PRESS
RELEASE
For
a new twist on Rock n Roll, The Yard in Knysna – an indoor skate,
BMX, scooter and rollerblade venue – is hosting a team of Element
sponsored Team Riders during the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival,
complete with their own pro-half pipe.
Damon De Clercq,
Giovanni Votano and Clint Theron are all world-renowned skaters and
will be joining in the festival's 30th anniversary festivities with a
demonstration of some serious skill at the Festival
Pavilion.
Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau Schmidt explains,
“It’s all part of the festival’s focus to bring in new and
exciting events that appeal to people of all ages and interests. The
Yard has organised some of the world’s most talented skate boarders
to come to Knsyna and we’re only too pleased to have them as part
of the schedule.”
On 5 July from 2pm - 4pm, the Element
Team Riders will ramp it up at the Festival Pavilion with a demo on
the half pipe, and after that they’ll head over to The Yard in
Knysna's Industrial Area for the official Element Night Jam from
5pm - 10pm. There, the party will continue with more tricks, autographs
and some pretty sweet prizes for participants, like Element
skateboard wheels, T-shirts, hoodies, caps, shoes and more.
The
Team Riders' afternoon demo is free to watch, while entrance to the
Night Jam is just R25 per person, including entrance to the
competition. During the festival, you can also head down to The Yard -
open 7 days a week 10am-6pm (except Sundays, from 1pm - 6pm) and
skate all day for only R25, or you can try your luck when the half pipe is free at the Festival Pavilion throughout the day and during
the week.
Brothers Steve and Ivan Van Lier founded Knysna's
only skate venue in 2009. Steve explains, "We sold our family
business in the building industry in 2007. The Yard was an idea that
developed with two things in mind - first, the tough economic
conditions which seem to hit the smaller towns harder than the big
cities and second, Ivan's sons Mathew and Troy's love for
skateboarding and rollerblading. So on the one side, Ivan was driving
through to the only park on the Garden Route in George for his
kids to practice their tricks, and on the other side we had an empty
warehouse in the industrial area just begging for something… so
bam! It was to be a skate and BMX park."
Steve continues,
"The park itself was designed and built by Roscoe Siebers – an
experienced BMX rider from Port Elizabeth who has ridden in many
parts of the world - and the bowl, ¼ pipes, fun box, spine and
banks all use steel framework manufactured in his factory, and
cladding done by local Knysna carpenters. The park offers 500m² of
indoor skating as well as 600m² of outdoor plaza, which is the very
best on offer on the Garden Route. We have a fully stocked shop which
offers all the associated clothing with brands like DC, Planb and
other skate-related brands to choose from. We have all the spares and
complete boards any skater could dream of under one roof. For the
hungry and thirsty we also cater from our in-house tuck shop."
"The
skate and BMX park is open daily from 10am 'till 6pm with boards,
BMX, scooters and safety equipment available for hire. This is a safe
environment for kids to be dropped as there is always adult
supervision. And at R25 for the whole day, it’s a bargain. Plus, we
offer a Toppies evening on alternate Wednesday evenings from 6pm - 8:30pm for the oldies that want to skate without kids coming past at
100mph, which has broken all expectations on attendance! The quality
of skaters coming is just amazing - who would have thought the moms
and dads would want to get back onto their skateboards and not only
skate, but do tricks that outdo the kids'! "
The
Schedule:
5
July 2pm - 4pm,
Element Riders Half Pipe Demo at the Festival Pavilion, Waterfront
Drive, FREE
5
July 5pm - 10pm,
Join in the fun at the Element Night Jam at The Yard, 5 Progress
Street, Knysna Industrial Area, R25 per person, including entrance to
the competition
Daily
during the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival - skate all day at The
Yard, 5 Progress Street, Knysna Industrial Area, for just R25
The
programme for the 2013 Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival has grown,
with new and exciting events joining the stable of old favourites.
“Last year’s programme sported more than 100 events,” said
Festival Manager Nicci Rousseau-Schmidt. “And it is already clear
that we’ll top that number this year.”
Other not to be
missed events in the line-up include the Knysna Wine Festival on 1 and 2 July, where up to 50 of South Africa’s best wines will be on
offer; the Pick n Pay Flavours of Knysna Gourmet evening, where
Knysna restaurants will compete for cash prizes with their best
oyster recipes on 3 July; and the Tabasco® Shuckle – on Fire
with Nik Rabinowitz on 4 July, where the Oyster Shucking and Oyster
Eating competitions will be held.
For the little ones, The Young
Oyster Festival is gaining in popularity each year, providing an
environment for kids to have a blast. Aside from the regular events, such as cooking lessons, arts and crafts, movie screenings, sport
clinics, and exciting competitions, this year will see a dedicated
Kids Zone complete with popcorn, candyfloss and all things necessary
for exciting and entertaining kids.
Plus, the Pick n Pay
Women’s Walk will take place on Sunday 7 July. The Women’s Walk
is a popular event that takes place across South Africa. Bronwen
Rohland, Marketing Director Pick n Pay, said, “This 5km event raises
funds for PinkDrive, an organisation that provides free breast cancer
screening and health education for women who cannot afford it.”
For
more information about the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival, contact
Knysna Tourism on 044 382 5510, visit www.pnpoysterfestival.co.za,
or if you have a smart phone, be sure to get the innovative Festival
App for the complete programme, mobile news and on-the-go
information. To get it, go to Google Play or Apple iTunes, or simply
scan the barcode on the festival website.
For more information
about The Yard or the Element Team Riders Demo and Night Jam, contact
Steven on 082 411 0950 or Ivan on 083 325 2526, or find them on
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/11LZi6E.
