Hong Kong’s skateboarding scene rolls on

Skateparks were still a novelty in Hong Kong when Warren Stuart and his friends were showing off their skills in the late 1980s.

In the days before the internet, they read magazines and watched videos to learn about overseas skateparks such as the one in Venice Beach, Los Angeles. They dreamed of pulling off rail flips and slides at a similar one in their own city one day.

Thirty years later, Stuart, now 56, surveyed the new skate bowl at On Lok Mun Street Playground in Fanling during its recent public opening.

The skate bowl is the first in the city to receive “Competition Class 1 star” certification by World Skate. World Skate is the governing body officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee for skateboarding and roller sports activities. Its street course has been given “Recreational Class 3 stars”.

Stuart is the former head of the Skateboarding Subcommittee at the Federation of Roller Sports. He said the certification meant the facility could host official contests for China.

The 3,800-square-metre facility took two years to build. It can be used for skateboarding, in-line skating, scootering and bicycle motocross by enthusiasts with different levels of ability.

Quiz time

1. When did Warren Stuart and his friends start skateboarding in Hong Kong?

2. What is significant about the new skate bowl at On Lok Mun Street Playground?

3. How large is the new skate facility in Fanling?

4. What types of activities can be done at the new skate bowl?

Warren Stuart is a notable figure in the skateboarding community in Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So

Suggested answers

1. in the late 1980s

2. it is Hong Kong’s first skate bowl with a “Competition Class 1 star” certification from World Skate

3. 3,800 square metres

4. skateboarding, in-line skating, scootering and bicycle motocross