Even though a snapped skateboard was a slight setback, it wasn’t enough to stop Lenny Torrens from competing at the 2025 Mangawhai Bowl Bash on February 8.
The Hauraki Plains College year 11 student picked up a new skateboard just in time to drop in on the competition and flex his skills.
Not only was the 14-year-old skater happy he landed all of his tricks – he also pulled off a fourth place position in the under 16 category.
Lenny told The Profile he really wanted to make the podium, but wasn’t able to practice riding in the bowl all year due to a broken leg, so crammed in his training before the competition.
Alongside his fourth place ranking, Lenny said he got loads of prizes from event organiser Irrom Distribution, which included skateboard trucks and ear pods.
The young shredder first got involved in skateboarding when he was eight years old and his local spot, the Pukekohe Skatepark, was built, he said. His riding strategy at the competition was to start with easy tricks and progress to harder ones as the day went on, he said, and his method for keeping mentally focussed was to “stay relaxed”.
One thing Lenny said he would have done differently was to have more of a variety of tricks – but there were a few he was proud of.
One trick in particular was called the rock and roll slide in the deep, which is when the middle of the board slides on the coping, or circular metal pipe that runs across the top edge of the bowl, and then the front truck is rocked around back into the bowl, he said.
The BS tail slide, or backside tail slide was the next trick Lenny was currently working on.
“You ollie onto a ledge then turn 90 degrees and hit the tail on the ledge and slide it,” Lenny said. But the best part about the competition was being at Mangawhai and skating with everyone, he said.
His passion for the sport was unmistakable. Not only did Lenny love how creative skating could be, he said it also taught him perseverance and consideration toward other people.
The young skater, who said his biggest skating influences were Simon Thorp, Andrew Morrison and his dad, Simon Torrens, was now working toward the 2025 National Skating Championships this month.
The wheel wizard’s advice for younger or new skaters was “don’t stress out” and try to have fun.
