A new 'destination' skatepark has opened in Llanrumney, with Dirty Sanchez' Matthew Pritchard cutting the ribbon at the long awaited facility and taking the first skate. Plans for the project were first announced by Cardiff Council three years ago as part of the council's Skateboard Amenities project that will see the city filled with new skateparks across the city over the next ten years, subject to funding. Work started on the new park in December 2024 and finally opened today - Friday, June 6. The East Side park in Llanrumney, next to the Eastern Leisure Centre, has multiple obstacles including ledges, rails, hubbas, manual pads, stairs, banks as well as a quarter pipe making it both fun and challenging for those looking to learn or hone their skating skills. The local skateboard community worked with consultants, VDZ+A and Newline Skateparks, to design the 1,000m2 skatepark. Never miss a Cardiff story by signing up to our daily newsletter here It has been designed to be suitable for skaters of all ages and abilities, and is built from concrete, providing a higher quality, lower maintenance and lower noise facility than the old timber-framed skatepark it replaces. Dirty Sanchez star and Welsh skateboarder, Matt Pritchard joined skaters to open the facility. He said: "It’s what we need in Cardiff. I’m 52 now, and when I first started skateboarding, we had nothing in Cardiff, so to have facilities like this is amazing. "It’s really good for the kids as well, especially now that skateboarding is in the Olympics and is being taken seriously. Fair play to Cardiff Council, they’ve done an amazing job, and it’s nice to see them investing in skateboarding in Cardiff." Cabinet member for culture, parks and events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, said: "This is the first skate park to be built as part of our new skateboard strategy and it’s already proving to be a real hit with the city’s skate community. "The skate scene in Cardiff is really vibrant and diverse – you’ve got young children and teenagers, all the way through to older skaters who are now introducing their own kids to what is now an Olympic sport. The new East Side skate park is part of our long-term strategy to support and grow the skateboard community for years to come." Here are pictures of the new skatepark in Llanrumney.