Outback skateboarder travels entire east coastline of Australia to fundraise for skatepark in Laos
A person from Damaged Hill in Much West New South Wales is on a mission to skate a lot more than 3,600 kilometres up the east coast of Australia to carry his love for skateboarding to fellow enthusiasts in underdeveloped countries.
Tom Drury, 28, has presently travelled 1,200km together the shoreline from Melbourne to Wollongong in a bid to achieve Cairns in Far North Queensland by March.
“I started out at Melbourne Central and then I went down the Mornington Peninsula and acquired a ferry to Phillip Island and I’ve just been next the coastal road all the way up — it truly is been killer,” he reported.
Mr Drury’s very first long-length skateboarding venture was in June this yr when he skated 115km from Broken Hill to Menindee in a person working day.
He now designs to be the 1st particular person in the world to journey alongside the east coastline from Melbourne to Cairns entirely on a skateboard, whilst documenting his travels to his followers on .
“I am performing wherever involving 50 and 80km a day, but I commonly normal all-around 70km a working day,” Mr Drury said.
Relying on the generosity of strangers
A lot of the road on his trek to the leading of Australia is rocky, slender, and incorporates some of the busiest highways in the country.
“Some pieces of the Princes Freeway you will find a large amount additional targeted traffic, the roads weren’t constructed for me and my skateboard, some components have been tremendous annoying, but I am even now alive,” he claimed.
Mr Drury states he is built up very the standing with motorists, who have stopped to give him drinking water and treats, or pulled over out of sheer curiosity.
“I’ve been couch surfing the overall way, a couple times individuals have arrived at out to me on my socials and have available rooms, so I’ve sort of been keeping with strangers,” he stated.
“I’ve experienced to doorknock prior to simply because I ran out of h2o and I went to a farmhouse and was ready to fill up my water there but that was my most challenging day.
“The climate has been so humid, so I’ve been chaffing.”
Mr Drury has not only embarked on this wild venture absolutely alone but he has carried practically nothing but the bag on his again.
“I have acquired my one particular backpack with all my drinking water, three sets of clothing, my drone and my GoPro, a pair of flip flops, my melodica, which is a keyboard instrument, and some equipment,” he explained.
“Just the bare necessities, but it truly is pretty heavy once I have got all my stuff on.”
‘A excellent frame of mind and an open up mind’
Aside from his unequivocal appreciate for skateboarding, Mr Drury’s principal incentive is to elevate $25,000 to build a skatepark in Laos.
Mr Drury has been operating with NGO to secure land for the skatepark, and says the revenue he is increasing will go straight to building prices.
“Laos is the only region in South-East Asia that won’t have a skatepark and the skate scene is big in excess of there,” he explained.
Considering that the beginning of his very long-distance skate, his has erupted with donations, but Mr Drury suggests he has a long way to go just before he reaches his vacation and fundraising plans.
“I am just a massive believer in skateboarding … it’s been a massive vice in my life and it is significant to have a safe room for persons to skateboard,” he explained.
Inspite of his large process forward, Mr Drury says it is worthwhile.
“A ton of folks consider you need to be genuinely in shape to do this things,” he mentioned.
“It is really not about that, it really is about obtaining a excellent attitude and an open thoughts about things that may happen on the highway, but you can not let that halt you.”