It'll depend on cash, work and my family,'' the 40-year-old from Old Bar said.

"It's something I'd like to do, but I just don't know if it will be this year.''

Paff believes he would be a reasonable chance of success in America, basing this on his performance against US-based professional skater Paul Price last year.

"I beat him, and he's finished third over there, so I think I'd go okay,'' he said.

Paff won the Australian title known as the Capital Slalom Championship in Canberra. He is the Manning River Times-Iguana Sportstar of the Week, earning a $50 open order at Iguana.

The format of the event changed for this year, with competition over the one weekend in Canberra.

"They used to run it at a few venues, in Melbourne, on the Central Coast, Canberra on a pointscore and I couldn't get to all of them,'' he explained.

"I think the best I did was a third overall.''

Obviously basing the championship to the one venue over the one weekend suited Paff. The track, at Stromio Forest Park, is purpose built for cycling and skating and boasts a smooth surface.

After qualifying times are clocked skaters going through a round robin-type format which resulted in Paff and Paul Shaddock from the Central Coast facing off in the final. Shaddock and Paff are long term, although Paff insists, friendly rivals. The competition is judged on the times the skaters clock on two parallel courses. There are 60 cones on each course and hitting one results in a time deduction. Paff estimates he won the championship by around three quarters of a second.

Paff has been skating most of his life.

"I started when I was about five,'' he recalled.

He's been competing regularly in events for around 15 years.

"There was a revival in the sport around 2000 when the Australian Skate Racers Association was formed,'' he explained.

There are two main disciplines downhill and slalom. Downhill racers can reach speeds of 100kms.

"That's more for the younger guys,'' Paff laughs.

"I have a family to think about.''

He explains that slalom racing is more technical than the frantic nature of downhill.

Paff trains regularly with leading downhill racer Simon Duber from Possum Brush. He's in a group of skaters from this area and the Central Coast who head off to competition every six to eight weeks.

"We jump into a van and can go anywhere from Melbourne to Townsville we cover plenty of kilometres,'' he said.

He hasn't sustained a major injury in either competition or training and claims he has more control over his board than he would over a bike.

Turning 40 hasn't started any contemplation of retiring.

"There are plenty of people older than me still competing one guy is 60,'' he said.

"I'll be around for a long time yet.''