PEOPLE from around the nation will be dropping-in to Tamworth come Sunday, May 26 when "one of the best skateparks in the country" is officially opened.
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The finishing touches have been put on the Viaduct Park rink, which skaters with decades of experience say will be the envy of towns around Australia.
Tamworth Regional Council will declare the skatepark open with pro-crew Totem Skateboarding booked-in to run a free workshop and demos, for all ages, to show how exhilarating, graceful and safe the sport can be.
Totem skate coach Chris Vaughan said Tamworth's park was going to be "one of the best" in Australia. But it is a title which came at a cost.
Mr Vaughan said a facility such as this would be galvanising.
"I think it can bring a community together," he said.
"It's about giving something for the youth of today, giving them stuff to get active and stay active.
"And I think that really helps with mental health."
Growing up in a regional town, Griffith, Mr Vaughan said skating could be a sole-outlet for some kids in relatively isolated communities.
While some might see skating as a youth activity, Mr Vaughan said he has seen it have a profound effect an adults through the work of Totem.
"You get them to skate, if they've never skateboarded they can be intimidated by it, but they eventually get it and you just see them smile, it's something you can't explain," he said.
Totem's session in Tamworth will be free and open to people of all ages.
The council's project manager for the skatepark, Grant Reeckman, said it was designed to be able to host regional and state competitions.
Grand opening:
The family-friendly event will take place on Sunday, 26 May 2019 between 10am and 4pm with an official opening to take place at midday.
The opening will also see the winner of the Youth Council's skatedeck competition presented with a skateboard featuring their very own design.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
