Jaxon Popovic Heads to GB Championships

Jaxon Popovic, a 10‑year‑old skateboarder, will travel to Cornwall for the GB National Championships from 9 to 12 July.

The event takes place in Newquay and pits him against 26 of the UK’s top male skateboarders, Olympic hopefuls and a £10,000 prize pool.

Unlike age‑grade contests, this is an open national competition where budding talent faces established stars.

Born in Darwin, Australia, Jaxon moved with his family to Somerset at 18 months and received his first skateboard for his first birthday.

His mother Lucy remembers the moment he became fixated on a board in a surf shop, refusing to let it go.

By age five he was already trying to balance on the board, turning playful sessions into a serious drive to improve and compete.

Jaxon lives in the tiny Pembrokeshire village of Solva and attends school in St Davids, meaning regular five‑hour round‑trip rides to a skatepark near Cardiff.

This long commute has become a routine part of his training schedule.

Despite the distance, the community’s support fuels his dedication.

When Jaxon was nine, the Welsh Championships ruled him too young to race against seniors, leaving him eager for his first national‑level chance.

Recent months have shown swift progress, beginning with a win in the Survival of the Sickest series in Hemel Hempstead.

Podium finishes in Birmingham and Cornwall followed, catching the eye of national selectors.

Competing in Newquay, Jaxon will face three preliminary heats, with a chance at three more runs if he advances to the finals.

His immediate target is a clean 45‑second run without falling, hoping to crack the top eight.

The stakes are high, as the event rewards both skill and consistency under pressure.

Jaxon’s Olympic dream is driven by local heroes – Simon Davies, a former Tottenham and Wales winger, hails from his village.

His school, Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, already boasts Olympians Jasmine Joyce (rugby sevens) and Mickey Beckett (sailing).

He admits he is too young for the 2028 Los Angeles Games but aims to be part of the 2032 Brisbane Games at age 14.

“I’d love to go to the Olympics,” he says, “but I know I have a lot of work to do first.”

Wales fans should remember Jaxon Popovic’s name; his rise mirrors the region’s tradition of producing elite athletes.

His story shows how early passion, combined with relentless training, can shift from local park sessions to national stages.

Whether Newquay becomes a launchpad for future Olympic success remains to be seen, but his determination is already making waves.

Quick facts

• Age: 10
• Location: Solva, Pembrokeshire, Wales
• First skateboard: received at age one
• Recent wins: Survival of the Sickest (Hemel Hempstead), podium (Birmingham, Cornwall)
• Competition date: 9‑12 July in Newquay, Cornwall