“Skateboard ‘Guns’ Go Through Their Paces”

Description Comments

“Skateboard ‘Guns’ Go Through Their Paces”

Object type

Image

More Info →

Description: These images were taken for the December 17th, 1978, edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper, the first of which was published to accompany paired stories published on the same page: “Skateboard ‘Guns’ Go Through Their Paces” and “Answers Wanted to this Survey.”

An excerpt from the ‘survey’ article read: “Palmerston North's Skateboarding Association is mounting a survey to find out many people in the city are skateboard enthusiasts. And it wants to present the results of its survey to the Palmerston Council in support of its plan for a skateboard park. Association president, Mr Stephen Davy, said it's hoped the survey can be presented to the council early in the New Year. The aims of the survey, he said, are to find where facilities should be, what size they should be, the type of facilities that should be provided, and the general popularity of skateboarding in Palmerston North. Plans for a central, large skateboard park were forwarded to the November meeting of the council's recreation committee. At that meeting, Cr George Serrallach said about 2000 children from three Palmerston North schools had signed a petition in support of the park plan. But other councillors did not like to rely on petitions, and said so. It was eventually decided to continue discussions with the Skateboard Association, and that the financial aspects of the plans be further investigated.”

An excerpt from the ‘skateboard guns’ article read: “Palmerston North spectators were treated to an impressive display of skateboard prowess when a team of Auckland skateboarders visited the city on Wednesday. The Edwards team, consisting of seven young skateboarders, performed in the Pascal Street Stadium, doing hand-stands. head-stands, balancing acts, high-jumps, long-jumps over people lying on the floor, and gravity-defying feats up a vertical ramp as they showed their skateboarding skills.

The team is on an eight-day tour of the North Island, promoting Edwards safety gear and safe skateboarding consciousness. The tour manager, Auckland teachers' college senior-lecturer Angus Fleming, told the "Tribune" 300,000 skateboarders in New Zealand, and the activity is now a sport more than a craze. He scoffed at reports which have claimed that the skateboard's popularity will go the way of the hula hoop. He said that an approach is being made for skateboarding to be an official sport at the Olympics, to be held in Los Angles in 1984.”

These images form part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.