Wangaratta youth pumped for Parkour
Published on 19 May 2022
Anticipation around the opening of the new Parkour Park at Wangaratta’s Apex Park Regional Playspace has reached fever-pitch ahead of the grand opening this Friday.
Rural City of Wangaratta’s Next Gen youth advisory group members Finn Vogels and Turner Pearson are both excited to see the new addition to Apex Park open and are keen to give the sport of parkour a try by signing up to one of the free workshops being offered by the Bendigo Parkour Team “Walk the Walls”.
“I have never been to a proper parkour park but have tried street parkour and enjoy watching parkour youtuber videos,” Pearson said.
Pearson, who also enjoys bmxing and mountain biking said that parkour appeals to his adventurous side and has many parallels with other adrenaline sports.
“Doing parkour is really fun, it forces you to think outside the box to come up with new lines,” he said. “I think everyone should give it a try.”
Fellow Next Gen member Finn Vogels acknowledged the importance of Council and young people working together to deliver projects for Wangaratta’s youth.
“It was vital for the youth to have a say in the parkour park, it brings what their generation wants into the park, and it gives a broader idea of activities we want in Wangaratta,” he said.
“I think it’s a great thing what the council is doing, giving the youth a new spot to go and hang out, its beneficial for the greater community not only the youth, but I can also definitely see it being a great place to go.”
Friday’s free Grand Opening event kicks off at 4pm and will feature a parkour display by Wangaratta’s own Ninja Warrior Frank Crispo, as well as a chance to discover more from Wangaratta Knights Rugby League Club, Wangaratta Dragons Hockey Club and Wangaratta Park Run.
Want to learn more about Parkour? The Bendigo Parkour Team “Walk the Walls” will be running free parkour workshops over the weekend and again on Sunday 5 June and 19 June. Registrations can be made here.
The project was made possible through $500,000 in funding from the Victorian State Government, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions 2019/20 Regional Infrastructure Fund and a $500,000 low interest loan from the Victorian State Government, Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions as part of the Project Delivery and Loan Subsidy Agreement.