Go out to Waitangi Park on a sunny day in the weekend, and you will hear the swish of wheels rolling on concrete, crack of wood hitting the ground, and the occasional grunt of pain. Mostly though, you will hear cheers of triumph. Skateboarding is more than just a sport – it’s culture, community and friendship. Capital Times asks one talented skater about his life on wheels.

WHEN Tawa Hayes was younger, he would stick up posters of skaters he idolised. The other day he went to his friend’s house, and saw his own picture on the wall.
“I was freaked out at first, but it was cool,” laughs the 2009 Wellington Regional Skate Champion.
He says skate culture is alive and well in Wellington, more so than other cities such as Auckland, but you just need to know where to look.
“An Auckland pro-skater told me there are not many skate spots there to sit down and relax, because you get booted out. He said coming to Wellington to skate was like a holiday,
“Most of the spots here are hidden away in back streets, under car parking buildings and under the motorway.”
Hayes prefers it that way. He likes skating away from traffic and people so he doesn’t have to worry about security guards asking him to leave.
Civic Square provides great challenges for skaters, “but you’re never there for over five minutes before you get booted out” Hayes said.
A recent DIY skate areas that has popped up is unusual, he says, because it’s in public view.
The empty concrete lot on the corner of Tory and Buckle Streets has been transformed into a skater’s haven, with a couple of rails and a ramp, and even a humorous “Marion Street” sign stuck in the middle. Skaters told Capital Times that it’s the new spot to go to.
The man behind the makeshift prefers not to be named, but Hayes says he’s admired in the community.
“He’s a pretty amazing dude with big love for skateboarding. He does a lot for us, and he’s a cool person to look up to – me and my friends do,” he says.
And despite the concrete lot being in the public sphere (it’s part of the Memorial Park Road proposal), skaters haven’t had a problem there yet.
“It’s really awesome, and the way it’s been done provides a good vibe for skaters,” Hayes says. “Other places I’ve been to, I’ll go there one day and the next day they’re gone – sometimes because there are people who abuse them and disturb the peace.”
Council initiatives like the Waitangi Park skate park are great, he says, because skaters don’t need to worry about being kicked out.
“It’s probably my second or third favourite park in New Zealand and I spend most of my time there.”
Hayes, who also works at Cheapskates on Cuba Street, says skate culture has been growing in Wellington.
“A whole lot of people who used to skate are skating again. Day by day there are more parents buying boards for their kids,” he says.
Hayes started skating at the age of 10 after a next-door neighbour gave him an old board.
“It had massive wheels and all these swearwords written on it, so I thought I was the man,” he laughs. “I was like ‘porn, Nirvana, Metallica – what’s that?’”
He then made friends with a local boy the same age who was a big skate boarder, and the pair “skated every day for years”.
Not much has changed, and he still skates every day. He can’t help it – he’s in love.
“I love every little part of it, from putting my wheels on, to gripping the board, to banging tricks and skating down the road feeling fresh air on my face,” he says, and adds, “plus, you can always get better.”