Two Japanese Olympians have brought their skateboards and their skills to Hong Kong this weekend, as they look to boost the sport’s profile across the region.
Joined by compatriot and rising star Yumeka Oda, the trio will take part at a two-day event in Causeway Bay, where they will showcase the tricks that have catapulted them to the top of the sport.
With the Paris Olympics getting ever closer, the trio are all working towards qualification, but said the third edition of Hong Kong’s Skateboard Fest at Lee Gardens was more about “having fun” and connecting with local athletes.
“I was told there are not that many skaters in Hong Kong, so coming here will make people more curious about it,” Sora Shirai said.
Shirai, who competed in the men’s park event at the Tokyo Olympics, is working towards bettering his ninth place finish in Japan, a Games that helped the 22-year-old realise the benefits that game with global recognition.
“Just in the past year after the Tokyo Olympics, skateboarding in Japan has grown so much and the sport is so popular now,” he said. “After Paris and even Los Angeles more people will join the sport and it will get a lot of recognition.”
Funa Nakayama, who won bronze in women’s street in Tokyo, shared the same sentiment, and the 18-year-old has taken a step back from tournaments to create more traction for the sport.
“I want to do something outside the competitions,” she said. “I want to promote skateboarding culture. With events like [Skateboard Fest], more people will consider creating more parks, so with additional venues new people will be interested in joining the sport.”
As for Oda, she believed focusing on introducing more women and girls to skateboarding would contribute to its rise in popularity. Women are included in this weekend’s event for the very first time, and the 17-year-old said she was looking forward to seeing the city’s female skaters in action.
“Japan now has so many women in skateboarding, and more girls keep joining all the time,” she said. “It will be nice to see the talent in Hong Kong as well.”
Among the city’s next generation of female skaters, five-year-old Felicity Leung has already won her first competition just a year after stepping onto a board.
The young skater recently returned from Taiwan, where she topped her age-group in a mini-ramp competition organised by Starting Point Skatepark in Taoyuan.
“I like skateboarding because it makes me happy,” said Felicity, covered from head to toe in protective gear. “I’m excited for the event this weekend, it will be fun.”
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