Jackson Popovic; The 10-year-old sensation of skateboarding has Olympic dreams

Jackson Solver lives in the small Pembrokeshire village and attends school in St David’s, hardly a skateboarding hub, and that means regular five-hour round trips to train at a skatepark near Cardiff.

But his skills on a board were cemented long before he arrived in West Wales. Born in Darwin, a love of sport was evident from the time he moved to Somerset with his parents at the age of 18 months.

“Shortly before his first birthday we were in a surf shop and there he was selling a skateboard,” explained his Welsh mum Lucy.

“He wouldn’t put it down and we bought it for him as a first birthday present. He was always trying to balance it which started that way.”

Jackson was only five years old when practice transformed into a desire to improve and compete.

His reputation as a rising star soon extended beyond the West Country, and as travel time increased when he moved to Wales, this did not deter his dedication.

A trip to a skatepark in Haverfordwest often results in fellow users pausing their own runs to marvel at the kid’s prowess on the ramp.

A six-month tour back to Australia in 2025 helped improve development. Based on the Sunshine Coast, Jackson was able to train and compete in facilities far superior to those back home.

Despite his obvious ability, the then nine-year-old Jackson was ruled too young to compete in the Welsh Championships and is only now eligible to mix it with professional skaters at national events.