Weymouth Skatepark hosts end of summer championships

THE

HUNT for the no.1 extreme sports champion took place at Weymouth Skatepark on

Saturday. The refurbished facilities at the Park provided the ideal venue to

find the best BMX daredevil. Later on in September competitions will be held to

find the premier skateboard and rollerblade champion.

The

skatepark receives management advice and guidance from Weymouth College and

recently received a £17,000 overhaul funded by public charitable schemes to

provide new facilities including all-weather ramps and challenging street

courses, all designed by local skaters who use the park.

Big

name prizes offering the latest skate and rollerblade items from the designer

world of extreme sports have been provided by Bike label, Deadend. Prize categories included 1st, 2nd

and 3rd and a special award for best jump, sponsored by hip designer,

“We The People”. The winners were chosen by skatepark managers Henry Johnson

and Tom Jones. Details of the winners will be available on Weymouth People very

shortly.

Joe

Wright from Wardcliffe Road, Weymouth who secured an £11,000

public grant was also there. Joe safeguarded the future of the Skatepark

securing the impressive grant from the Youth Capital Fund (YCF). This was added

to a £6,000 public grant from the Actively Building Capacity (ABC), and paid

for the whole of the Park’s £17,000 makeover.

Weymouth College provides

management guidance for Skatepark managers Henry Johnson and Tom Jones to help

develop the amenity, advising them how to seek grants to improve facilities,

and strategic thinking needed to develop efficient park management systems.

The

venue has also been linked with several vocational courses available at Weymouth College, offering students a lively

real-life venue to practice their chosen subject. Recently, art students took

stencil designs outdoors and produced a series of lively murals for the

backboards of the ramps. Plans are in place for Weymouth College

students to use the facilities to hone skills from other courses – leisure

management, media, and carpentry are all being considered for on site

training.      

Running

the championships at the revamped skatepark would not be possible without Weymouth College’s guidance. Skate park manager,

Henry Johnson said: ‘We’re thrilled people from the area can use the newly

renovated park to show their talent at our End of Summer Championships. It’s

great to have Weymouth College helping us with management advice, we have

the jumps and ramps in place and now have the management understanding needed

to run a great championship for Weymouth

skaters.’

Weymouth

Skatepark, generally known as The Front, opened in July 2001 to provide a

beachside extreme sports venue for BMX riders, skateboarders and rollerbladers. The

park is funded by Sports England and local organisations. As the first West

Dorset Skatepark, The Front offers the largest facilities and most experienced

staff.

Staff and volunteers

offer a wide range of training for those starting out, up to the pro-level for

the seasoned ramper. Sessions run all year round, after school, at weekends, in

school holidays. The park is suitable for all ages and abilities, and first-aid

trained staff and skatepark volunteers provide supervision and support. There

is a simple membership scheme, entry fees are kept as low as possible. The

volunteering schemes allow young people to use the ramps in exchange for

helping out with tasks.