The construction of a new skatepark in Cloetesville was recently completed.
This was according to Chris van der Merwe, co-founder of Inspired2Become, one of the organisations behind the vision for the skatepark.
The new skatepark in Cloetesville will keep the local children active, busy and off the streets, said Luciano de Villiers, a Cloetesville local and skateboarder. “It will definitely bring the community together,” he added. PHOTO: Alexander Brand
Stellenbosch Mayor Gesie van Deventer was joined by Councillor Jeremy Fasser, mayoral committee member for sport and culture, and Elsabe Vermeulen, the Ward 16 (Cloetesville) councillor, for the skatepark’s opening on 30 September.
“The park will provide a safe space for children to play, and who knows, perhaps the next South African Olympic athlete will start their journey here,” said Van Deventer at the opening.
Designed for all
The park was designed with the help of skateboarding veteran, Dallas Oberholzer, who competed at the Tokyo Olympics this year, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality.
Inspired2Become (I2B) has been running a skate club on the old tennis courts in Cloetesville for the last eight years, and they had the dream to build a skatepark there, said Chris van der Merwe, co-founder of I2B. The organisation was one of those behind the vision of the new Cloetesville skatepark. PHOTO: Alexander Brand
The park was built according to Olympic standards, but it was also specifically designed to be safe and accessible for beginners, said Grobbelaar.
“The design is a mix of street and park style. It will be good for beginners as well as experts,” said Oberholzer.
Best-trick competition
A best-trick competition was planned to be held on 2 October in celebration of the opening, but was postponed, according to Van der Merwe. An official date for the competition has not been confirmed, but I2B is shooting for November, seeing as necessary permission from Stellenbosch Municipality has to be acquired before a date is set, said Van der Merwe.
“As a municipality, we will always welcome these types of collaborations and cooperation,” said Grobbelaar.
Youth safety and expression
The ward committee in Cloetesville had seen the need for a skatepark among young people in the area, according to Yvonne Lamberts, ward administrator for Ward 16.
“After the deaths of the two very young children that were hit by a car in Lang Street, Cloetesville, in 2019, Councillor Vermeulen and her ward committee members were adamant that the park must take priority,” said Lamberts.
The community is very grateful that Stellenbosch Municipality built the Cloetesville skatepark in the end, said Chris van der Merwe, co-founder of Inspired2Become (I2B). “We will continue to run the I2B Cloetesville skate club on a weekly basis, and the Christian Skaters Stellenbosch group will also meet there,” he said. PHOTO: Alexander Brand
The skatepark has been in the works for roughly ten years, according to Luciano de Villiers, a Cloetesville local and skateboarder. It will serve as a platform for urban culture, and for youth to express themselves, he added in written correspondence with MatieMedia.
“It’s not only for skateboarding, as all creatives are welcome. [For example], hip hop, dancing, poetry, artists, etc.,” said De Villiers.
Local skateboarders used to have to travel to Cape Town for a skatepark of this quality, according to Ulrich Lewis, a Cloetesville local and skateboarder.
“If we wanted to skate at a park like this, we had to go to Cape Town and take like two, three taxis. It was expensive,” he said.