Joe, 21, has lived his whole life on Waiheke and skating has always been part of it. Though he’s not a sponsored skater, Joe is dedicated. “I’m a whole-life skater. I was skating the old skate park before it got redone and I’ve been skating the new park almost every day ever since.”
The skate park is part of Tawaipareira Reserve, a project funded by the Waiheke Local Board. The upgraded skate park opened in 2021, with further enhancements, including a BMX pump track, basketball court, and learn-to-ride track, completed in 2024.
Stage three of the reserve, including a flying fox and improved accessibility paths, is due to be finished by December 2025 as part of the board’s work to support growth and build better facilities and amenities on the island.
For Joe, the skate park has shaped his confidence and connections to other people in the community. “It’s given me a lot more confidence to talk to people. And it kind of destroys the age barrier. I was 12 or 13 hanging out with 20-year-olds and that really gave me a big boost of confidence to see myself as an equal to them. It’s a cool space where anything really flies. It doesn’t matter where you come from or who you are.”
He says the recent upgrades have made skating even more enjoyable for a range of abilities and ages. “The old park was good, and we all grew to skate it quite well. But the upgrades are more beginner-friendly and there’s more to do for not-so-good skaters, too. You don’t get turned away as quickly if you kind of plateau and you’ve got no tricks to try because all the obstacles are too hard or too big. Now there’s heaps of different stuff to do, so it’s more obtainable for younger skaters.”
For Joe and many others, Tawaipareira Reserve isn’t just a skate park. It’s a space where the community comes together and everyone can feel welcome.
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