Supplied: Albert D'Urbano
)When 11-year-old street skate prodigy Chloe Covell isn't smoothing down urbanscapes in northern NSW and the Gold Coast, she's taking on the nation's big deals on wheels at the Australian Skateboarding League Championships, run by the YMCA.
And don't for a minute think inexperience is an issue for the Year 6 Terranora Public School pupil.
Chloe came second to 18-year-old friend, mentor, rival and Olympics hope Hayley Wilson at last year's contest and this weekend she rolls coolly into her third national championships.
But she's not getting ahead of herself — or Wilson, the triple-title street champ from Victorian high country town Mansfield.
'It's pretty sick'
Skaters aged seven to 35 will compete in qualifiers this Saturday, with finals on Sunday, at the Moomba Festival in Melbourne.
For Chloe, it's a simple equation.
"You have two runs, about 45 seconds to a minute, and you usually have three or five best tricks to get your points high," she said.
"You need to either have good runs or good best tricks and if you fail the best tricks you don't get any points."
With two national championships events already under her belt, Chloe loves the way the skate community embraces everyone who takes part.
"It's been pretty sick," she said.
"I'm very excited, very pumped and keen to see the other girls that will be in it."
'Couple of broken bones'
Supplied: Albert D'Urbano
)In regulation chino pants, T-shirt, helmet and kicks, the determined Banora Point youngster said a "couple of broken bones" hadn't deterred her in five years of skating.
Dad Luke Covell said weekend coaching and many afternoon skate sessions were paying off for Chloe, who would have her parents and sister close this weekend.
"It's very pleasing," he said.
"We see the hard work that she has put in over the years. She's definitely getting some great rewards out of it, that's for sure.
Supplied: Luke Covell
)"She got very close last year. Hayley Wilson has won it the past four or five years, so she's going to be very difficult to beat but as long as Chloe does her best, I'm sure she will do well.
"She's very good friends with Hayley who has helped Chloe a lot with her skating, so its a good, friendly rivalry but it's also good competition," he said.
