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Man skates from London to Stroud for new skatepark

Si Coburn Mr Coburn stands outside the London skateshop, ready to start his journeySi Coburn
Si Coburn skated for 12 hours from London to Stroud

A Gloucestershire man has roller-skated from London to Brimscombe, near Stroud.

Si Coburn, 39, left a Kensington skateshop on a pair of brand-new inline skates at 06:00 BST on Wednesday.

He arrived into Brimscombe later that day, at 19:00 BST, after skating 110-miles (177km) and having raised over £4,000 to build a new RUSH skatepark.

Mr Coburn used to coach at the former RUSH skatepark, which was knocked down two years ago to make way for housing.

He told Radio Gloucester: "It would just be amazing to see a new skatepark built, and one that's going to be even bigger and better anyway."

"Lots of the community were really behind what I was doing."

Si Coburn Si Coburn poses for a photograph with his dog, surrounded by several young people with skateboards in hand.Si Coburn
Many former patrons of the park turned out to skate the last mile with Si Coburn

"There were so many positives of having that public space there. Kids were getting involved and adults were getting fitter."

Mr Coburn explained that many young people and former patrons of the park turned out on Wednesday evening to skate the last mile with him.

He also expressed that there was a drop in anti-social behaviour in the area when the former park was built.

The RUSH skatepark opened at Brimscombe Port in 2013 and gained an international reputation with Olympic medallists training there.

The proposed site for the new park is on available land by the A38 south of Quedgely - near Whitminster.

Mr Coburn expressed his desire to see a new 'state-of-the-art' and 'Olympic' standard reincarnation of the RUSH.

In July, Mr Coburn skated 100-miles (160km) in 24 hours around the Le Mans racetrack in France.

Si Coburn Mr Coburn surrounded by his family in friends, lining up for a photograph in the evening light.Si Coburn
Mr Coburn thanked everyone who donated and supported him

For this challenge, he was followed his dad and a safety car, which took him past Heathrow, Maidenhead, Lechlade and Cirencester.

Mr Coburn said: "My dad was behind me on his motorbike and he clocked me going 30mph down a hill at one point.

"I want to thank everyone for donating and all the help and support they've given me."

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