Skate park gets a new lease on life
“We know that it is going to take effort and time but it going to be worth it.”
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step and in the case of the Backos brothers a single push as they begin to restore Skate World, Edenvale’s skate park.
As the new tenants of the municipal property, Bedfordview brothers Dean and Matthew Backos plan to breathe new life into what Dean describes as a treasure of the greater Edenvale community.
Known as a place for freedom of expression and creativity, through their endeavour the brothers hope to not only promote the sport but wellness too.
They hope to create one of the best family-friendly community skate parks in SA.
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The brothers signed the lease with the municipality at the beginning of August and have since started working on improving the facility.
“We want to create a place where people can have a good time and feel safe while they are here,” said Dean.
“We know there are skaters who started skating here as children and who now bring their children to the park,” said Dean.
Since the brothers started work on their project, Dean said they have engaged with skaters to try and include as many ideas from the skating community as possible.
He said the feedback they have received from the skating and surrounding community has been positive.
He also added the municipality and Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart were supportive of the idea of the brothers leasing the property.
“When Boogaloo’s closed down in Stoneridge, skate parks were few and far between,” said Dean.
“They were either vert or they were either street style.”
Dean said the reason he and Matthew decided on Edenvale Skate Park was because of the amount of activity already at Edenvale sports grounds.
“This is a place where people from Edenvale and surrounding communities come to enjoy themselves. We wanted to add something of value, which could not only grow the skating community and the sport but also attract people,” explained Dean.
“We want to create a legacy not only for skaters but for the community. We want to change what people think of skating and the skating community in general.”
Work has already started on clearing rubble and vegetation. The homeless who once lived at the property have been removed with the assistance of the metro.
Dean said two of the homeless who previously lived at the skate park were hired and are assisting with the clean-up.
He added once the facility is open, they will be kept on as groundskeepers.
Once completed, the facility will have a parking area, a shop that serves healthy meals, a skate shop, bathroom facilities and lockers for skaters to secure their belongings.
Dean said once the fence is erected around the property, it will be fully secured.
“When the facility is officially opened to the public, a daily entrance fee will be charged.”
Dean said the funds generated from the entrance fees will be invested back into the park.
“As much as this is a business venture we are investing back into the community and back into the sport.”
The brothers believe by investing in the facility, more interest will be generated in the sport that could lead to sponsors and scouts visiting the facility.
The brothers plan on having a seating area and picnic area where families can enjoy themselves. They also plan on planting more indigenous trees and plants.
Speaking about the murals already at the skate park, the brothers want to incorporate as much of it as possible and have already started contacting some of the original graffiti artists.
“We want to encourage the graffiti artists who tagged the skate park to contact us and show us their work,” said Dean.
“This is a very DIY park, from the graffiti to the ramps, we don’t want to tear the history down we just want to improve it.”
Dean said much of the original park will be left as it is but there are plans to add a beginner section and a section for more advanced skaters.
“We know that it is going to take effort and time but it going to be worth it,” said Dean.
Skaters, community members, graffiti artists and those willing to help or share ideas can contact the brothers on Instagram @011_Skateworld.
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