AN all-abilities skate training session will be held on the basketball court of Foster Showgrounds on Friday, November 28 at 4 pm. The Skate Frame session will run for 90 minutes (weather permitting). Participation is free and open to anyones – all ages and experience levels.
Enable Skate is primarily aimed at kids with a variety of physical disabilities, but is just as applicable to ‘first time’ skaters wishing to experience and enjoy skateboarding.
Noel Forsyth of Enable Skate said, the engineer-certified Skate Frame has numerous safety features built in to provide upper and lower body support, stability and assurance for skaters with any level of experience.
“I have been running skate/surf weekends at Sandy Point in late November for over a decade now. The Enable Skate all abilities skate frame is an outgrowth of our MOSS (Melbourne Old School Skaters) Foundation charity work,” he said.
“The frame itself was developed from scratch two years ago by Wodonga-based skater Al Taylor. Al worked closely with the family of a local woman with cerebral palsy, Jany McRoberts.”
The original frame design has been improved and updated through several prototypes and is now set to "roll out" at locations across Victoria.
“Enable Skate will shortly obtain their own skate frame, intended to service an area taking in Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and all the way to Gippsland.
“The primary Enable Skate trainers are myself (Glen Iris / Sandy Point), Rob Francis (Mornington Peninsula) and Carey Hazelbank (Inverloch).”
In the last year, Enable Skate have been conducting numerous training sessions at Noble Park skatepark, the Glenallen Special Education school in Glen Waverley and more recently, the Officer Specialist school near Pakenham.
“Although our focus has been on running skate experiences for the disabled, the frame can also provide a very safe "training wheels" experience for anyone interested in skateboarding but may not be confident with their balance or safety early on.”
Walk up and try – everyone welcome.
