Haleiwa Skater Takes Third In Colorado World Cup Event
Jordyn Barratt catches air in a Colorado bowl. Photo by Joanne Barratt, Island Style Images.
Jordyn Barratt has kept herself busy this summer, recently returning from the World Cup Skateboarding competition’s Rocky Mountain Rampage, held Aug. 8-10 in Colorado.
The 14-year-old Haleiwa girl came in third place in the bowl competition there.
“Jordyn just started skating vert ramps (U-shaped ramps) about a month or two ago, so she didn’t do as well in it,” said mom Joanne Barratt, “but she did give it a try, and plans to work really hard for next year and blow everyone away with her progress.” The Rocky Mountains made for a beautiful backdrop to the events, she added.
Before heading to Colorado, Barratt competed in the Van Doren Invitational at Huntington Beach, Calif., where she came in ninth place out of 20.
“Being able to skate gives me freedom of expression,” said Barratt, who was one of three amateur skaters invited to compete against the professionals.
“She loved the bowl, as it was somewhat similar to her home park of Banzai on the North Shore,” added Joanne. “Everyone was cheering each other on; that is one of the coolest things about skateboarding. You get to mix with world champions, legends of the sport, all along with the up-and-comers, and everyone is enthusiastic and encouraging.
“Even legends of skating – like Christian Hosoi and Steve Caballero – were there cheering the girls on.”
Barratt now is training for the second annual Exposure competition, which will be held Nov. 2 in San Diego. This all-girls event is put on by professional skater Amelia Brodka, who created the movie Underexposed, which documents the marked differences between male and female skate competitions.
After that, Barratt still is going for gold and will take part in the Vans Girls Combi Pool Classic next January. She turns 15 at the end of this year, which will push her up to the next age division, and she plans to train very seriously for this event. Because she will move up an age division, she will compete with girls up to 12 years older.
“We’re spending most of our time in California now so that she can train and be ready for whatever opportunities lie ahead of her,” said Joanne.
Barratt believes in professional skater Tony Hawk’s mentality: Skating is an art form, a lifestyle and a sport.
“I love the excitement of the crowd and the vibe that I get from it,” she explained. “I love seeing my friends, who come from all over the United States and from around the world to compete. It is a unique sport in that, even though we are all competitors, we are also each other’s biggest cheerleaders.
“You don’t get that in any other sport that we know of.”
