The Aussie teen handpicked by Tony Hawk to be in his new video game

6 hours ago

At 15 years old, Chloe Covell is already a decorated skater, with an Olympic debut in Paris last year, five X Games gold medals and four Street League Skateboarding wins. But she admits her latest accolade is 'definitely a unique one'.
The Gold Coast teenager has been handpicked by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk to be a playable character in the new Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 video game – the only female Australian skater to feature.
'I got invited to LA to do all the filming stuff and had all the green dots on me [for CGI]. It was pretty cool,' Covell said.
'Just to get all the shots of my face and stuff, I had to sit in this big octagon full of cameras. And I had to bring down a few outfits to wear so they could shoot them for when I'm on the game.'
Covell wasn't even born when the original game came out in 1999. But, as her mum Julie said: '[Hawk] must have noticed or saw something unique about Chloe that would have been an asset to the game.'
Covell is one of eight new characters in the game, along with Yuto Horigome, Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, Margie Didal, Rayssa Leal, Aurelien Giraud and Nora Vasconcellos. Australian skater Shane O'Neill also makes his return, having first appeared in the 2020 release.
There are also a number of returning veterans, including Hawk, Bob Burnquist, Rune Glifberg and Kareem Campbell.
One of Covell's latest victories was at the X Games in Osaka three weeks ago, where her final run was so perfect the commentators suggested she looked like she was in a video game.

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Perth Now

2 hours ago

Perth Now

Brand called out for ‘deceptive' move

Shoppers have voiced outrage after a popular e-commerce retailer advertised AI-generated models and product images on its platform, labelling the move 'deceptive'. An Australian woman called out Atoir, a Melbourne-based label, for using AI-generated images of a model and clothing, available for purchase on The Iconic. 'Saw this on The Iconic,' she wrote on Reddit. 'The brand ATOIR is using AI models for their clothing. Feels so deceptive.' The Melbourne fashion brand created a model using AI. The Iconic Credit: Supplied The dress in this image isn't real either. The Iconic Credit: Supplied The website features two images of a brunette woman wearing a white dress, taken from the front and back. At the very bottom of the item's product description, the brand said the model's measurements 'represents a size S/8 and is standing at 5'10' but disclosed neither the clothing, nor the model, were real. 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He said while AI may 'create a technically perfect image', it may also 'lack the soul and relatability that genuinely resonate with a target audience and encourage them to convert'. 'AI can whip up these incredibly slick, almost perfect images. They look amazing, truly aspirational,' he told NewsWire. 'If that image does not exactly match the real item a customer receives, you have a problem.'Mr Heimlich said shoppers may be disappointed when the item arrived at their doorstep. 'When a customer opens their package and sees something that does not quite align with what they saw online, it is a direct path to disappointment, frustration, and often, a return,' he said. Shoppers may lose trust in a brand if it relies on AI-generated images, retail experts say. NewsWire / Luis Enrique Ascui Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Heimlich said there was a risk of 'breeding distrust' if retailers relied on AI-generated product images, leading customers to wonder if the brand is 'intentionally trying to mislead them'. 'Such damage to a brand's reputation and consumer trust can take a considerable amount of time to repair, and it undoubtedly impacts future sales,' he said. Mr Heimlich urged retailers to consider relying on traditional photography and models to negate the lack of 'emotional connection and storytelling' that came with AJ-generated imagery. 'A skilled photographer, or a model who embodies the essence of your brand, does so much more than show the product,' he told NewsWire. 'AI, in its current form, often struggles to replicate that nuanced human artistry and emotional depth.' The Iconic and Atoir did not immediately respond to NewsWire's questions.