with Jordan Sharkey’s blunt double flip in also worthy of mention. The Open Mini Ramp had a distinctly local flavour, with local lads Chaz Merryweather and Harry Wild taking first and second places respectively.
