The Office of Sport is aiming to bring the first official skateboarding competition to the Central West and Parkes has been invited to host one of the regional heats.
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The goal of the competition is to create pathways for regional skaters after skateboarding has – for the first time – been included in the Olympic program for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The hosting request was tabled at Parkes Shire Council’s April 17 meeting, where all councillors were happy to see the event come to the area.
“This is a request we haven’t had before,” council’s Director of Technology and Corporate Services Les Finn said at the meeting.
The regional heat in Parkes is expected to take place in September, October or November this year.
The Office of Sport has also asked council to sponsor the event in the form of $1000.
Parkes Shire is home to four skate parks in Parkes, Peak Hill, Tullamore and Trundle.
The Parkes skate park attracts what Mr Finn described as a “healthy population” of skateboarders, and scooter and BMX riders, with 47 per cent of riders aged between 15 and 19 years.
He said its popularity indicates it is a well utilised facility and has the potential to embrace the regional heats.
The event has the potential to become a regular fixture on the shire’s events calendar.
“This is a great opportunity for the youth and for us to showoff yet another of our great infrastructure,” Cr Neil Westcott said.
His fellow councillors agreed, saying it was a good event for council to support.
“This is a good springboard for us,” Cr Wally Biles said.
“It’s really growing, this is a sport that’s really taking off.”
Cr Ken McGrath has always been passionate about the Parkes skate park.
“I said 25 years ago Parkes needed a skate park,” he told the meeting.
“Let’s show it off, we’ve just done it up.”
Cr Barbara Newton was thrilled with the invitation.
“We should be extremely flattered to host the regional heat,” she said.
“It’s a great compliment to our town.”
Eight recommendations were put forward for councillors to vote on for Parkes to facilitate the successful staging of the competition. All were in favour.
Council’s destination team will work with event organisers to promote the event and council will provide additional event services and resources.
