Skateboard and parkour talent will be in TA to check out new park

The Te Awamutu parkour and skate park opens on Saturday. Photo / Supplied

Te Awamutu's unique parkour and skate park will be celebrated with a grand opening on Saturday, September 24.

The free event from 10am to 12.30pm is for all ages and will include music, food trucks and prizes. Talented skateboarders and parkour athletes will be there.

Construction of the million-dollar facility began in March. The project was led by Fluhler Contracting Ltd, alongside skate experts Acid NZ who designed and constructed the skate-specific elements in Centennial Park, Te Awamutu as well as in Cambridge. Acid NZ has gifted five skateboard decks to be given away at the event.

Waipā District Council's community services manager, Brad Ward, said the parkour training area is the first of its kind in the district.

Parkour is an athletic training discipline where participants adapt their movement to overcome physical objects.

"The skatepark, play elements and parkour space will be a big attraction to skaters, parkour athletes and visitors. The new assets have given Centennial Park a full refresh and transformed it into facilities that both skaters and parkour athletes of all abilities and levels will be proud of and enjoy for many years to come," Ward said.

"There will be traffic management in place and there is limited parking so we are asking attendees to please walk or skate down if they can or to park down a nearby street."

The council recommends that children under the age of 14 are accompanied by a parent or guardian.

The Te Awamutu skatepark is the first of four new skateparks to be completed in the district.

Construction began on the Cambridge skatepark in early August, and later that month consultation for a site for the Kihikihi skatepark was held.

The council is continuing to work alongside the community to identify the best location for a skatepark in Pirongia.

For more information go to: www.waipadc.govt.nz/waipa-skate-parks.