Three talented Tauranga girls will today get on their skates on and show off their spins, turns, jumps and figures to represent New Zealand at the 2022 Oceania Artistic Championships for roller-skating.

Amy Cheetham, Sophie Hock and Amber Smith will be among top skaters of all ages from across New Zealand, Australia, Japan Taiwan, and the UK competing from today, September 30, through to Monday, October 3, at Jubilee Stadium in Whanganui.

The trio have been training hard leading up to the competition, with each girl clocking up four-five sessions weekly at the Greerton and Mount community halls.

'Sunday is my longest day but that's also because I coach a beginner class in the morning but I do roughly up to nine hours a week,” says 17-year-old Amy, who has been skating since age 12.

Both Amy and Amber will compete in the competition's figures category. 'Figures is basically like a series of turns, and there are also loops in our figures which are these really small, intricate, little loop shapes on the floor and you have to trace them forwards and backwards,” says Amy.

'I have quite a logical, mathematical mind-set and I like figures because it's got a set of rules and when you get the turn it just makes the whole thing work,” says 15-year-old Amber.

However, Sophie, aged 16, will compete in the freestyle category which involves a routine of jumps and spins. Her favourite trick is an ‘axel'. 'It's just like an ice skating jump – you jump in the air, spin around and then you land,” says Sophie.

The girls are all in the international grade of the sport, which is required to compete at Oceanias. '…basically it means you have to be in the highest grade for your age possible for the whole country,” says Amy.

The girls are looking forward to having fun and doing their best at the sport they love. 'I'm trying to just better my own work and hopefully improve my scores and do better than I did at the last competition,” says Amy.

'I love the actual skating but the atmosphere and how everyone is at competitions is really lovely, it's such a great sport for the community as well,” says Amber.