On Feb. 5, Michael Cavallo of Hillsborough won first place in his division in the Grom-O-Rama skateboarding contest championship in the 80-degree temperatures of Naples, Fla. He bested a field of 25 in the Beginners Street Division.
Michael advanced by placing in one of the eight qualifier events held on the East Coast from Maine to Florida.
Michael has been skating competitively for the last two years or so, mostly at the beginner level and usually placing in the top three. He plans to move up to intermediate or advanced this year. Most of the competitions are in New York, New Jersey or Pennsylvania, with the larger competitions running qualifier events that cover several states. Top-five finishers in each qualifier are invited to a championship round.
Last year Michael competed in the King-of-the-Grom national competition, qualifying in Pennsylvania and travelling to Minnesota for the championship event.
Michael and other Hillsborough kids are sponsored by the local Hillsborough “Prime Skate Shop.”