From its beginnings in the early 2000s, scootering has developed from a niche community into a major outdoor sport with global competitions, becoming mainstream in the past 5 - 10 years.
Today, we will discuss the top scooter riders in the UK to watch in 2024. We'll delve into their journeys in the stunt scooter scene with Jordan Clark, Jayden Sharman, Lucy Evans, Sophie Molyneux, and Jamie Hull. They'll share their experiences, from conquering competition nerves to becoming a 5-time World Champion. Curious about what it takes to be a pro scooter rider? Keep reading!
Jordan Clark
Jordan Clark received his first scooter at 13 and has been riding for 11 years. Among his most notable achievements are being a 5-time World Champion, a 3-time European Champion, and a 1-time UK Champion. When asked about being a 5-time world winner, he said, “It's an incredible feeling, as when I was young, I always dreamed of winning it just once, but to achieve it five times is something truly indescribable. A lot of hard work and determination to consistently do my best year after year.”
How does it feel to enter competitions trying to defend the title, needing to improve each year? Jordan answered, “Entering competitions with the aim to retain titles is always challenging, but if you have confidence in your skills and how you feel on the scooter, that's the best chance you can give yourself in competitions.”
How do you handle your nerves? Jordan responded, “When I was younger, I struggled with nerves as I didn't know how to channel them properly during competitions, but as I've grown older and participated in more events, I've learned to utilize the nerves to the best of my ability, and when it comes to the run, I'm fully focused and ready to go.”
Jordan Clark was also part of ACTION SPACE Prepping for Worlds - The Making of a World Champion last year. “Riding alongside the best and not only offering my insights on how others can improve, but also receiving feedback from the other riders on my riding. Overall, an incredible week.” Their coach is Dakota Schuetz. Kota is also someone Jordan admires; he says, “I admired Kota from a young age. I just loved how consistent Kota was and how he always won competitions.”
Jayden Sharman
Jayden Sharman began scootering at 8 years old. He said,“It all started when I rode a small bike to the local outdoor skatepark. I saw some people riding scooters, doing whips, bars, etc. I thought it was amazing! I got my own scooter, and the journey began!”
You might recognize Jayden for his major achievements, being the European champion, UK champion, and World number 2. Jayden recently won Men's Park at Extreme Barcelona. We asked what it was like to take first place. He replied, “Barcelona Extreme is always the event you want to win. All your friends and family are there, the location is perfect, and many aspiring pros come to watch! It was an incredible experience, and I’m eager for more moments like it!” We followed up by asking what he's currently working on and what the future holds. Jayden responded, “I’m always working and progressing to become a better athlete and a better version of myself. I look forward to achieving greater feats, pushing the sport's boundaries, and helping the younger generation do the same.”
Jayden Sharman also took part in ACTION SPACE Prepping for Worlds - The Making of a World Champion last year and said, “Action Space Prepping for Worlds is always a fantastic time. Having Kota's support and helping you turn your weaknesses into strengths. It was a very productive couple of days for me and my friends who were also there!”
Jamie Hull
Jamie Hull began scootering at age 9. He mentioned in a past interview, “I loved trying to learn new tricks, and although scooters were barely allowed in any indoor skateparks, whenever we could get to a park that permitted them, I really pushed myself to learn as much as I could with the little time we had. When Deeside Skatepark opened, I was just 10 years old, and it made a huge difference. Although it didn't have any foam pits or resi ramps, just being able to ride in an indoor park was amazing. I really improved my tricks, but not only that, I made some incredible friends. Without them and that park, I probably wouldn't be riding today.”
You might know him for his greatest achievements: 2-time UK Champion, European Champion, and 2-time Fise Park Champion. Last year, Jamie won the World Skate World Championship. When we asked what this meant to him, he said, “Being World Champion means everything to me. Ever since I watched the 1st Deeside World Championships when I was 10, I am so happy and proud to represent my country in Argentina and bring home the Gold Medal. It means everything and has motivated me to ride and progress even more now than before. I love my sport.”
Jamie Hull was also involved with ACTION SPACE Prepping for Worlds - The Making of a World Champion last year. When we asked him who he looks up to, Jamie replied, “I admire many riders, but Dakota Schuetz in particular. He was one of the first riders I started watching on YouTube. When I saw him at the 1st ISA competition, I thought WOW, he was amazing. I'm so happy to say that he is now one of my close friends, and I have learned so much from him. He has been a true inspiration and mentor.”
Sophie Molyneux
Sophie Molyneux is a street scooter rider from Bristol with a decade of experience. She shared, “Like many kids, I always had a scooter, but as I grew older, I constantly asked my mum for a better one. We moved around 2013, and my neighbor also rode a scooter. We’d grind on the curbs and anything else in our street. Once I was old enough, my mum let me visit the skatepark more frequently and independently. Many of my riding companions quit as we aged, but I didn't want to stop.”
You might recognize Sophie from her frequent participation in UK Street scooter jams; she’s a familiar face at these events. Recently, she clinched the top spot in the women's street category at the Extreme Barcelona competition. We asked her about the experience of winning First in Female Street at Extreme Barca. “I felt extremely proud. Landing a flawless first run followed by my first two best tricks was thrilling. Seeing your name atop the leaderboard is such an amazing feeling. After watching the men's street at Extreme Barcelona for the last two years, competing there was a dream come true.”
Sophie Molyneux is also a member of Team Blunt since her Welcome to Flow video was released 9 months ago. We asked her about filming the Welcome to Blunt video and her favorite moments. “I ended up choosing the coldest week of the year to film my Welcome to Blunt video, so it was quite challenging. One day, it snowed overnight, forcing us to change our plans completely, but overall, it was a super fun experience. Selecting Indy for filming and editing was definitely the right decision for me. He was incredibly patient when I struggled with tricks and never complained. There were many highlights, like exchanging ideas with Indy, finally landing a trick after trying for an hour, and seeing the fully edited video for the first time. It was amazing to see four days of riding come together after experiencing a range of emotions.”
Sophie is a regular at numerous street scooter jams. However, you might not be aware that earlier this year, she organized her own Street jam event in her hometown of Bristol. When asked about it, she said, “Josh Peace, Ferdie Keeling, and I collaborated to host the first Bristol Street Jam after hearing from many in the UK scooter community that it was something they wanted to see. Seeing so many friends and riders from across the UK, and even a few from America, in the city where I grew up was quite surreal. Hearing such positive feedback about Bristol gave me a renewed appreciation for the city.”
One of our final questions was about the future of female riding. Sophie responded, “The Olympics, definitely. I think it would be an incredible opportunity to demonstrate that women are welcome and valued at skateparks. Growing up, I didn’t always feel welcome as the only girl, so I hope women's scootering is promoted to the point where girls feel confident enough to pursue their dreams despite any challenges they may encounter.”
Lucy Evans
Lucy Evans is a professional scooter rider for District Scooters. She stated, “I used to skateboard but never really progressed much. In the summer of 2009, I picked up a scooter and did a bunny hop. I then went straight to YouTube, and the first video I watched was one of Kota. From that moment, I was hooked!”
You may know her from winning the 2021 world scooter championship for Female Park and founding girlscooternews. We asked about girlscooternews and what motivated her to start it. Lucy explained, “I realized that competitions were quite confusing, and women in the sport didn’t know where they were held or how to sign up. There also seemed to be a recurring theme where women weren’t sure if they were good enough to enter. I’d like to think that by creating recap videos after each girl's competition worldwide, it helps encourage girls as they see riders of all abilities competing.”
Where do you think female riding is going to go in the future? “It’s only going to expand and improve. I watch a lot of female BMX, and the progression in riding has been remarkable since they were afforded equal opportunities in their sport. Now that World Skate offers equality in scootering, I can already see female riders raising the bar. New women are emerging every day, landing impressive tricks we never thought possible!”
Lucy Evans not only rides for District but also serves as the team manager. She says, “It’s amazing to be able to provide opportunities to new and talented riders. I recently signed both Helian González and Davey Sanders. They’re incredibly talented and definitely ones to watch in the coming years on the competition scene.”
Our final question for Lucy was about her current projects and future plans. Lucy replied, “I recently missed a front flip combo on the Adrenaline Alley airbag; I landed but lost balance a few seconds later. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Hopefully, my future includes successfully landing that trick! I’ve also been working on improving my competition weaknesses and consistency in preparation for the ISF worlds in Australia this month.”
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