Growing up in the 1970’s, skateboarding was always something I saw going on in the parks and on the streets where I lived.

Back in the day, it was the preserve of the cool kids, generally the sort of thing my friends’ older brothers would do. Being terminally shy and not having anyone to show me the way, I never got the chance to have a go. Never one to stop little things like growing older get in my way, skateboarding is still on my bucket list of things to try. It might have been something I’d have tried this summer but I’ll most probably have to wait a bit as the half-completed Phear Park skatepark is currently under construction again.

When the initial redesign/reconstruction of the park took place and the first phase opened in 2018, it was hailed as ‘one of the best skateparks in the country’ – and that was when it was only half-finished. I’m sure it will be worth the wait for the keen scooter/skateboard/BMX enthusiasts of Exmouth but, as is often the case with anything involving young people, a little more thought could have been given to the timing of the work. Shutting down over the summer holidays, on the back of a pandemic that saw play areas, skateparks and sports centres shut for many months seems really quite cruel. No doubt the youth of the area will now spend the summer months looking for somewhere else to expend their energy; perhaps that will be skating around the town centre, perhaps it will be taking risks jumping off the slipway, which seems to have become the thing to do for thrills in the summer. Both of these are understandable but really not ideal for anyone, the slipway is an extremely dangerous place to mess around and skating around the town, The Strand in particular, will be instantly seen as a menace to locals and visitors alike.

I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Phear Park over recent months and I have noticed something else about our skatepark, something that often goes unnoticed but is worth shouting about. In the afternoons and evenings, the park is full of older teens and more experienced riders. Early mornings on the weekend, the park attracts little children and their parents. What’s really special though is when these two demographics overlap. It’s a thing of beauty to watch older teenagers helping out little ones, teaching them skills and generally being a watchful eye and this happens more often than you would think. It’s one reason why these kinds of facilities are so valuable to our community because they really help to build community. So while our young people wait it out for the next three months, let’s try and cut them some slack if we see them out and about on their scooters and skateboards because they too would much rather be in the park ‘getting some air’.