‘I just told them I had a skateboard, leathers, helmet… and a load of enthusiasm.’

That was all it took for Kirk Michael’s Juan Callister to throw himself, quite literally, feet-first into the fast-paced, adrenaline-fuelled world of downhill skateboarding as the World Downhill Skateboarding Championships (WDSC) rolled into the Isle of Man for the first time.

July’s event, which saw top international riders hurtling down a 1.2km course from Sulby Reservoir to the foot of Tholt-y-Will Glen, was hailed a ‘great success’ by organisers.

With speeds touching 60mph, hairpin bends, and an 8.5% average gradient, it’s no surprise the words ‘terrifying’ and ‘brilliant’ were frequently uttered in the same breath.

But while seasoned pros arrived with top-tier gear and years of experience, Juan’s preparation was a little more... Manx.

‘I hadn’t been on a skateboard since I was a kid,’ Juan laughed.

‘I just saw the event pop up on Facebook and thought: yeah, go on then.

‘I messaged them, told a few little white lies, said I had all the kit, and they let me in the qualifying series.’

Having raced bikes, Honda C90s, and taken part in soapbox derbies, Juan isn’t a stranger to hurtling himself around at unsafe speeds. But this was different.

‘I started practising a week before the event, the night after Full Moon Festival,’ he admitted.

‘I had old wheels, old trucks, and no clue. My mum was dropping me off at the top of hills so I could roll down and hope for the best.’

It didn’t take long for the international riders to notice Juan’s setup was more ‘charity shop chic’ than competition spec.

‘The pros were brilliant,’ he said. ‘They helped me out, gave me new wheels, tweaked the setup, made the board actually steer.’

As for stopping? That’s where it got creative.

‘I wore through three pairs of trainers just braking,’ Juan said.

‘So I superglued lawnmower tyres to the soles for grip. They weren’t great brakes, but better than nothing!’

Despite multiple crashes and an ongoing battle with the bottom hairpins (‘It took about 15 attempts to get around them without binning it’), Juan was soon up to speed and mixing with the world’s best.

‘The support was unreal,’ he said.

‘Loads of friends and family came down, proper crowds, Manx flags flying.

‘Even the professionals said they hadn’t seen anything like it at other events.’

Juan’s not done yet either.

He’s already been invited to the British round in Harewood, near Leeds, and if WDSC returns to the island in 2026, as organisers hope, it sounds like he’ll be ready.

‘The guy who won here was 59, so I reckon I’ve got another 20 years in me,’ Juan grinned.

‘Hopefully more locals will get involved too. I’d love to see a few more Manxies flying down the mountain next time.’

As for racing on the TT course? ‘If they let us loose down the Gooseneck, count me in.’