Skate festival coming to Bina Parkland in 2022

Having successfully run the Carine Skate Fest for several years, the City of Stirling is now proud to launch the inaugural Balga Skate Festival 2022 in Bina Parkland.

The scooter, skate and BMX competition for young people will be run by Freestyle Now, who specialise in entertaining stunt show performances, skatepark coaching workshops, well-managed skatepark competitions, motivational school presentations, as well as youth orientated events and programs.

Mayor Mark Irwin said the competition would provide an opportunity for young people to showcase their skills and have some fun with friends and family.

“Given around 50,000 young people live in the City and more than 60 per cent are involved in some sort of BMX or skate activity, expanding the Carine offering to other suburbs will ensure more young people have the same opportunities,” he said.

“We’re very proud to sponsor this event, and with the popularity of skateboarding, BMX riding and scooting continuing to grow, I am so glad our youth development team is out in front in running these events.

“Our investment in Bina Parkland – $6.2 million, with Lotterywest kindly contributing $2.34 million – has been a milestone leap forward for the local community, and it is now a multi-award winning amenity.

“In 2021 Bina won ‘Park of the Year’ at the annual Parks and Leisure Australia (WA) Regions Awards of Excellence, ‘Award of Excellence’ in the Parks and Open Space category at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architecture (AILA) WA Landscape Architecture Awards, and later took out the national award in the same category.

“It is now the perfect location for a major sporting competition for young people, and we look forward to it growing from strength to strength just as the Carine event has.”

The City of Stirling also recently opened a new BMX facility at Dianella Regional Open Space and will continue to look for opportunities to create more places for people to be able to skate and ride their bikes and scooters.

This free event will be held on Saturday 22 January 2022, from 11.30am – 5.30pm at Bina Parkland Skatepark, 207 Princess Road Balga. Categories include:

• Scooter: Check in 11.30am, competition 12 noon – 1.30pm
• Skateboard: Check in 1.30pm, competition 2.00pm – 3.30pm
• BMX: Check in 3.30pm, competition 4.00pm – 5.30pm

The City consulted with the community to rename the parkland with a Nyoongar name, with the winning name ‘Bina Parkland’ – meaning light of the morning – submitted by Warriapendi Primary School and chosen by the Balga community.

The park aims to be the centrepiece of a new community meeting place, with free and accessible recreation options that will attract a wide range of users and encourage local community events.