Get your skates on this summer across the district.
The Western Bay of Plenty offers skaters the chance to ollie, tic-tac and kick-turn their way across five skate parks and a skate pathway this summer.
Western Bay of Plenty skate parks:
Katikati
Moore Park is a modern skate park which has been extended over the years and now has plenty of street obstacles, with a wallie block, ledges, a vert quarter-pipe, a rising quarter-pipe and an innovative skate obstacle.
Ōmokoroa
Ōmokoroa has an award-winning skate path.
It is different from a traditional skate park as is a dedicated recreational path for riders of all ages and abilities.
Its construction takes advantage of the natural landscape, so you can cruise the path in a one-way direction, from the top to the bottom of the slope. It is accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
Plus, there are picnic tables and a nearby playground, complete with dual flying foxes.
Waihī Beach
Check out the skate park at the Waihī Beach Community Centre. This popular established skate park had a facelift a couple of years ago and has a new surface to ensure a smooth ride.
Maketu
Head along to the Maketu Sportsground to ride the large bowl-shaped skatepark.
Featuring a quarter-pipe, rails, ledges and banks, the park is a popular hangout for locals and visitors alike.
Te Puke
Te Puke’s designer skate park opened in 2017 and has proved popular, with skaters travelling from around the North Island to go for a ride.
Located in Jubilee Park, it has 626 square metres of track to zoom around. The skate park joins up with some bleachers and a half-length basketball court.
This summer, Te Puke also has a new pop-up pump track — the 65m-long track opened just before Christmas in Te Puke’s Donovan Park.
Featuring a fibreglass, non-slip riding surface, the moveable track is designed with a series of humps and bends, so it can be ridden with minimal pedalling. For riders of all abilities, it is suitable for bikes, scooters, skateboards and blades.
Bryony Edwards has been recognised for her teaching efforts picking up a major NEiTA award