Giant spotted in Mangawhai
When you hear ‘giant skateboard’ you no doubt think of something fairly large, but think bigger again and you’ll be getting closer to the 12 metre long behemoth that is currently undergoing refurbishment before being installed as a permanent sculpture at the Mangawhai Activity Zone (MAZ) skate park.
When asked why anyone would build such a thing, MAZ trustee Simon Bennett responded, “The New Zealand Olympic Committee wanted to promote the inclusion of skateboarding in the Tokyo Olympics and they toured the country with this giant skateboard, but they didn’t know what to do with it afterwards.”
Eventually, MAZ was approached to see if they were interested. “The committee was thinking about the giant carrot in Ohakune and the L&P bottle in Paeroa, and decided, why not be the town with the world’s largest skateboard?” says Simon. “So we brought it back to Mangawhai – which was a mission in itself because it’s so huge.”
Before being claimed by MAZ, the board spent nearly two years outdoors, under a not-very-waterproof cover and some water damage occurred. The board is now under shelter at Limitless Scaffolding in Mangawhai, and a lot of work has gone into repairs and refurbishment. “We’ve had a dehumidifier going for at least six weeks now,” says Simon, “and we’re very grateful to Mangawhai Hire for letting us have that.”
Grants from Kaipara District Council and the Mangawhai Opportunity Shop have allowed repairs to proceed, and most of the work on the board has been done by volunteers. “RS Engineering and Mangawhai Engineering have also been very kind with their time and materials,” says Simon.
The team is now in the process of putting the board back together so that it matches the original build. On completion, it will be taken to MAZ and mounted on a frame designed by RS Engineering and built by Mangawhai Engineering. “It will be extraordinary when it’s done,” says Simon. “Because it’ll be up in the air, tilted towards the viewer, it’s going to look dynamic.”
The board is rideable, in that it rolls along the ground, but the trucks aren’t functional so it can’t turn. “It’s the biggest skateboard in the world,” explains Simon, “but it wasn’t recognised as a Guinness World Record because the bushings (the large rubber washers in the middle of skateboard trucks) aren’t made of rubber and it can’t turn, so it’s not a ‘real’ skateboard.”
Simon is hoping the board will be installed by Christmas, but, if not, it might make an appearance in the Santa parade. “Our goal is to have it sit up on its stand at MAZ for 20 years,” says Simon. He adds with a laugh, “We don’t want to have to take it down again.”