A ten-year-old skateboarder has won a national title despite the event being cancelled - after submitting a video of a routine in her GARDEN.Talented youngster Roxana Howlett was devastated after the National Skateboarding championships was called off due to the coronavirus.The Manchester competition at the end of March was an Olympic qualifying event and Roxana had hopes of finishing in the top three.But organisers created a 'virtual' replacement and Roxana responded to the challenge by creating a make-shift course in her garden.She then set up a camera and filmed herself in action performing a stunning array of tricks, flicks, and slides and uploaded the footage to Instagram.And in a public vote, she was then crowned the winner of what has been dubbed the "virtual British championships" in a poll run by Skateboard England.Roxana, of Exeter, Devon, who has toured the world competing, said she was thrilled to win the title.She said: "We made a ramp, I started on my ledge, and then jumped over a rail onto the indo board. "I also did a kick flip and a line on my ramp."I was really happy to find out I had won as I put a lot of effort into the video. "I definitely want to become a professional skateboarder.
I love meeting new people and travelling."Her mum Emma Franklin, 37, said her daughter had shown an interest in skating from the age of six and her talent was quickly evident.She said: "She skates street mostly and prefers skating on stairs and rails.
She was down to compete in the National Skateboarding championships in Manchester in the woman's division. "She was really looking forward to it and was very sad it had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus. "Skateboard England decided to do a virtual one where competitors submitted their videos at home and the one with the most likes wins it.
She just put together an obstacle course in the garden with a ledge, some rails and jumps."She set up the camera on the step ladder to film it and got the most likes when she put it on Instagram. "She was therefore officially crowned the 'virtual skateboarding champion.'
With 673 likes and won £100 in prize money.""She just wants to skate as much as she can and in as many different places as she can.
Maybe become a pro skater when she gets older. "I am just glad she has found something she has enjoyed doing, that is active and means she can be outside. "She was really pleased to win the title.
She is now really looking forward to the real championship that they will hopefully be able to rearrange.
She had her sights on getting in the top three."Emma, who lives with her other daughter Molly, 15, and partner Wayne, 47, added: "She started messing around with her sister's board in the garden when she was six and asked for a proper skateboard for Christmas that year."She used to do tap dancing but would cry every time and say she just wanted to be a skater."She started going once a week to an indoor skatepark and picked it up really naturally.
She just loves that with skating she can do her own thing.
It is a solo sport and she can just work on herself."From that she just became more involved and interested and would enter local skate competitions.
She did really well and would start going every day - learning different tricks. "We started travelling a bit further for competitions and she got her first couple of sponsors."Emma said they had visited places including Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and California to compete in competitions.But she said a highlight was when they visited Palestine last year and she skated in the West Bank for a week with the charity Skatepal, which was set up to build skateparks and give lessons to locals.
A ten-year-old skateboarder has won a national title despite the event being cancelled - after submitting a video of a routine in her GARDEN.Talented youngster Roxana Howlett was devastated after the National Skateboarding championships was called off due to the coronavirus.The Manchester competition at the end of March was an Olympic qualifying event and Roxana had hopes of finishing in the top three.But organisers created a 'virtual' replacement and Roxana responded to the challenge by creating a make-shift course in her garden.She then set up a camera and filmed herself in action performing a stunning array of tricks, flicks, and slides and uploaded the footage to Instagram.And in a public vote, she was then crowned the winner of what has been dubbed the "virtual British championships" in a poll run by Skateboard England.Roxana, of Exeter, Devon, who has toured the world competing, said she was thrilled to win the title.She said: "We made a ramp, I started on my ledge, and then jumped over a rail onto the indo board.
"I also did a kick flip and a line on my ramp."I was really happy to find out I had won as I put a lot of effort into the video.
"I definitely want to become a professional skateboarder.
I love meeting new people and travelling."Her mum Emma Franklin, 37, said her daughter had shown an interest in skating from the age of six and her talent was quickly evident.She said: "She skates street mostly and prefers skating on stairs and rails.
She was down to compete in the National Skateboarding championships in Manchester in the woman's division.
"She was really looking forward to it and was very sad it had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.
"Skateboard England decided to do a virtual one where competitors submitted their videos at home and the one with the most likes wins it.
She just put together an obstacle course in the garden with a ledge, some rails and jumps."She set up the camera on the step ladder to film it and got the most likes when she put it on Instagram.
"She was therefore officially crowned the 'virtual skateboarding champion.'
With 673 likes and won £100 in prize money.""She just wants to skate as much as she can and in as many different places as she can.
Maybe become a pro skater when she gets older.
"I am just glad she has found something she has enjoyed doing, that is active and means she can be outside.
"She was really pleased to win the title.
She is now really looking forward to the real championship that they will hopefully be able to rearrange.
She had her sights on getting in the top three."Emma, who lives with her other daughter Molly, 15, and partner Wayne, 47, added: "She started messing around with her sister's board in the garden when she was six and asked for a proper skateboard for Christmas that year."She used to do tap dancing but would cry every time and say she just wanted to be a skater."She started going once a week to an indoor skatepark and picked it up really naturally.
She just loves that with skating she can do her own thing.
It is a solo sport and she can just work on herself."From that she just became more involved and interested and would enter local skate competitions.
She did really well and would start going every day - learning different tricks.
"We started travelling a bit further for competitions and she got her first couple of sponsors."Emma said they had visited places including Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and California to compete in competitions.But she said a highlight was when they visited Palestine last year and she skated in the West Bank for a week with the charity Skatepal, which was set up to build skateparks and give lessons to locals.
