The Te Kauwhata Village Green came alive on Saturday November 1st, as more than 100 people gathered for SKATEfest 2025 — a vibrant celebration of skate culture, creativity, and community spirit.
From the very first ollie to the last high five, the event truly stood to its vision of skate, culture, art, unity and community. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy, laughter, and encouragement as tamariki and teens took turns rolling, learning, and showing off their skills.
One of the highlights was the growing number of female skateboarders hitting the park — a fantastic sight that showcased how inclusive and inspiring the skate scene in Te Kauwhata has become.
The Toi Ako Art Station was another crowd favourite, where creative minds designed and built the first-ever SKATEfest mascots — each one representing a unique personality that reflected the heart of the event.
The day featured several competitions including Best Trick, Game of Skate, and Game of Scoot, with prizes handed out to winners across the board. Fudz (Waerenga) landed the Best Trick and took home a brand-new skate deck, while PG, an OG skateboarder from the Hibiscus Coast, won the Game of Skate and scored a new tee. Tuks (Papakura) took out the Game of Scoot, choosing a Bluetooth speaker as his prize.
A special shoutout goes to Little Tasty Food Truck for keeping everyone fuelled throughout the day with their delicious eats.
Our MC Shady Tupu (Hori with a Story) kept the crowd hyped and the energy flowing, with Mieka from Happy Skate School co-hosting during the competition segments. The four-hour event flew by in what felt like minutes, with so many moments of encouragement, celebration, and pure joy. The sound of boards hitting the concrete, cheers from onlookers, and high fives all around painted a perfect picture of community in motion.
It was also a treat to have Corbyn Williams (Auckland) and his whaanau in attendance. Corbyn, a respected figure in the NZ skate scene, was there in full dad mode — supporting his kids as they pushed through challenges and celebrated every win. One standout moment came when Fudz repeatedly attempted a trick on the rail, finally landing it to a roar of cheers and applause that sent good vibrations right across the park.
None of this would have been possible without the continued support of Lakeside (Kāinga Ora), whose funding and belief in community initiatives help make events like SKATEfest a reality for Te Kauwhata.
“The number of skateboarders we’ve seen around town since SKATEfest has been awesome,” says Kris from New Zealous Music, the organiser behind the event. “Seeing our local skatepark in use and those smiles all around — that’s what it’s all about.”
As the boards are packed away and the memories replay, one thing’s certain: SKATEfest 2025 was a huge success — and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for SKATEfest 2026.
