Darwin hosts Australian Rope Skipping Championships in Marrara
More than 200 athletes are jumping to the challenge raising the profile of a sport participants feel is largely overlooked. Read why it’s a big deal.
Northern Territory
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Darwin local Sammy George has enjoyed being able to show off some of his skipping skills to his home crowd.
The 17-year-old has already won three medals at the Australian Rope Skipping Championships over the weekend, with five more events to compete in.
He said his favourite part of the sport was the way it challenges him.
“I like how it challenges you in a creative way,” he said.
“And you get to perform to songs and with your friends and family — I love it.”
He said he was relishing the opportunity to compete in his home Territory, with other competitiors struggling with the Top End’s climate.
“They’re not used to the heat,” he said.
More than 200 athletes are joining Sammy in jumping to the challenge of raising the profile of a sport participants feel is largely overlooked.
The competition started on Saturday and the team and individual events include skippers from 10 different clubs, all hoping to impress judges and qualify for Team Australia in the 2023 World Jump Rope Championships in the US.
Mav Larkin, a skipping competitor from Juzzy Jumpers, Canberra, said it was a great way to spend time with friends.
Mr Larkin said the sport had given him the opportunity to meet people from around the world.
“I’ve made so many friends, not only in my club but from all over the world,” he said.
Belinda Winstanley from Skipping Australia and The Jazzy Jumpers skipping team, based in Canberra, had a team of 31 competing over the weekend.
Ms Winstanley said the size of the event required a large number of people to help out in all different areas.
“There are 145 judges over the course of the weekend judging speed and freestyle events,” she said.
“There are also 68 volunteers who help with marshalling, runners and tabulators who control the data entry of results.”
While a significantly sized event and participants required a lot of skill, skipping as a sport is yet to receive wider recognition.
Luke Boon, a 68-time World Jump Rope Champion and former Australia’s Got Talent competitor, said people still did not see skipping as a sport.
“I feel like it’s something people aren’t really aware of,” he said.
Skipping is a sport learnt from an early age, and Mr Boon said it was something that could still be ramped up in schools for students to then progress onto a larger stage.
“It needs to really come back to the schools for it to grow at the grassroots level.”
With events like these, comes the need for significant funding.
Karen Ruzsicska, participation manager at NT Sport Recreation and Strategic infrastructure said the championships were an “obvious choice” for funding and it’s great to see the sport getting more recognition.
“A national event like this is really good exposure for a lesser known, non mainstream sport,” she said.
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