Welcome to Portside DIY – the blood, sweat, tears and cheers of Sydney’s finest DIY skaters and innovators. A skate haven with more sentimental value than any other skate spot in Australia, a place that brought a community of skaters closer and a special place of remembrance for a friend they loved and lost.
Residing in a council wasteland inside a dilapidated brick room, nicely slotted behind one of Sydney’s sporting fields, Portside or Porters in those days was initially a sketchy wooden mini-ramp with a spine and a couple of wall rides, better known for a few broken wrists than a world class DIY spot. This place also played host to some of Sydney’s biggest (out of control) parties but as a result of drunken recklessness the amateur wooden setup was burnt to the ground.
After years of abandonment local DIY craftsmen and skaters rallied together to start fresh with concrete hips, wall rides and quarter pipes and over the years developed it into something special, something to call their own.
Thanks to their countless dedicated hours, spare pennies ($5000 to be precise) and a whole lot of hard work, Portside DIY was resurrected and now on the map as a world class DIY skate spot, pro skaters from all over turning out to shred this little hidden gem.
Portside will forever be a place of remembrance for one of it’s founders and creators Nick “Speedy” Degotardi who tragically passed away recently. Close friends of Nick and people of the community have made it their mission to finish Nick’s dream.
Each year the music and skate event Shralpfest is held at Portside to bring the community together to celebrate his life.
Friends of Nick and the local crew need your help, due to the continuous cost for development and maintenance a Go-Fund-Me campaign has been launched for Portside DIY. Help keep the Portside legacy alive and empty your pockets for a great cause – Follow this link for more details.
Follow Portside DIY on Instagram (@portsideDIY)
Photos: Cam Markin (@itsapirateslife)
