JACKALOPE UP NEXT – The next generation of skateboarders in Quebec
October 20, 2021 / By yann
7 minutes read
The JACKALOPE UP NEXT tour presented by Videotron was crazy, and final was even more so. The judges / skaters / hosts Math Chouinard and Vanessa Cléroux told us about the best moments, the best tricks and the best human-skaters that marked this edition of UP NEXT which stopped in 15 skateparks before the final event at the Spin skatepark in Brossard this last September 19.
The podium
It’s a competition so it’s a must; There are some who are going to skate so well that we are going to give them money and celebrate them for doing us the honor of killing it on a skateboard on this day. The big winner was Johnny Purcell because “he did the same big tricks as everyone but switch and three times more consistent” Math said. Vanessa remembers well her score sheet and how easy Purcell made it for the judges. On the second step was Zavier Matthews who had not come often to participate in competitions in Montreal so he “came out of nowhere” for many. He made a glorious first impression on everyone by coming in fast, loud and stylish. He did huge hardflips, his front board kickflip during the final made the building shake. He stood out during the Gatineau session and again in the final. We are confident to see the 16-year-old again now that he is on our radar. In third place we find the very talented Léo Hamel from St-Hyacinthe. If you don’t know who Lil Ham is you better follow him on instagram to witness his impeccable skating. Leo never disappoints and the judges have mentioned being fans of his skating and vibe. He is the kind of skater who makes way more tricks than misses and always does it with style. Vanessa filmed so many clips of these guys she doesn’t even know where to send them, there is too many trick. We do recommend that you see the skating these guys with your own eyes one day. Lets go JACKALOPE 2022! 😉
There was a small crew of girls in attendance for the final but not enough to do a classic contest so the format was different as all the contestants were skating for the first place or nothing. Naomie Mariné was picked by Annie Guglia as the winner but Samantha Secours came up very close too with her stylish skating. Naomie aka @the_tank_sk8 was in a great shape during the final and skated very hard and with consistence. She’s has a great experience at skating contests and is not afraid to kickflip rock her board during a final run.
The public’s choice
It was felt that 12-year-old Shaun Martinbeault greatly deserved the People’s Choice offered by Videotron with all his talent and determination. He was on the circuit with us always skated great, especially at Lac-Mégantic (the judges remember the gap to backlip! Phew!) He still had his best day of skating on the final. Mat says Shaun would jump on everything on that day and landed many bangers: “He’s also doing 360 flips now, he’s a skater with so much potential and he’s already the crowd favorite. ”
It was not an official category but it is important for our judges to mention Cédric Vigneault, one of the best skaters in Quebec. He could have won every event of the tour where he showed up. On the day of the final, he missed one or two too many tricks but he still put on quite a show. Gilbert Turenne, Maxime Tremblay and Raph Detienne from Quebec city set the bar very high during this memorable stop in their town! Those as well as all the super good skaters from everywhere who reminded us that the level of skating is high in the Quebec province and that the next generation will blow our mind.
The next generation
Speaking of the next generation, Jayden Sauvé, little Jack from Quebec and Omer from St-Hyacinthe are the representatives of a generation of skaters who grow up in the concrete parks and become so good at everything. Jayden Sauvé is the youngest of them all and that’s what we love! He’s not even 10 years old yet and he still jumps down all the big stuff!! Yes Jayden! See you soon and you’ll surely do an even bigger kickflip then. The same goes for Jack the young skater from Quebec who amazed everyone with his mature style and consistency. He was able to stand out in Quebec when it was one of the stops with the highest calibre. The young Omer from Ste-Hyacinthe also got the attention of our judges who became huge fans of the young and talented guy. We all cannot wait to see all of you again next year.
Thank you!
We feel lucky to have spent the summer with you all, thank you to everyone who embarked on this trip with us. We had way too much fun with you and we are already looking forward to the next adventures. Huge thanks to Videotron and to our sponsors and partners for making all of this possible.
To be part of the 2022 tour across Canada, contact us at [email protected]!
