On Tuesday arvo at Sydenham Green Skatepark in Sydney, Noah Nayef won the Men’s X Games Wild Card Competition run by the Skateboard 2020 Commission. This means Nayef will advance to the X Games event this weekend, along with Brad Saunders and Ryder Lawson, who came second and third respectively.

There was no prize purse for the qualifier event, but the top three fellas all received ‘golden tickets’ to the X Games, which is running at Olympic Park from October 19 to 21. This will give them a chance to skate the high-budget street course and take on international comp circuit big dogs like Nyjah Houston and Ishod Wair, as well as Aussies Shane O’Neill and Tommy Fynn.

Liv Lovelace won the Women’s Wild Card division at Sydenham and Aimee Massie came second, which also earned them a couple of ‘golden tickets’ for the X Games (there were just two Wild Card spots for the ladies).

If a comp skating extravaganza is your jam, keep your eyes peeled for the X Games this coming weekend, which has a street course and a gnarly mega ramp. The men’s street qualifiers are on Saturday arvo at 1pm, and the finals are Sunday at 3.15pm, while the women go straight into a final on Friday at 6pm. The full schedule is here.

Photos by Wade McLaughlin.


Joey Cormack, kickflip backside tailslide.

Ben Currie, pinnacle backside kickflip.

Nixen Osborne flows a backside 360 over the spine.


Johnno Halchenko, frontside pivot to fakie.

Ben Currie, frontside tailslide up and into the bank from flat.

Ryder Lawson, twisting on a frontside blunt.

Brad Saunders, hardflip backside lipslide.

Nigel Cameron from Totem was handing out the half-time fruit.


Aimee Massie pole jam 50–50.

Wonka... Corbin Harris about to hand out the golden tickets.


The men's wild card winners, Noah Nayef and Ryder Lawson.


Women's wild card winners, Liv Lovelace and Aimee Massie.

RESULTS

Men’s Finals:
1. Noah Nayef
2. Brad Saunders 
3. Ryder Lawson 
4. John Halchenko 
5. Ray Macken 
6. Rome Collyer

Women’s Finals:
1. Liv Lovelace
2. Aimee Massie
3. Kat Williams
4. Hayley Powell
5. Zara Percy