Seth - from MBAS to Argentina
Seth – from MBAS to Argentina
Seth Smith is a Year 11 student at Mercury Bay Area School. He is sixteen years of age and only last week won qualification to represent New Zealand in the World Skate Championships in Argentina. Due to covid, the national competitions were postponed from earlier this year to the weekend of 24 and 25 September at Napier Bay Skate. Prior to this Seth had won all his regional trials. In Napier, Seth won the under 17 categories, deciding that he would represent New Zealand in Argentina.
Because of the postponement of the national competition, it has left little time for Seth to prepare properly for the Argentina world titles in late October.
Skating is a broader sport than first understood. Seths’s specialty is called ‘Junior Street’. On his scooter, he has amazing ability, speed and agility on the ‘the rails and ledges’. To be able to stay on the scooter, speeding and doing tricks on the rails while balancing a tiny part of the scooter on that rail, is what has won him first place in New Zealand in the under 17 category. The Informer found him quietly practising in the Skate Park in the town centre of Whitianga. “This place was very good for me when I was younger and I came here all the time, but for what I need to practise, it is not challenging enough, and it is the same for others my age. But still, this skate park is good for the town. I’ll push myself to the park’s limits.” Seth is highly skilled at a variety of tricks on the scooter including the complete 360 degree somersault shown here. He will be practising very hard every day for this huge undertaking in Argentina, later this month.
One hurdle he has to face right now is to raise enough money in addition to his sponsorship for the airfares and accommodation required. Madd Gear Action Sport has contributed, but it is not enough. Seth’s mother, Karyn Smith, runs the local dry cleaner business from her home in Cook Street and she has set up a Give A Little page for her son. Whitianga is proud of Seth and we believe the community will respond to help him make the journey to Argentina to represent New Zealand a skating reality.
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/world-skate-games-oct-2022-argentina - Help Seth get to Argentina.