Skating grinding to a halt
The Ministry of Culture and Heritage are enlisting physical measures to stop skateboarders using the Pukeahu National War Memorial as a makeshift skate park.
Construction workers have installed park benches throughout the War Memorial that will act as physical barriers along the areas used the most by skaters when ‘grinding.’
Ministry for Culture and Heritage Manager Brodie Stubbs said efforts to stop skaters thus far have fallen on deaf ears.
“My team has dealt with this issue in a number of ways including education and persuasion. Our approach has not always remedied the issue, so we’ve had to go a step further to install extra measures that will help prevent damage and move skaters away from the main thoroughfares of the park.”
Stubbs said the issue was more than just a matter of respect.
“Skateboarding is a major issue at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park because it causes damage to the structure of the park and has a negative impact on other visitors who do not feel completely safe using the space. Skateboarders have deliberately vandalised anti-skate devices in order to grind along walls.”
He also said skateboarders needed to be more understanding.
“We would like skaters to understand that their actions may result in thousands of dollars of damage and can prevent others from enjoying the space. Their actions in the park are seen by others as disrespectful to the purpose of the park.”
However, skateboarders and students of neighbouring Massey University object to the skating being branded as offensive.
Joseph Jakicevich said, “I don’t understand how it is being disrespectful. The space is still being used for commemorative events and the skaters don’t use it when there’s functions going on. Most of the time it sits there dormant and just used as a thoroughfare.”
“You see people with their dogs chucking a Frisbee around kids running around in circles, it’s a shared space for the people. Just let them skate.”
Brodie Stubbs said skateboarders needed to be more understanding.
“We would like skaters to understand that their actions may result in thousands of dollars of damage and can prevent others from enjoying the space. Their actions in the park are seen by others as disrespectful to the purpose of the park.”
Skater Emmanuel Nuval said, “I don’t understand, the skaters aren’t hurting anyone. The space needs to be used in some sort of way. It’s better that it be used than not be used at all.”
“Even with the barriers people will find somehow to skate it. That’s the cool thing about the War Memorial, it’s such an open and cool space and there’s so much more than those grinding areas.”
Jakicevich doesn’t believe the councils latest efforts will stop skaters.
“Where there’s a will there’s a way and we’ll be able to skate it.”