Video: Skateboarding the Kaimai Range at 65kms

A video of a group of skateboarders getting up to speeds of 65 km/h skateboarding down the Kaimai Range has surfaced online, but the road police boss for the region says their thrill ride is putting people at risk.

 

Dylan Bezuidenhout, 23, and friends are keen skateboarders who take on big hills around Hamilton.

The video on the Kaimai Range was filmed on Sunday about 5pm.

Mr Bezuidenhout said they took precautions to make sure they were safe.

He wears a full-face helmet, a full set of leathers and gloves with nylon material.

The riders have a follow car behind them that has hazards on and is going slow enough to ensure cars are aware skateboarders are ahead.

"We stay to our lane, we do weave in and out but we stay in our lane. "A car overtaking our follow car is our biggest fear, because we have no control over that," he said.

He acknowledged it was dangerous "but we are experienced enough that we're not going to crash, and we wouldn't recommend anybody else doing it. We know our limits.

"It's not something that you just grab a skateboard and do."

Mr Bezuidenhout said last night that he and friends had ridden their boards on a road known as "the divi" from Hamilton towards Raglan.

He was stopped by the police and asked to leave, which he did.

"They're looking out for us, but I've never had any real close run-ins with any cars.

"In the Road Code we're technically allowed on the road like a cyclist, but cyclists have to keep close to the left... we tend to drift in to the lane a bit, that's the bit the cops aren't keen on, I think."

He said they took into consideration the traffic flow on the roads at different times when planning their rides.

Waikato road policing manager Inspector Freda Grace said she had heard reports of groups of people skateboarding the Kaimai Range.

She said she understood a unit had been dispatched to find the group recently but couldn't locate them.

She said it was unsafe and the skateboarders were taking an unnecessary risk.

"I understand that people want to do extreme acts and push it to the line.. But you are a very vulnerable road-user on a skateboard if a massive truck and trailer unit is bearing down upon you.

"It's a busy route freight-wise and for general motorists. It couldn't be seen to be safe to be riding a skateboard down that piece of road.

"You're placing a whole lot of people at risk, it's just unnecessary risk."

Ms Grace said the police response to Mr Bezuidenhout last night was appropriate.

"In terms of police response to it our main concern around anyone using the roads for any reason is safety."

Mr Bezuidenhout said he and his friends were getting lots of rides in before the Gravity Festival at Mt Ruapehu in March, when a road would be closed to allow skateboarders to race down.

By Sophie Ryan of NZME. News Service

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