Not since the 1960s have scooters been so cool.

Not the Italian mod rods of yesteryear, but the skateboard styled boards with handle-bars dominating the skate parks and urban streets of the Bay of Plenty and the rest of the country.

Semi-pro rider Bradley Goudie will be signing autographs at the scooter competition.

This coming Sunday, July 8 from 10am, Scooter Central are hosting an event to showcase scooter talent and nurture up and coming riders.

Scooter Central is the largest distributor of some of the most popular scooters and scooter parts in New Zealand.

These school holidays Scooter Central is holding the Bay of Plenty Scooter Championships at the Arataki Skate Park in Mount Maunganui. The competition is open to anyone wanting to enter. Entry costs $5 on site on the day and helmets are compulsory.

The Scooter Central pro-team will be there signing autographs along with judges for the competition, which has four categories - 13 and under, 14 and 15, 16 and over, and best trick.

Entrants will compete to win cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place and spot prizes and giveaways will be awarded on the day. Prizes include scooter handle bars, wheels, clamps and headsets, finger scooters, hats, t-shirts and stickers.

Scooter Central owner operator Kel Travers moved to Papamoa from Auckland this year and set up the scooter franchise.

'It's amazing how these scoots have taken off,” says Kel.

'About five years ago budget scooters came out causing a bit of a craze. But since an Australian company launched a range of trick scooters a couple of years ago the scooters have dominated skate parks.

'It is an opportunity for kids to be kids again in a PC world where they can't even climb trees anymore. In Auckland you don't see the large groups of kids riding scooters like you do here because the urban environment there is just too dangerous.

'But here you see them riding to school and all over the place. You can buy an entry level scooter and within an hour or two in a park start doing tricks and ride with confidence.

Scooters start at about $100, but Kel says people can pay more than $1000.