McGazzaland gaining momentum
Young riders mastering their tricks at Wakefield’s budding bike jump park need not worry about their parents calling them home for dinner – they’re probably on the jumps themselves.
More than two years on from the death of freeride mountain biker Kelly McGarry, the enthusiasm for developing a local jumps park in his hometown continues to ramp up.
Although ‘McGazzaland’ - a name coined by pupils at nearby Wakefield School - remained a work in progress, riders of all ages can be found at the fledgling park after school and at weekends perfecting their tricks or getting air for the first time.
McGazzaland crew member Dan Shallcrass said the initial concept of a skate park began in conjunction with McGarry around five years ago, but was reignited in its current guise in the months following McGarry’s passing in February 2016.
Many hours of course design and earthworks later, it had since become ‘‘a living monster’’ that the entire community and beyond had come to appreciate.
‘‘You’d have to say that BMXing and bike jumping is alive and well in Wakefield, it’s just a matter of keeping it moving forward.’’
‘‘We want everyone to feel welcome here and even adults learning to jump on their mountain bikes - that’s something else we’re starting to see.’’
Located on piece of land between the Wakefield Fire Station and the Wai-iti River normally used by trucks, the layout of the fledgling park has grown to the point where it is almost the size of a rugby field.
It has proved popular with young and old, offering challenging jumps and big berms.
Two wooden ramps are also a big part of the appeal - both for low-maintenance aspects and movability, Shallcrass said.
‘‘We’ve got people coming out from Nelson just because of the wooden ramps - it probably has the best jumps in the region.’’
As McGazzaland slowly become a mini-attraction within the village, Shallcrass said the man who inspired the park would have been pleased with the progress so far.
‘‘I’m sure he would have liked it when he was a young fella coming down here.
‘‘Now these guys are lucky enough to have this.’’
Shallcrass acknowledged the assistance from the TDC and with the help of volunteers and contractors in getting the project to its present state.
However, Shallcrass expected some additional tweaks to occur as the final touches are made on the facility, including an asphalt pump track to allow smaller riders to develop their confidence.
‘‘Asphalt you can use for scooters, skateboards and bikes - or even the older ones on their e-bikes can have a go - that’ll probably be in the next six months, but we do want to keep that rolling.
Shallcrass was assisted by a crew of riders and enthusiasts, including Jack Curtis, Scott Webby, Greg Costley and Matt Goodall.
Experienced riders in their own right, the crew had established a good rapport with the younger riders.
For Callum Gussette and Lucas Malham, the days spent down at McGazzaland have reaped some noticeable improvements, despite the occasional mishap or crash.
‘‘It’s awesome to have some thing here, to train and stuff – it’s pretty sick,’’ Malham said.
Gussette didn’t think twice when asked what the best part about living in Wakefield was. ‘‘This.’’
See more about McGazzaland at https://www.facebook.com/ mcgazzaland/.