I was stoked to get the call to head back for another Weekend at Timmy’s located up at Airlie Beach in North Queensland, Australia. While the majority of Australia is mostly cold and freezing this time of year, it’s plenty warm enough up here.
The land of killer jellyfish, sharks and crocodiles. Lucky skateboarding is on land! This year the event was running over two days at two locations with bulls, bands and skateboarding. Lessss goooooo!
I flew into the beautiful Hamilton Island, part of the Whitsundays Islands. The last time I was here was over 10 years ago when I’d managed to get a fishhook right through the finger requiring hospital assistance to get it removed. My friend Shannon (@terrible.happy) was the maestro on the mic for the event, he and his partner Kylie shared the sunny ferry trip with me over to the Port of Airlie. Timmy picked us up and took us out to where Richie and Larry were making final preparations to the 90’s Vert Ramp which was part of Saturday’s event. For the backstory on this ramp, look at the Airbags at Airlie article from 2025.
Clockwise from top left: Island view from the plane. Shan and Kylie. Richie Hockings has a new haircut, you can’t see it under this bucket hat. Richie and Larry putting the finishing touches on the ramp that has survived since the 1990’s.
The next morning, crew were up early with plenty of jobs to be done for the event the following day. Top left:Josh Matwijiw and the “other Lachie” scare off the guard goats. Top right:Lachie Abbott and his partner Liv are due to be parents very soon! Bottom: The “other Timmy” uses the Forklift to set up the Stage.
Later on, we went out to Nomads backpackers which is located in Airlie Beach town. Bemused onlookers watched Lachie Abbott put the finishing touches on a hectic roll-in he’d built out of doors, running down off a fence into a huge quarter! While Josho tested it out, the curlews with weird eyes lurked. The beautiful arvo rolled on and the crowd began to gather. Shan rocked up to test the mic as the DJ girls set up the tunes.
Bullriders came to check out this thing called “skateboarding.”
Mullets were in abundance! Clockwise from the top left: Josho, kiddies having fun, and the Lads. Decisions for Taiga Nagai while Erick Winkowski looks on.
The ramp started off at around 7 foot. Pocket rocket Charlie Holland from the Gold Coast had a big bag of tricks, both technical and boosting! Here’s a sugarcane and frontside air.
As the sun began to dip, it was time to turn up the heat. Lachie Abbot and his old man removed the coping and flipped up the back to make it into a 10 foot quarter, oooof!
Then Lachie proceeded to demonstrate the functionality – going backside, frontside and throwing in a peter blunt, all in the same run!
There was a line up for the ladder, everyone wanted a piece!
Austin Bailey from Adelaide plays in a metal band called Speyer. Suicidal Layback Air.
Aaliyah Wilson styles a frontside invert without breaking any pink nails.
Just looks like he’s dropped outta the tree, but this is an early release nosegrab backside 360 by Harvey Campbell, no easy feat on a wall this thin.
Redman, aka Sonic the hedgehog, managed to drop-in on the snowboard and got halfway across the flat before getting stuck. Top effort.
Kudos to the one BMXer that had a go. Brews and tunes. Matt Beer and Mark Campbell were having a good time.
Then it was time for the high air. Josh Matwijiw is no stranger to going big.
Freddie Hazelton’s younger brother Sam busted some pretty high airs and then rolled an ankle. A few guys went off the side of the ramp, hence the mattress. It was hard to tell who was going bigger between Josh and Freddie, but in the end the judges gave it to Freddie.
Winners are grinners!
Zane Hetherington shut down the session with a super long 5050 across the flatbar in time to gear up for the big event the next day. Thanks for having us Nomads!
Camping was on offer this year. Phil told me managing the parking was meant to be an easier job because you’re only busy at the start when people are first getting in! Then after, you have time to enjoy!
Yippy Ki-Yay!
Big Richie Norton’s Tip Truck was the next feature, so it was only fitting that Richie should huck his big frame into a BS 180, much to the crowd’s delight!
The brews were flowing and the crowd were amping for some vert ramp action.
Top left: Redman changed costumes several times through the day, this cork hat’s a classic Aussie staple. Top right: The ‘other’ Lachie kept the tunes cranking with DJ decks up above the vert ramp. Bottom: Take a photo of us!
Top row L to R: Taiga likes icecream. Shan, Tony, Freddie and Austin – Truckstop Crew! Rome and Ethan were chilling. Bottom row L to R: Erick Winkowski had quick skate while everyone’s attention was focussed elsewhere during the bullriding, so I only got this shot of his feet on this layback grind. Fans were hyped to see him. Devin Flynn, Back D.
Josho opened the sesh right and rattled off a range of invert variations.
Last year Swellbows mistook the Fireball bubbler for water, and after that had a string of slams to take himself out. He didn’t make the same mistake his year! Frontside heelblock.
Harvey Campbell nails a Kickflip Indy dive bomber.
Ethan Copeland skated solid all day. Frontside stalefish yeah doggy.
Matt – Egg nogg with beer.
Freddie Hazelton, backside air in ma face yo!
Shan hyped the crowd to get behind Harvey’s attempt at a Heelflip 540. Harvey didn’t quite roll away this time, but A for effort.
Aaliyah Wilson told me this was just her second 540 ever! Sick one!
Josho zung out on this Ally Oop Heelflip Indy and whipped back on his head, but with a lid on, he was ok.
At the start of the event, Timmy had said that the platform built over the top of the vert ramp was for the DJ, and that he wouldn’t be held responsible for anything that happened to occur. But when Charlie Holland Popped up to this Nosepick, we were pretty stoked!
So was he!
Cowboy Zack stepped up for a first-time drop in, begrudgingly wearing a helmet. He didn’t do too bad considering!
Prizegiving was had, kids were given boards and then it was time for the bands!
Darlia Gardenia are a psychedelic rock band from Santiago, Chile!
Support to the main act was Swellbows band, Fast Johnny and the Slowburners Rock and roll ruined my life! Swellbows charisma and cheek over the mic had the crowd laughing while they danced to the slick riffs
Time for the headline act DZ Deathrays! They went orrffffff! From slamming the previous day, Sammy Hazelton ended up with two fractures and ligament damage to his ankle, but that didn’t stop him crowd surfing!
Good to see Timmy letting loose with a crowd surf after a massive day of running things. Thanks DZ Deathrays!
Good to see Timmy letting loose with a crowd surf after a massive day of running things. Thanks DZ Deathrays!
