Challenging the Limits, Unleashing the Free Spirit!

The Lee Gardens Area is committed to promoting all kinds of cultural trends as well as creating endless possibilities. In recent years, many street culture elements, such as skateboarding and hip-hop, have been added to the community, bringing a touch of vitality to the bustling city.  

“Street culture” is a fusion of various elements originated from the city streets, including graffiti, hip-hop, and skateboarding. With core values of thinking outside the box and pushing past limits, street culture is said to be the total opposite of the mainstream, and has always been considered “underground culture” and “culture of rebellion.”   
  
With the rapid growth of social media over time, this counterculture has become part of the mainstream. It no longer appeals only to those who are looking for something different, but also to a much wider audience.  

Skateboarding is the most iconic sport in street culture. More than just a board with four wheels, its speed, techniques and challenges are the reasons why many young people fall in love with it. In Hong Kong, it’s no exception. More and more stages that embrace skate culture, such as #UrbanPark at Hysan Place, have emerged in the city in the last several years. What’s more, skateboarding made its debut as part of the programme at the 2020 Olympics, bringing skate culture into the spotlight. As the sport continues to pique interest among the general public, it also starts gaining widespread popularity around the globe. 

Regardless of whether skateboarding is an Olympic event or not, a group of people have long considered it a central part of who they are. Skateboarders MaTai and Arrow, who first began skateboarding due to their families, have never thought their pastime would change their lives forever.  

When you truly love something, you always hope to find other like-minded people. Skateboarders used to gather and discuss skateboarding at skateparks or skateboard shops in the past. However, with the rise of chain stores and franchises, such culture is slowly fading out, which is why MaTai opened a small shop of his own, hoping to create a space where everyone can interact. “The skateboard shop has been open for two years now. For me, the best part of it is that I now have the chance to share this sport with other people.” Regarding the Lee Gardens Skateboard Fest, MaTai is delighted to see that skateboarders have been given more opportunities to show off their talents at Pak Sha Road. “No one will ever know about skateboarding if we stay inside our skateparks forever. Competing on the streets means more exposure for us,” he explains.  

At the same time, skateboarding is also about challenging oneself to complete different tricks. While accidents inevitably happen during practice, they also allow skateboarders to grow. Arrow has experienced quite a few injuries throughout his skateboarding journey and that helps him realise something. “There’s no doubt that skateboarding makes you agile and strong, but what’s more important is to get back up every time you fall and keep trying.” The most unforgettable experience Arrow has had was when he injured his foot at around 25. He recalls, “I couldn’t go anywhere. It was a really tough time.” The incident was traumatic for him, and it took him around a year and a half to heal from the aftereffects before getting back into skateboarding again.   

During his recovery, Arrow had more time to explore other hobbies and he started learning tattooing. Even though he didn’t have his family’s full support at the time, he chose to persist in becoming a tattoo artist. “Tattoos are only extra colours on the skin. They don’t do any harm,” he says. When asked why he wanted to be a tattoo artist in the first place, he casts his mind back in time. “I remember seeing the dragon tattoos of Nicholas Tse and movie character Peter Chan on TV, but the idea mainly came from other skateboarders. I always thought their tattoos were so cool.” 
  
MaTai believes that music, art, design and lifestyle are all parts of skate culture, and music happens to be something he has been passionate about for as long as he can remember. “I always wanted to learn how to play a turntable.” Ever since he began skateboarding, he has been exposed to different genres of music. Each skateboard brand makes their own videos using different styles of background music. So every time he discovers a good track, he adds it to his own collection, eventually creating a massive music library in his mind. This has aroused his interest in the DJ culture, and the rest is history. 
  
Music with a strong beat helps spice up the atmosphere, and by integrating DJ elements with street culture events, unexpected sparks will be ignited. “When skateboarding is combined with music, it becomes so much more powerful. It just hits different when you have a group of passionate people skateboarding together with some upbeat music in the background. When skateboarders are competing with a song they really like, they tend to perform better, which makes it more exciting and participative for the audience,” MaTai says with joy. 

The public used to have some misconceptions about street culture. When MaTai was small, skateboarders were often seen as “street rats” and were labelled as “youth gangs” and “bad kids.” These stereotypes often come from people’s misunderstanding in skateboarding. 
  
Despite all these labels, skateboarders always stick together and are willing to help one another in the community. MaTai expresses his gratitude, “Many people have helped me since I started skateboarding. Some of them even gave me the skateboards and shoes they got, so that I could keep playing.”  
  
Apart from mutual support, skateboarders are eager to learn from each other when they encounter someone highly skilled. Arrow shares, “I once met a world record holder who caught the highest air on a skateboard. After the competition, I asked him for advice on how to assemble a skateboard, and up till today, the way I build my skateboard is still deeply influenced by him.”   

Since skateboarding was officially included in the Olympic Games, it has become more popular in town. Yet, that’s not the case for all street culture, among which is DJ music. MaTai says, “Because of how bars in Lan Kwai Fong are portrayed in mainstream movies, everyone thinks that this is a place full of desire and alcohol, which in turn, affects their view on DJ music.” Only those who truly understand DJ culture know that it’s not just about sharing music, but also expressing yourself as well as bringing joy and resonance to the audience. 
  
MaTai adds, “There will always be stereotypes, but that’s other people’s opinion. I can’t change what they think about me, so I just need to be myself.” Arrow agrees, “If you’re really passionate about something, don’t let other people change that. Just let them say whatever they want.” This counterculture might be stuck with some negative labels, but skateboarders aren’t affected by them at all. Being able to stick to their passion and beliefs no matter what—that, perhaps, is the essence of street culture.