Chloe Covell

What got you into skating?

I was watching TV with my Dad and a skate contest came on. I saw Nyjah Huston do a cool trick and honestly, after I saw him do that I wanted to start skating. Nyjah was a big influence for me early on, for sure. I ordered a Nyjah figurine, I eventually got his autograph and a selfie with him in Sydney at a big contest. I was fixated. [laughs]

Amazing. Now you’re winning contests and medals with him.

Yeah, we’re skating contests together–we’re friends. He’s given me advice on switch tricks and stuff. He’s even seen the selfie. [laughs]

So you started skating right after watching that contest?

Yeah, just before my seventh birthday. I got a deck for Christmas.

Are you into tattoos? Are you going to get fully tatted up when you’re 18?

I don’t think I’m going to go full-on like Nyjah. Maybe a little one on my ankle or something.

So you started skating right before you turned 8 years old. How quickly were you progressing?

I used to take lessons at the local skate park. I started off doing bowl lessons, so I got comfortable with bigger ramps and stuff, then went on to the street lessons. I just kept on getting better and better and realized that I could start doing competitions. After that, I just wanted to keep growing and progressing.

What was it like when you first started? Did you take to it right away or was skating scary at all?

Honestly, I used to be really fearless because I would be decked out in pads, hand pads, elbow pads, knee pads… I even wore butt pads at one point. I used to be all out. I used to throw myself around when I was a little kid. Just hucking. [laughs]

Skating now… I do get nervous but I just try to block it all out. If it's a competition, I just act like I'm in practice skating with everybody else, but the course is clear.

What’s your process for learning a trick–do you have a favorite obstacle or spot that you learn on?

If I'm learning a new trick, I'd just go to either a small down rail, flat bar, small out-rail… or maybe a flat ledge. Just something small I can try it on first. When I'm scrolling through Instagram, I just see some tricks that look pretty cool, and I give them a shot. Or sometimes I'm just at the skate park mucking around, and I try some different tricks and learn them.

We can see what comes easy to you but what’s a trick you battled for a minute to learn?

Front feebles took me a long time to learn—I used to get bodied on them because I would try it but I couldn’t lean back. Every time I tried I’d stick and get bodied. Then I realized you had to lean back and push out. Now it’s my go-to trick. They just look really good.

How do you handle the days when things aren’t working?

If I'm at the skate park and not having the best session, I’ll step back and try something different. If nothing’s working, I’ll just have a chill session that day and hope stuff works the next time I’m at the park or on a session.

Being involved with so many avenues in skating, how do you approach each and what do they mean to you?

Contests are a cool environment to be in because you’re with everyone and even with the pressure, it’s really fun. Of course, it comes down to who wins and who makes the podium, but I enjoy the whole experience heaps. With street skating… it’s awesome in a different way because it’s the proper stuff—it’s fun but it gets the most credit. I like them both in different ways, I guess.

Are you learning from the other people you’re competing with in a contest format or is it more individual?

It's pretty individual. Since my Dad is my coach, he’ll give me ideas of stuff he thinks I can do or should try and I’ll give him my ideas too. It’s teamwork in that way—we work it all out together. When I started (competing), I was just trying to get better—trying basic tricks. As I got more comfortable in competitions, I could push myself harder and even try things I hadn’t done before.

Why are filming parts important to you and what do you want to accomplish with video?

I definitely want to have a big street part. That’s one of my biggest dreams. If I can accomplish that it would be amazing. Street skating is the real stuff, if you can get out and create a cool video part, people will notice and give you credit in a way that contests don’t.

Are you your own worst critic?

There have been kind of stages where I wasn’t progressing. A few years ago I felt that—I was just kind of doing the same tricks and leaning into what I knew I could do. That changed when I started to believe in myself more and try new tricks without being scared. Sometimes new tricks will hit me when I’m scrolling through Instagram and see something that looks cool. I’ll bring that to the skate park and see if it works out or not.

The longer you do something, the more particular you get. Are you particular about your set-ups?

I’m pretty “out-of-the-box,” but with my wheels, it’s always graphics on the inside. That’s something I have to do—I feel like it makes the board look cleaner.

Are you the same way with shoes?

When I first started skating, it didn’t bother me what shoes I was wearing because I wasn’t doing that many tricks. As I got more comfortable and was pushing myself harder, I knew I needed specific shoes—ones that had the right flick and felt the best. A lot of it comes down to what feels right when I put them on. That’s why I’ve skated a lot of GT Blazers and Dunks—they just feel right.

What’s it like having a Nike SB shoe that’s designed for your needs and the needs of younger skaters specifically in the Day One?

I really like them. They're one of the comfiest shoes I've ever worn and they look cool as well. The heel cushioning is super good, which is important for me. I liked it right out of the box.

Having skated the Day One for a while what were your first impressions and how did they break in?

I like them a lot immediately. They feel a lot like the Nyjahs, which are one of my favorite shoes. They’re super comfy, they flick really well, they look cool, and feel good on the board. But the flick is the main thing. I like skating new shoes—it’s the best feeling.

Who’s your day one?

Ah, my whole family I guess, and my dog Leo. He's my mascot. He is a Maltese Shih Tzu, all white. My dad has helped me heaps because he's basically my coach. He usually travels with me. He's learned all the lingo now and he's very supportive of me.

Does he skate?

He’s not from that background–he was a professional football player in the rugby league in New Zealand. He can roll around and film and stuff. He can nearly pop shove-it.

What do you want to achieve in skating that you haven’t yet, outside of filming video parts?

My biggest dream right now is going to Paris and representing my country but also, getting a pro board and a pro shoe are huge goals for me. Having my name on a board or a shoe would just be awesome.

What are the biggest changes you’ve seen since you started skating at six years old?

Starting skating at a young age was good for me because I’m still only 14 and looking forward to spending a long time competing. It feels like skating got a lot of interest after Tokyo, especially with young people who are skating hard and practicing to hopefully get to this stage someday.