Skateboarding Sport Promoted

Skateboarding is more popular than ever these days. There are a number of skateparks in the city and the sport has influenced both fashion and pop-culture.

Due to its popularity, skateboarding athlete Cheung Hang-tat said nowadays, even younger children are drawn to the sport in Hong Kong.

He explained that several years ago, the age of a rookie skater was usually 10 or older, but now, kids as young as five are picking up the sport.

“The sport is cool and you feel a sense of accomplishment while trying to complete different moves.”

Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced in this year’s Budget that the Government is examining the conversion of some underutilised floors of the Kwun Chung Municipal Services Building into an urban sports centre.

He emphasised that the goal is to provide a suitable venue for activities such as skateboarding. The technical feasibility study of the transformation project is expected to be completed this year.

Skaters and coaches expressed that they love the idea.

Prioritising safety

Mr Cheung suggested that the indoor centre should include a foam pit which can reduce the chance of injuries as athletes can practise their tricks pain-free when performing difficult moves. 

“Plus, their training will not be affected by the weather,” he added.

There are eight skateboard grounds and five skateparks under the Leisure & Cultural Services Department.

Skateparks are provided for the co-use of the players of four extreme sports, namely freestyle BMX, skateboarding, aggressive inline skating and freestyle scootering.

Lai Chi Kok Park Skatepark is one such recreational environment.

A few weeks ago, there was a contest in the park where it was clear to see that although the skaters are young, they are able to perform different kinds of moves such as an ollie or a flip.

Professional grounds

While Hong Kong Skateboarding Squad Team Head Coach Warren Stuart noted that there is a fairly large number of good skateparks in Hong Kong, he believes additional skateparks would benefit the sport greatly.

Now that skateboarding is an Olympic sport, he stressed that if society wants local skateboarders to compete with the rest of the world, more professional skateboard grounds on the same level as the Olympics or international competition standards are needed.