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Former Skateboarding New Zealand President, current Board Member and Rad Skate School Director and Coach Chris Curran has been selected for World Skate's first-ever Skateboard Coaching Commission.

Curran has been leading free and accessible skate coaching for all demographics and abilities over a number of years, an initiative that has put over 3000 people on boards in NZ alone. With strong regional knowledge throughout Oceania, he has also led Skate NZ as both President and, more recently, as High Performance Manager.

The SBCC is a select group of experts from around the globe who are on a mission to develop skateboard coaching education and opportunities.

Having conducted a rigorous objective-based selection process, and by rating each nominee against an identified skill and experience matrix which encompasses Skateboarding, Elite Sport, Academic Qualifications, Sport Science, Leadership, Diversity and Coaching- World Skate announced the inaugural members of the SBCC.

Alongside Chris Curran are the following to have been selected:

Alain Goikoetxea (Spain) is a former professional skater who understands the power of education and coaching. An accredited skateboarding judge with postgraduate degrees in executive sports coaching and performance psychology, he has experience blending the art and science of skateboarding as Head Coach of the Spanish National Team- for both Park, and Street.

Alex Wolf (Great Britain) brings extensive elite sport experience in coaching, sport science and learning. He has been Head of Learning and Development at the English Institute of Sport, a staff member of Team GB for both Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics- as Head of Performance Sciences and Services- and a Director of the UK Strength and Conditioning Association.

Amber Edmondson (Great Britain) is the current Coach Development Lead for GB Skateboarding, responsible for rolling out coach education throughout the UK. The founder of two NGO’s (Women Skate the World and New Wave UK), as well as international consulting and management experience, she understands first-hand the positive impact which informed, holistic skate sessions can have on athletes, coaches and communities.

Cristiano Mateus (Brazil) is a former professional skater who brings over thirty-five years of experience as both an athlete and a coach. As a leading vert skater, he has evolved into a coach with a proven record of working across the entire developmental spectrum throughout the Americas- most recently, leading Chile at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Kenny Reed (USA) is a former professional skater with a background as a school teacher. He also brings a rich and unique cultural experience throughout Asia, where he has brought skateboarding programs to countries including Palestine, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea and Mongolia through his leadership roles in NGO’s including SkateQilya, Salad Days of Skateboarding and Make Life Skate Life. Most recently, he has served as a Technical Delegate for Singapore Skateboarding as well as Head Coach for both Myanmar and Thailand Skateboarding.

Lea Schairer (Germany) is an elite skater who is leading the way for females in the sport as she currently balances her own skateboarding career with that as Head Coach of the German National Street Team. Recently accepted onto the IOC Women in High Performance Sport (WISH) Program and with Degrees in both Sport Science and Event Management (MA), she is committed to the sharing of knowledge for the global growth and development of coaching practices.

Sean Hayes (Canada) is the current National Team Coach for Canada Skateboarding. An elite skater with World Championship and Olympic coaching experience, he pioneered the concept of “skateboard coaching” many years before it was a skate park norm. A passionate learner with an Advanced Coaching Diploma, he has recently been accepted onto the IOC International Coaching Enrichment Program (ICEP).

Sharne Jacobs (South Africa) is the founder of Girls Skate South Africa and has been instrumental in creating safe and accessible opportunities for underrepresented and underprivileged communities throughout Africa. A regional leader in the provision of adaptive skate lessons, she also has wider experience through her work with Skateistan and parts of Europe.

World Skate advises that it is “excited by the knowledge, expertise, competencies and attributes the SBCC will bring to the development of a coach education certification system as well as the wider coaching development strategy as we work to provide a means for skateboarding coaches of any level and any nationality to access or align a range of learning opportunities that will recognise and support their personal development.”

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