Youngest Competitor at Senior GB National Championships
Jaxon Popovic will be the youngest competitor at this year's senior GB National Championships.
A senior GB National Championships is usually no place for a 10-year-old - unless it is skateboarding sensation Jaxon Popovic.
Born in Australia, raised in England, and now residing in Wales, Jaxon will compete in Cornwall from 9-12 July with the goal of becoming British champion.
Despite his young age, he has not qualified to compete in an age-grade category or against other young skateboarders. Instead, he will compete directly against 26 of the best male skateboarders in the UK at the Newquay event, which features national champions, Olympic hopefuls, and a £10,000 prize fund.
This is a remarkable achievement for a child still in primary school.
However, a review of his career accomplishments shows that his participation is well-earned.
Recent Achievements and Competition History
Notable performances in the past six months include success in the Survival of the Sickest series, a set of competitions organized by Skateboard GB. Jaxon won the event in Hemel Hempstead and secured podium finishes in Birmingham and Cornwall.
These results have earned him a place in the event he and many others have aspired to compete in.
"I'm excited but also a bit nervous," said Jaxon.
"I haven't been to that park (Concrete Waves) for about two years. But my goal was to qualify to compete in these championships and when I found out I had been selected it was really exciting.
I've been competing in national competitions and they've been fun, but they were in age-grade categories so this will be different."
Early Life and Training
Jaxon lives in the small Pembrokeshire village of Solva and attends school in St Davids, which is not known as a skateboarding hub. This requires him to make regular five-hour round trips to train at a skatepark near Cardiff.
His skill on a skateboard was evident long before moving to west Wales. Born in Darwin, Australia, his passion for the sport was apparent by the time he relocated with his parents to Somerset at 18 months old.
"Shortly before his first birthday we were in a surf shop and he became fixated with a skateboard on sale there," explained his Welsh mother Lucy.
"He would not put it down and we ended up buying it for him as a first birthday present. He was always trying to balance on it which is how this all started."
By the age of five, Jaxon's practice evolved into a desire to improve and compete.
His reputation as a rising star soon extended beyond the west country. Although moving to Wales increased his travel time, it has not diminished his commitment.
Trips to a skatepark in Haverfordwest often result in other users pausing their runs to admire the young skateboarder's skills on the ramps.
In 2025, a six-month trip back to Australia helped further his development. While based on the Sunshine Coast, Jaxon was able to train and compete on facilities that were considerably more advanced than those available in the UK.
Despite his talent, the then nine-year-old was deemed too young to compete in the Welsh Championships. Now, he is eligible to compete alongside professional skaters in national events.
Olympic Ambitions
Regarding his goals for the Newquay competition, Jaxon will have three heats to impress, followed by three additional runs if he advances to the final stage. He is not competing merely to participate.
"I'm hoping to put down a full run where you don't fall off the board for 45 seconds - the time you're given to show what you've got," he said.
"If I can do that maybe I can reach the final which is the top eight."
His ambitions extend beyond this event, inspired by the sporting heritage of his local area.
He lives in the same village that produced former Tottenham and Wales winger Simon Davies, and his school, Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, has already produced two Olympians: rugby sevens player Jasmine Joyce and sailor Mickey Beckett.
"I'd love to go to the Olympics," said Jaxon.
"It is a goal to get there. I know I'm too young at the moment (for Los Angeles) but I would love to be in the Games in Australia. But I know I have a lot of work to do first."
His Olympic dream will have to wait until 2032, when the Games return to Australia in Brisbane, as he will not be old enough to compete in Los Angeles in two years.
For now, his focus remains on the Newquay championships. Regardless of his origins or future career developments, the name Jaxon Popovic is one to watch in Wales.
