Skatepark at Paraparaumu Beach which is going to be revamped. Photo / David Haxton
Skatepark at Paraparaumu Beach which is going to be revamped. Photo / David Haxton
The much-anticipated upgrade of the skatepark in Maclean Park, Paraparaumu Beach, is getting closer.
Paraparaumu Community Board chairman Glen Olsen said the skatepark’s upgrade will make it more accessible to multiple different disciplines and will have a variety of other benefits as well.
Olsen also said not only will the upgrade help to enhance the area, but it will help draw people in, which will in turn be good for the area.
Construction on the skatepark is scheduled to start right after the school holidays, in February, and it is expected to be closed for three months.
Olsen said there will be several upgrades to the skatepark, such as a flow bowl, jump boxes, mini ramps, open spaces and more.
There will also be a controlled graffiti wall, and the main focus will be on making the skatepark as multipurpose as possible.
Olsen said there was once a memorial wall in the skatepark for popular skater Martin Kaukau, and there are plans for it to be reinstated in the new design.
There has been a lot of public input on the design, and despite changing a lot as feedback came back, Olsen said he has heard nothing but positive feedback.
There was also some involvement from the popular skate shop Seaside Skates, which has a lot of customers who regularly use the skatepark.
Skatepark at Paraparaumu Beach. Photo / David Haxton
Olsen said he’s confident the community has had ample chances to get involved and said, “There has been a good opportunity for the community to engage.”
Their research didn’t stop at community involvement either, and Olsen said they have also looked closely at other skateparks around the country to see what works and what doesn’t.
The current design was done by a team of specialist skatepark designers from Christchurch, who have been involved in the creation of a number of skateparks around the country.
It was in the early 1950s that a skating rink was first built in Maclean Park and despite being added to over the years as needs changed, it hasn’t really had too much refurbishment.
In 1961 the skating rink was resurfaced, and in 1977 there was a skateboard area added, which was later upgraded to add a skateboard ramp.
The skate bowl was extended in the early 2010s and has hardly been touched since then.
Now the skatepark is used by multiple disciplines, not just skating, including scootering which has risen in popularity recently.
Olsen said it’s a really good time for the renewal, and that if they had waited much longer to renew the skatepark it would have become dangerous due to its age.
Growing up in Paraparaumu, Olsen said he remembered the skatepark well, and now has three sons who use it often, so these upgrades are especially important to him.
