Today, Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg joined Chad Ford and Sean Goff to launch NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS – four days of music, art and skating in Nimbin and Goonellabah.

The event includes an Under 18s Flea Circus at Goonellabah on Friday, 3 March which promises to be full of fun and challenges, along with shows and music. The next day, the event moves to Nimbin for the main GNAR-WALLS rally at the Nimbin Skatepark. Don’t expect the ordinary and only come for fun.

Lismore City Council and the NSW Government are supporting the local skate community and bringing back friends and family for a final summer celebration of skating. Local businesses and local legends are all getting on board to ensure the famous hinterland hospitality is turned up to 11.

Mayor Steve Krieg said it promised to be a great event.

“I am looking forward to NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS coming to Lismore and Nimbin. After a very tough 2022, events like this are important to bring our community together and have a bit of fun,” he said.

“It is one of a series of events that Council is holding as part of ‘Lismore Opening Our Heart’ and I am looking forward to catching up with the community at NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS and all of our planned events. Let’s put 2022 well and truly behind us.”

Founder and Event Director Chad Ford he was excited about staging the four-day event.

"When you’re given the support to do something a bit different that gives back to the community in ways not often possible, then you should grab hold of that opportunity and invite everyone along to celebrate it to the fullest,” he said.

“The whole week of NIMBIN GNAR-WALLS is about fast-paced good times. It will be another epic chapter in the legend of Nimbin.

“All the things that make skaters lifers will be in full effect for the week. Good times, rad concrete, crazy challenges, road tripping, camping, live bands rocking it out on the platform, huge gatherings of epic skaters, art, parties, generations deep with gnarly skating and bags of cash rewards for everyone that turns up the stoke levels.”

Chad mentioned that skaters from all over the globe will be coming for Nimbin GNAR-WALLS including former British Open Champion and recent Masters Games winner Sean Goff as well as friends from America, New Zealand and all points of Australia."

"Our event has always been inclusive. We don't turn up to put on a show, we turn up to encourage everybody to participate in one way or another, so that's why it goes over four days."

"One of the great things about this event is that we're working with local brands and local companies to really show the best of the region."

"So, Thursday, we're starting with a social gathering at Two Mates Brewing. What they're doing and what they've set is not just about the brewery, it's got a social hub and so working with them and utilizing their space on Thursday for that first gathering of an art show and promoting the talent that skateboarders have beyond their board."

"Friday afternoon, we're doing something for the underage teens here at Goonellabah (skatepark). There's a serious event at the Gold Coast this weekend but the kids that are coming here will have a lot more fun. It's not cut and dry standard time runs, there's all kinds of weird and wonderful challenges so they can really turn up and enjoy themselves a bit more not be so stressed as what happens in the normal competition."

"Saturday is the big day at Nimbin. The Nimbin Skatepark has a reputation because it's quite big and burly and so the approach to that type of skating suits the facility. We'll be doing a time trial from top to bottom and back up again which is going to make some pretty interesting displays."

"Saturday night we're working with Nimbin Hotel for the after party and Sunday where we're just getting everyone together just to kind of final goodbyes and not a competition. It's just more a social gathering while we're all here."

(Sean Goff having a skate in Goonellabah at today's launch)

Chad's good mate, Englishman Sean Goff said he is there to MC the event and have some fun but he is ready to skate.

"I want to have fun with everybody and the events we're running are aimed at everyone. You don't have to be pro to skate a time trial. There could be some local kid that wins this. I'm serious, a local kid could take out someone like Steven Pineiro, how rad is that? How amazing would that be for the scene because the local is gonna have to local lines, they're gonna know the speed trials."

"Part of the fun is bringing international competitors to an event like this so the local kids can come here and skate with Olympians, skate with future champions and be inspired. They can see there's a lot more than being stuck indoors playing your Xbox, playing your PlayStation, come out and have fun, breathe the fresh air and enjoy the sunshine. You've got some amazing skateboards out here and we want you to come see what skateboarding can bring to you and what skateboarding can bring as a lifestyle to you."

You can check out the full program of events here.