Wellington and Dubbo youth learned to skate with pro skater Ben Currie

Contrary to the old-fashioned stereotype of trouble-making skateboarders, Totem Skate founder Nige Cameron thinks skating can bring many positives to the community.

"I'm not going to say it's the secret to being an upstanding citizen or anything like that, but it's definitely directed my own life in a really positive way," he said.

As part of a tour of regional NSW, pro skater Ben Currie from Totem Skate visited Dubbo and Wellington to run free skate workshops for local youths.

The Dubbo workshop, on Thursday, July 13, was sponsored by the Dubbo Aboriginal Land Council and started out with a beginners' session in the morning followed by an afternoon of mentoring for the more experienced local skaters.

Mr Cameron said Totem Skate's workshops cater for a range of different skill levels to encourage as many young people as possible to make use of their local skatepark.

"There's been a massive interest spike since COVID lockdowns were lifted and skateboarding being in the Olympics, we're seeing so many more young families and young kids trying to get into the program," he said.

"A skatepark is like an ecosystem, you need young families and you need parents and a whole range of ages to get it really working in a way where it can benefit the community, especially in smaller towns."

The afternoon mentoring sessions guided attendees through everything from performing tricks to doing first aid and staying safe in the bowl.

Mr Cameron, who grew up in Leeton, said in regional towns there are often not many activities to keep young people entertained and off social media. He thinks local skateparks can be a great way to fill that niche.

"It's not about making professional skaters, it's more so keeping people engaged with something that's really healthy and can be really positive for them emotionally, mentally and physically," he said.

The Wellington workshop was held on Wednesday, July 12 and was sponsored by the Dubbo Regional Council and Mission Australia.

Mr Cameron said both sessions were "highly successful" and he hopes Totem Skate will be able to return to town soon.

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