After eight years of community consultation, planning and construction, the highly anticipated, long-awaited City Skate Park has finally launched to the public.

We didn’t believe ’til we saw it, but the new City Skate Park is here at last, officially opening to the public over the weekend.

Fully decked out with grinding rails, ledges, stair sets and a large bowl featuring a terrifying (to us) vertical cradle, the skate park stands in all its glory on the western edge of the city, in Narnungga Gladys Elphick Park.

The $3.8m skate park was a joint initiative of the City of Adelaide and both state and federal governments.

It finally gives Adelaide’s skate community – skateboarders, BMX riders, in-liners, scooterers all – a permanent facility to practice their craft in the city, after the former City Skate Park on North Terrace was demolished in 2015 to make way for the growing biomedical precinct.

A temporary skate park was installed in the eastern parklands in the interim, but construction on the replacement skate park was projected to finish by mid-2021. This date was pushed back due to COVID making it difficult to source materials.

The aforementioned very scary ‘vertical cradle’

The skate park was designed and constructed by Melbourne company Convic in consultation with the wider community, as well as the City Skate Advisory Group, which strongly advocated for a design that referenced the former skate park.

It features three distinct sections catering to amateurs, veterans and all skill levels in between.

As we previously reported, the aesthetics and textures of the park also take inspiration from the Adelaide Festival Plaza and Hindley Street.

Nine floodlights have been installed around the skate park to ensure it can be safely used at night, and all the main areas for viewing were designed to be equally accessible and in compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act.

Convic designer Simon Bogalo says while it is mainly a skate park, he wanted to create a “real hangout space” that celebrates the surrounding green space.

“One of the things we’ve tried to do is be really generous with seating and try to create a park and skate park type of environment,” he says.

“We were able to integrate the skate park into the surrounding trees and parkland, so it feels like it’s part of the landscape.”

Open leisure spaces like skate parks are crucial for young people to socialise, form relationships and explore their identities.

Minister for Sport Katrine Hildyard says the City Skate Park provides a “place for the community to connect and experience a great sense of belonging”.

Members of the skate community have also expressed a similar sentiment.

Greg, a skater and employee at Skate Society, says the park is much-needed by the local community.

“It’s super important to have spaces where you can skate safely, legally and around other people who have similar interests and can help push you and grow in those areas”, he says.

He emphasises the vibrant culture fostered by skate parks.

“People can put on festivals, use the space to bring bands and host skate competitions and live music and artists with stalls.”

The City of Adelaide says they want to see the new skate park being used as much as possible.

They are planning a Community Day at the park, on Saturday, 8 October, featuring skateboarding demonstrations and workshops, food trucks and live music.

The YMCA also tells CityMag it is interested in running a Skate Park Leagues event at the new park.

For more information, head to Narnungga Gladys Elphick Park and ask a skater.