One of the most popular, and illegal, spots in the shire is known locally as Bell Park, an empty industrial site with wide expanses of flat concrete on Bellingara Road at Sylvania.

The site proved so popular skaters organised annual "Bell Sesh'' days with videos for Bell Sesh 4 posted on YouTube to help promote the event before it was held in August last year.

Other videos on YouTube show skaters using the Bell Park site and even setting up a barbecue to sell sausage sandwiches and drinks for one of the Bell Sesh events.

Josh Downy, 22, of Como said skaters had been forced to find their own sites because there were no good local facilities.

He said objections to a proposed skate park at Wanda were based on false assumptions.

"Graffiti, vandalism, assaults, binge drinking and drug taking are issues that have no relevance with skate parks, and should be tackled by other ways,'' Mr Downy said.

"I see underage kids drinking, doing drugs, fighting, burning down bins on football and soccer fields all the time.

"Not long ago a teenager was bashed to death on Woolooware oval. Does that mean the soccer field was to blame? Should we close it?''

Skateboarding Australia project officer Glenn Walker backed up Mr Downy's assessment.

"When people see graffiti on bus stops they don't assume it was put there by commuters,'' he said.

"I think the perception of the sport is slowly turning around, but it's going to take time.

"The fact is the kids need proper facilities for their chosen sport. It should be no different to the local footy club needing a field to play on.''

Mr Walker said skating was a sport that had matured and was here to stay.

"Our experiences at Skateboarding Australia and the evidence from retail sales and events around the country shows there are strong participation rates,'' he said.

"Not only are more kids picking it up but older guys who may have skated as teenagers are going out with their kids and picking up a board for some fun themselves.''

Mr Downy said skating was popular in the shire and was a fact of life with or without skate parks.

"If this skate park isn't built we will still skate. It's just going to be in your schools and public areas,'' he said.

"People sometimes find skateboarders intimidating but really, they just want somewhere to practice their sport. Problems at Engadine and Menai skate parks can't be used as good examples because most skaters don't like those parks.

"They're prefabricated, there are big joins at the transition points on the ramps and pipes. Skaters have been hurt at those parks and now they're mostly used by kids on bikes and scooters.''

To see Bell Sesh days go to:

youtube.com/watch?v=zAebAcyOnUY