About 100 young ninjas stormed the Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre to be among the first to try the town’s new ninja course last week.
Shire of Pingelly president Jackie McBurney cut the ribbon with her glowing samurai sword to officially open the much-anticipated Pingelly ninja course on Wednesday evening.
The course features 15 obstacles to negotiate, with young athletes starting with the quintuple steps, before moving on to various monkey bars, climbing nets, flying fox, spinning wheels and the warped wall.
A timer is set at the start for ninjas to track their speed when navigating the course.
The top three times in the boys division saw Jesiah Collard, 11, clock 1 min. 27sec., Xavier Jetta 1:34 and Keiran Lee 1:50.
The girls division had Athena Rankin, 11, run the course in 2:22, followed by Floris Casey in 2:38 and Freya Rankin, 9, at 2:48.
Shire of Pingelly events co-ordinator and brains behind the project Amy Rankin said it was great to see community members of all ages run the course for the first time.
“It was really special to see the community jump straight in and give the new ninja course a go,” she said.
“There were so many people involved in bringing this project to life, and in a small, close‑knit town like ours, the course is already becoming a place where anyone walking past can stop, smile and cheer on whoever’s having a go.”
Located beside the town oval, sport courts and swimming pool, the course precinct creates a natural activity hub where young people can easily move between the different spaces.
Ms Knight said that the play equipment in town caters towards younger kids, while the ninja course is designed for teens and young adults.
“The new ninja course fills a big gap by offering something genuinely challenging and exciting for older primary‑aged children, teens and young adults,” she said.
“It’s a space that encourages them to get outside, be active and have fun without needing to sign up for a team, own any special equipment or pay any fees.
“It brings in a sense of friendly competition and personal challenge that older kids are often looking for.”
After the ninja competition, everyone enjoyed a sausage sizzle cooked by Pingelly’s newly formed Youth Advisory Group.
https://thewest.com.au/news/narrogin-observer/in-pictures-about-100-young-ninjas-storm-new-pingelly-ninja-course-on-opening-night-c-21852703
