Ramping up the fun for Dunedin skating enthusiasts

An upgrade to a Dunedin skate park means the sport will become more accessible to beginners, students say.

University of Otago students Matt Green (25), Kaia Jamieson (18) and their friends made the short trip to Fairfield to try out the newly upgraded skate ramps on opening day yesterday.

The Dunedin City Council has replaced three old ramps so the space could better cater to skaters of all ages.

The old ramps, which were at the end of their working lives, have been replaced with larger ramps finished with a state-of-the-art, all-weather Gater Skins surfacing.

Miss Jamieson said the new surfaces on the ramps made it much less daunting for less experienced skate-boarders to take on the drop.

Mr Green said the park was a welcome addition to the city, as he thought there would not be facilities in Dunedin for skateboarding when he moved here from Christchurch for university.

"This really got me back into skating this year with the new development, and they’re such well made ramps," he said.

He said Fairfield was a good place for the project because it was out of the way and quieter, but not so far that students could not access it.

"It’s cool because there were a bunch of girls getting into it and dropping into the big [ramps].

"It’s helping people transition into giving it a go."

A council spokeswoman said the upgrade cost $300,000 to complete.

cas.saunders@odt.co.nz