Central Coast Council has secured three major events in 2017 at the region’s newest and biggest skate place - Bato Yard.

Two events are associated with the Australian Skateboarding Federation (ASF) and the other is part of the NSW YMCA Skate Park League (SPL).

Council’s Sports Development and Events Officer, Ms Karen Lightfoot, said this is great news and will put the new facility on the national riding calendar and boost its reputation nationally and internationally.

“Since Bato Yard opened in July, hundreds of riders and spectators flock to the freestyle riding facility every day and these events will only further cement the increasing popularity of the Yard,” Ms Lightfoot said.

“The two ASF events will be part of the popular King of Concrete skateboard contest series and is an opportunity for our local riders to showcase their talents in front of some big names.

“The first one will be the bowl event which is locked in for Saturday 11 February and will feature qualifying spots for the well-known Bondi Bowlarama.

“This means our Bato event could see some of our local riders competing against some of the best skaters in Australia at Bondi!

“The other ASF King of Concrete event will be a street-based skate contest in April and will be used as a contest pathway to participate in a USA street event – another great chance for our local skaters to compete against some of the best in the world!”

Bato Yard was designed to cater for a range of disciplines such as skate, scooter, BMX and blades for locals with a view to also hosting major events.

The YMCA has booked Bato Yard for two years with their first SPL event booked in for the next school holidays on Tuesday 17 January.

The competition will include riders competing in the categories of scooter, skateboard, BMX and wheelies (wheelchair/amputees). There will also be a youth and community festival as well as entertainment, activities and stalls.

“These are three major events guaranteed to showcase Bato Yard as a premier place to hold freestyle riding events, and will put the Coast on the map as the place to skate,” Ms Lightfoot added.

Council’s Administrator, Mr Ian Reynolds, said it’s great to see Bato Yard gaining national attention.

“When the community wanted a regional facility that could cater for major events, Council delivered – and Bato Yard is proving that,” Mr Reynolds said

“This new facility is attracting major events to the Coast – which means more tourism for the area.

“We know how important tourism is to our economy particularly in creating local jobs for our young people.

“This is also a great chance for local businesses to become commercial partners and gain more exposure for their business – or even naming rights for some of these events.

“The ASF events will have the best skaters not only from the Central Coast but national riders as well – including interest from overseas.

“I can’t wait to see Bato Yard confirm its potential as a premier riding facility.”

For more details on the events or find out how you can be involved, visit centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/batoyard

Maintenance work: To keep the facility in shape, Bato Yard will have some maintenance work carried out from Monday 7 to Friday 11 November. Users may notice some areas will be closed during the week and Convic and Council appreciate your patience as they work to improve the facility for the community.