Pender Harbour longboarder Scott "Scoot" Smith is tearing up pavement all over Europe and, barring any major upset, will become this year's world champion of downhill skateboarding at the end of his five-week stint abroad.
It's all thanks to years of hard work and practice on his home turf, says local race organizer and Coast Longboarding owner Bricin Lyons.
"He's got the best terrain to practice on in the world, and he trains every day," said Lyons. "All these young guns that were good a few years ago, now they can work and go over [to race in Europe]." Smith, 19, is taking a break from working in construction to travel with seven other Canadian riders on the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) World Cup circuit, and has jumped to first place in the rankings with 1,162 points, 109 more than the next best racer, Kelowna's Mischo Erban.
His first victory of the season came at Almabtrieb, Austria on Sunday, July 20. He won it with a come-from-behind victory, overtaking Vancouver rider Kevin Reimer on the final straightaway. It was a bit of revenge from the race eight days earlier in Peyragudes, a town in the French Pyrénées, where Reimer dusted off Smith for a win in his first IGSA World Cup race.
At the end of the year, Smith will have been racing for four years and has gained sponsorship from Coast Longboarding, Land-yachtz longboards, and Molson Pilsner. His biggest win so far was at the prestigious 2007 Maryhill "Festival of Speed" championship in Goldendale, Wash. He's also been in the top five over the past two years at Attack of Danger Bay in Pender Harbour, the Coast's own longboard race held each May.
"Pender Harbour was the first race in Canada, and Pender Harbour is going to have their first world champion," said Lyons. "With his determination, I pretty much guarantee that. Courses over there are in these big valleys with butter-smooth pavement."
Smith's now competing at the Rock and Roll Downhill Skateboard World Cup in Thalgau, Austria from July 23 to 26. It's touted as the "fastest race of the IGSA." To track Smith's progress, check out www.scootsmith.com, or www.igsaworldcup.com.
