Have skate park, will travel

Corban Walls grabs some air on his mobile skate park. Picture /Amos Chapple

A transportable skate park is to get its first airing at the Parachute Music Festival at Mystery Creek today.

It marks the end of five frantic weeks for Corban Walls, 24, from Waitakere, who is trying to establish a niche business for himself by hiring out skate parks to youth events..

He had to race against time to get the first 150sq m park built in just over a month. "The biggest challenge has been not enough daylight," he said.

The park is made from aluminium interlocking ramps that can be set up as separate ramps or joined to create a full skate park.

After use, it can be taken apart and reassembled at the next event. Walls got the idea while volunteering at an Aids orphanage in Ethiopia in 2004.

In his 10 weeks there, the keen skater could not help but be struck by the deserted concrete areas which, in New Zealand, would be full of kids mucking around on skateboards.

The skate park concept began life as an after-hours project while he worked as a full-time engineer at superyacht builder Alloy Yachts.

Walls did the market research by questioning event organisers, skaters and skateboard stores to ensure such an idea would fly.

He thinks company name Remain Industries is suitable for a brand name as he intends to develop a skateboard clothing line in the future. Winning $5000 in the Big Break competition sponsored by Nescafe last year helped get some basic equipment together.

But things really got under way when the booking for Parachute was confirmed late November.

To meet the deadline, Walls and his younger brother worked long hours - up to 19 hours a day - building the ramps in his backyard.

It has been not only physically tough but mentally too, with each day bringing its own special challenges.

"Taking this on at 24 has been a big risk," said Walls.

Funding of $65,000 came from his own savings and investment from his family. The ramps have been built to the standard required for competition and they will be tested at the skateboard nationals in Wellington this year.

So far, Walls has not had to work too hard marketing the idea.

He has received a lot of interest from youth events and the ramps could also be hired out for skate demonstrations in skate stores. Because Walls is building in modules, the size of skate parks is not limited.

Rental fees are calculated by the square metre and can range from $500 and $15,000.

Profits will be ploughed straight back into the business and used for market research and to develop new ramps.

His next project is likely to be a vertical ramp 4m high by 15m wide.

Walls hopes the skate park business will become his day job this year so that he can move into a workshop.

* People aged between 16 and 24 with a big idea that needs a cash injection can apply for a Big Break this year. For more information visit the Big Break website.