Mukilteo Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Editor's note: The Beacon is republishing stories we think will be of interest to readers. This feature is on Sky Siljeg, a skateboarder, who won a World Cup event. The story, written by former editor Sara Bruestle was originally published Nov. 10, 2010.

Professional skateboarders of the world beware: a 16-year-old Mukilteo skateboarder is riding up the ranks.

Sky Siljeg, a regular at the Mukilteo Family YMCA skate park, recently won his first World Cup Skateboarding contest, beating out some of the sport's big names.

"It's definitely a crazy feeling," he said of winning. "I remember when I first started skating looking at these names and thinking, 'Wow, that would be amazing just to see them walking down the street.'"

Sky now ranks second in the World Cup Skateboarding Pro Bowl. The top ranking Pro Bowl skater is 15-year-old Brazilian Pedro Barros.

Sky won first place in Rock the Cradle, the last bowl contest of the 2010 WCS series, which was held in Houston on Oct. 23 as a fundraiser for the Johnny Kicks Cancer Foundation.

The WCS series contests run from February to October worldwide, starting in New Zealand and ending in Texas.

Sky has skated in WCS bowl contests since he was 10. He was ranked as an amateur skater up until this year, when he turned pro.

"Everybody I look up to is who I'm skating at level with now," he said. "I'm competing with them. It's definitely strange."

About 20 of the world's best skateboarders showed up for the contest at Houston's skate park, home of the world's largest cradle. A cradle is a skate bowl on its side.

During the jam session – or free skate – of the contest, Sky said he skated as best and as fast as he could. It was a hectic 20 minutes, as several skateboarders were often in the bowl at once.

"There was crisscross craziness, kind of like a Hot Wheels track, where you're not 100 percent sure if you're going to collide with somebody or if you're going to make it across," he said.

In another part of the contest, Sky rode the park's 22-foot cradle for highest cradle. He won second highest with a ride of 19 feet 6 inches. Another skater, Kevin Kowalski, beat him by inches with a ride of 19 feet 9 inches.

After the contest, Sky listened for his name as the results were announced, until he heard who won third place: Bucky Lasek, a legend in skateboarding.

"Bucky is a huge name, among guys like Tony Hawk, he's in video games and has multiple gold medals," Sky said. "I stopped listening after that. I was positive I didn't beat him."

Sky was busy talking to a friend of his, with his back to the announcer, when all of a sudden he heard his name. He turned around to see what was going on. He had won first place, beating out Kowalski (second) as well as Lasek.

"I was stoked," Sky said. "I definitely wasn't expecting to win that big of a contest, for sure."

Sky said he hopes his ranking will get him invited to the X Games, the biggest skating contest in the world.

He won a total of $1,700 in cash prizes at Rock the Cradle. He received $1,500 for first place in the contest and $200 for the second highest cradle.

All of the $1,700 is going toward travel expenses for the 2011 WCS series, Sky said.

Russell Smith, a skateboarding instructor at the Mukilteo Family YMCA skate park, said Sky's win is well deserved. He said Sky is a role model at the park because he is an top athlete with an amazing attitude.

"He's competing against seasoned pros that are 10 and 12 years older than him, and beating them," Smith said. "That's pretty amazing in and of itself."

The annual RTC contest is in honor of Johnny Romano, a skater who died of leukemia at 10 in 2008.

Beacon file photo

Sky Siljeg, a regular at the Mukilteo Family YMCA skate park, recently won his first World Cup Skateboarding contest, beating out some of the sport's big names.

The contest raised more than $25,000 for the foundation, which raises awareness and funds in the fight against childhood leukemia.

Sky's mom, Pam Miller, was undergoing treatment for cancer the same time as Johnny. Sky and his mom followed the Romanos' cancer blog, so they didn't feel so alone.

"It's sad that Johnny didn't make it, and that makes it even more important to me to go and support this," Sky said.

Sky started skating when he was 5. He fell in love with skateboarding after going with his brother to different skate shops and watching skate videos.

He skates almost daily at the Mukilteo Y, or "the Muk," as the regulars call it. Just about the only days he's not at the park is when he's traveling the world or when it's raining.

"I couldn't have made it this far without the park there," Sky said. "We really have a world class skate park and really good staff there."