Name: Jesse Matthysz
Age: 27 (as of 2023)
Lives: Melbourne’s eastern suburbs
Skating Since: I've been skating since 1998 and started freestyle in 2010
How can people find you on social media?
Instagram @jmatthysz or @aus_slalom
How did first get into skating?
My love for skating started at just two years old! My dad used to put me in his skates and wheel me around the house. I distinctly remember turning six years old. My mum and dad told me I could start playing any sport that I wanted. My brother and sister were playing inline roller hockey and I wanted to be just like them (if not better). Fast forward to 2010, and I met some members of the freestyle slalom community. With a lot of help from them, my freestyle slalom career took off.
How would you describe your skating style / What types of skating do you like to do?
I would describe my style as 'floaty'. I try make my skating look soft but still powerful, fast and controlled. Most importantly, I’ve always tried to express how much fun I'm having when I'm skating.
What inspires you?
I draw my inspiration from the constant challenge of learning new tricks. Sometimes you need to battle for months to land a new trick, and finally getting it is so inspiring and drives me more to progress. There is always something new to learn.
How did you get involved with Bayside Blades?
I met the Bayside Blades team in 2010, shortly after starting freestyle. It was my birthday, and my dad had taken me to get my first set of slalom skates. The team set me up in a set of Seba FR2’s, and since then they have been to only skate shop I’ve returned to.
Have you been to many skate competitions and do you enjoy them?
I've been competing locally for a number of years, battling hard to become the Australian champion. In July I skated for Australia at the 2019 World Roller Games in Barcelona, where I placed 17th
Skate Set up: FR SL Customs with a 243mm FR Carbon frame and MPC wheels
Favourite Skater:
My favourite current skater is Zhang Hao. His ability to create power so effortlessly amazes me. He has such a controlled style that I personally think is unrivaled. However, my favourite skater of all time is Naomi Grigg. I was lucky enough to get to learn from her and spending a lot of time with her very early on in my freestyle career set me on the right path. She has a unique personality and way of teaching, which is something that will stick with me forever.
Favourite places to skate:
My favourite place to skate is Laverton Skate Centre. The community of skaters at that rink is incredible. They are honestly more like a family and I love it.
Other interests: Apart from skating, I also play competitive paintball with my best mates. I’m heavily into gaming, building my PC, and tinkering with lots of different things.
"Make sure you check out Aus Slalom on facebook. Run by Jesse and Hannah who offer skate lessons for Freestyle and Slalom" - Bayside Blades
