With almost 10,000 instagram followers, local scooter rider Pascal Berry (@pascal_scooters) is doing what she can to promote female riders in the sport.
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Ranked second in New South Wales and seventh in Australia, Pascal has been competing since she was 11 years old.
Pascal said she was always at a skatepark watching older her brother Sebastian compete so it was inevitable she would end up competing herself.
“I won my first competition on a ripstik,” she said.
“The prize they gave me was a scooter deck so I thought “I have to get into it now”.”
Now 15, Pascal is one of about 12 girls who compete in Australia.
She travels each month to Sydney or the Central Coast for qualifying rounds.
The NSW titles will be held in Sydney on March 17 and from there the top five will go to Sydney to compete at the Australian Titles on April 21 and 22.
If she qualifies for Nationals she will miss the opportunity to compete this year though.
“We will be in Disneyland for mums 40th,” she said.
“She gave me a choice to stay and compete or go to Disneyland.
“I am a bit sad about missing the titles this year but it’s not every day you get the chance to go to Disneyland. I’ll take my scooter with me!”
Pascal was ranked in the top three female riders in Australia until she broke her foot in two places at last year’s Australian Championships in Melbourne.
“That pushed me back to seventh,” she said.
“A competitor ran into me 10 minutes before I was to do my run.
“I still competed and I beat her so that was a bonus.”
Competing at a national level is as high as Pascal can go in the sport though because she is a girl.
Her mother Kristy said it’s a bit of a touchy subject.
“There is no international competition for females,” she said.
“It’s a big thorn in my side - afterall it is 2018.”
Pascal said if she was to compete in the male professional events and came in the top three she would be able to go on to the internationals.
“Next year maybe that’s what I’ll do,” she said.
“It’s either ride with the boys or we need to push the International Scooter Association to bring in a female competition at a world level,” Kristy said.
Pascal is sponsored by one of the largest action sport companies, Madd Gear Action Sports, along with Monster Skatepark, Sydney.
She loves the adrenaline rush she gets when she’s doing a trick.
“My favourite trick would have to be a rotor whip,” she said.
“It’s when you spin the deck and bars the same time in opposite directions.
“But my best trick is a quad tail whip - spinning the deck four times while you are in the air.
Pascal is grateful for the opportunities she has been given so far in her career.
“I’m pretty lucky,” she said.
“It has taken me all over australia and I have some amazing friends I’ve met through the sport.
“I’ve met people from all over the world and have been lucky to do some pro events with some pretty cool riders from all over the UK and the US.”
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