Skateboarders from Dunedin and across the South Island took over the concrete stage area at Forsyth Barr Stadium on Saturday, for a Dunedin Skate Jam.
The event has been running in various forms since 2010, and organiser Craig Strong was keen to give the relatively small local skating community a chance to mix and mingle.
"It's an opportunity for the skate community to come together in a really informal way, have a lot of fun on a bunch of obstacles that they normally wouldn't get to skate," Mr Strong said.
Obstacles on the course were all DIY creations, including some brought south from Christchurch courtesy of 44 Ramps, allowing the skaters to test out their flips.
But he believes Dunedin is missing a genuine concrete skate park, and is at risk of falling behind other centres such as Christchurch and Wānaka to cater for its skate community.
"The whole concrete skate park aspect of what goes in Dunedin is kind of lacking, they're popping up like mushrooms all over the country and yeah we're definitely falling behind,", he said.
“They [the DCC] have talked it up a bit in the past few years, but there seems to be a lot of processes to go through with red tape and bureaucracy.”
And the appetite for a new skate park in the city was shared by other boarders at the event.
“I wish the Dunedin City Council would build a new skate park,” said local rider Wills Harrington.
“We have a selection [of skate parks] but I don’t think the concrete and the ground is very up to date and Dunedin is pretty rough.”
Harrington said the Washington skate park in Christchurch was a particular favourite of his.
Strong said the competition was an informal style, where getting people involved was more important than winning.
“It is all for the love, less emphasis on the competition and more emphasis on the participation", Mr Strong said.
“Seeing everyone come together, especially the young kids is something close to my heart since I was a little tacker. It is pretty cool to see this kind of thing come together."
The Dunedin City Council is currently working on its annual plan for 2024-25. But its Long Term Plan through to 2034 has been temporarily been delayed, meaning the skateboarding community may have to wait a little longer to hear whether its calls for a new skating home can be considered.
- By Jack Ward. Made with the support of NZ on Air.
