Tony Hawk, professional skateboarder, hosted a skating competition during the Jackalope Festival this past weekend that sophomore Maddi Fisher won first place in.

“It was good winning because I’ve never won a contest that big and it just felt great,” said sophomore Maddi Fisher.

The competition took place June 3, 2023, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., where a three-minute jam was held in a heat between nine competitors, including Fisher, where the competing skaters were able to freestyle in front of judges. The judges determined that Fisher had the best tricks and the most fluent technique, awarding her first place.

“It was super exciting watching everyone skate; it was very entertaining. My big takeaway was that even if you fail, try your best all the way through,” said sophomore Lilly Honeycutt.

After Fisher won first, she was awarded a first-place sign, a $500 gift card to ‘Coastal Edge’ and $50 from the best tricks portion of the competition. In addition to taking photos with Hawk, he also signed her hat and a Jackalope Festival poster.

“I plan to spend the money on new clothes, shorts and a new deck,” said Fisher.

VIP pass holders, including Fisher, were able to meet other professional skaters, like Elliot Sloan, Tom Schaar, Mitchie Brusco, Collin Graham, Bucky Lasek and Reese Nelson.

“I was really nervous meeting all the pros but once I started to skate with them I realized that they are really supportive no matter what level of skating you are at,” said Harley Valentino, who placed second in Fisher’s heat.

Many girls from across the continent participated in all-girl parts of the competition, which Fisher appreciated due to the fact that she isn’t able to skate with other professional girls too often.

“It felt great to skate with girls that are better than me because they push me to do my best tricks and try different stuff,” said Fisher.

Gallery • 2 Photos

Tara Fisher

Professional skater Tony Hawk poses next to sophomore Maddi Fisher on June 3, 2023, after the contest concluded.