"They know how to embrace a new sport," says 42-year-old Jim Hoffman from East Brisbane who is leading Brisbane's skateboard fightback. The Sunshine Coast also has excellent skateboard facilities and recently unveiled plans for an upgraded skate facility at Alexandra Headlands, with a split level advanced bowl, mini bowl and stair set among the key design features. Despite skateboarding becoming a high-profile Olympic sport in 2020, skaters say Brisbane is a skateboarding backwater and laughing stock. Jim Hoffman met Fairfax Media at one of Brisbane's newer skate parks at Paddington, where the lights are still to be turned on by Brisbane City Council. "We are losing talent all over the place," Jim Hoffman said.

One of the world's best is former Brisbane skater, Tommy Fynn, now ranked 16 in the world in Nike/Vann Street league championships. "The best talent that is coming up in this city has to leave each and every night of the year," he said. "And we get to these places – the Gold and Sunshine coasts - and everyone knows why we are there." "Because Brisbane sucks. All the skate boarding community knows that Brisbane sucks." Jim Hoffman appears to be a thorn in Brisbane City Council's side.

He recently asked why Brisbane City Council has only built "half a skate park" at Milton and refuses to turn the lights on at the Paddington skate park. "They've got them waiting to be turned on, but they are holding the skate community over a barrel with it," Jim Hoffman said. "The lights exist at Paddington, but they are not going to be switched on until the second stage is built. "But they are saying 'Someone has painted this skatepark and that means skaters are bad people'." Jim Hoffman said that attitude was ridiculous.

"They don't say that when someone paints a soccer club,"he said. "They don't blame soccer players." Mr Hoffman says only Brisbane's newest skateboard park at Bracken Ridge has lights – it opened in 2016 - and while the lights are ready at Paddington, they not switched on. "There is a lot of people who obviously work during the day and want to participate in skateboarding after work hours," he said. "If you want to do that in Brisbane, you have to leave," he said.

"Because, aside from Bracken Ridge, there is nowhere with lights on - that the Council has paid for - in Brisbane. "But you can't go to Bracken Ridge without a leaf blower." Brisbane Skateboard Association's Facebook page agrees with Jim Hoffman's assessment of the state of play in Brisbane skateboarding. "Brisbane was once a leader in Skateboard Facility development," it says.



"However, over the past decade, despite the growing popularity of skateboarding, Skate Facilities have suffered from under investment." Brisbane City Council says it has recently upgraded the Jindalee skate park and plans to turn on the lights at Paddington in late 2017.

"Stage one of the Paddington Skate Park upgrade was opened last year and stage two will be completed by late 2017," Brisbane City Council's Lifestyle committee chairman Matthew Bourke said. "And this stage includes lighting," he said. "Stage two of the Jindalee Skate Park upgrade was completed late last year." Cr Bourke said the new Bracken Ridge skate park was "competition grade", had lights and said skaters appreciated that facility. "Not all Council skate parks are suitable for use at night, due to noise and other impacts on neighbouring properties," Cr Bourke said.

"Council has worked closely with the Brisbane Skateboarding Association during the design development of new and upgraded skate parks across Brisbane and regularly consults on maintenance issues."