SKATE PARK LIFE
Encourage the kids to play outside
DECADES ago Noosa saw the need to engage local youngsters in outdoor activities and began catering for the skateboarding craze that shows no signs of losing its high energy levels.
Skateboard parks are now a feature from the coastal strips of Tewantin, Sunshine Beach and Peregian Beach, right up through the hinterland at Cooroy, Pomona and Kin Kin.
And local skateboarders are licking their lips in anticipation ever since the Noosa Council consulted with them about a major upgrade nearing completion at the popular Sunshine Beach skate park, the shire’s first enclosed – or in-ground – skate bowl.
It’s among a list of elements skaters asked for and council project officer Dallas Bickley said every surface of the new skate park was designed with skating in mind, including the new concrete seats.
“The existing park is more than 13 years old, so it’s due for an upgrade. The revamped design will give local skaters a new challenge,” he said.
“Resurfacing of the park plus the addition of water taps were other popular requests from skaters during last year’s community consultation. This upgrade will deliver all of that.”
The new park caters for both street and transition skaters. Key elements include:
■ A mini half-pipe
■ Rollover with A-frame hubba
■ Flat bank and jersey block
■ Love seat quarter pipe
■ A-frame and flat steel rails.
The enclosed skate bowl will feature a taco-shaped corner. The existing large steel half pipe will remain.
At Peregian, the old doughnut-shaped skate bowl, which was in place for almost 20 years, received a modern makeover by Convic.
As well as more shade, the main bowl now features smooth transitions, a love seat, as well as banks and for the tech street skaters, a block and a rail down stairs at the far end.