• Mykelti French at the skate park behind Captain Munchies.

by CARMELO AMALFI

We don’t want to mix with mums and dads,” the youngest of three skateboarders, Troy, tells the Herald, cruising in from North Fremantle.

Pausing for shade outside the post office, the 13-year-old says he is not keen on the council’s Esplanade sports plaza idea, though he will probably check it out if and when it’s built.

South Perth boarder Jonzie Cunningham, 19, is warming up to the plan while his mate eats lunch on the concrete ledge lining the abandoned Woolstores in Cantonment Street.

“I’d go,” he says, before flipping his board against the wall graffiti.

“This (the Woolstores) is just one continuous line so it’s limited. We need more space to include other structures. North Fremantle is too small.”

In the skate park on the baking bitumen outside Captain Munchies, Mykelti French, 14, is struggling with the intense heat and humidity.

“Maybe they should think about something undercover,” he suggests, giving up after a couple of minutes in 35 degree-plus temperatures.

“It gets real hot here. People come from all over Perth to use the parks in Fremantle, so there should be better places.”
Their comments echo those of WA filmmakers Mat de Koning, 28, whose short film Share Path Skate Path earned him 2011 young filmmaker of the year.

Except for Mr de Koning, who has been skateboarding since 12, none of the street skaters knew about the January 18 and 19 workshops set up by council to discuss the plaza.

While he says Convic is one of the country’s best skatepark builders, Mr de Koning believes Fremantle should take a leaf out of Bayswater’s council’s book: it launched WA’s first skate plaza in 2007.

“This is the only skate park in WA set up by skateboarders, a couple of councillors and members of the community,” the former advisory committee member told the Herald.

Established independent of any private park company, the Crimea Street plaza attracts boarders from across Perth and was voted one of the best in Australia.