The first event organised by Skate South proved to be a great success last Saturday, say organisers.

Skate Jam, a skate, BMX, Scooter and Rollerblade Jam/Competition was held in sunny weather at the Invercargill Skate Park.

Event organiser James Todd was extremely pleased with the day, with 45 entrants across the various disciplines and a good crowd arriving to watch the action. 

Skate South was founded last year to raise awareness for the need for an indoor skatepark in Southland. 

Their motivation is to create a space where youth can spend time with friends and family, exercising and having fun, regardless of the weather.

Tim Kennett, the creator of Skate South, said the number of up-and-coming riders in the south is increasing, and the skill level is high.  

“I would like to thank all the riders for making the event a success, without them it can’t happen.”

“We will be organising other events and fun days for all age groups to come down and have a go, with the outlook of getting more and more people involved in the outdoors focused on mental health and general wellbeing.”

“We would like to one day have a big indoor complex for these events to go all year round. The skate park is great but being outdoors can have its downside some parts of the year, not letting riders do it all year round. Wouldn’t it be great to see a world champion on a skateboard, BMX, shooter, rollerblades etc. from Invercargill, New Zealand?”