Skateboarding Fever Sweeps through Lee Gardens as the City Immerses in a Sensory Delight
Originating from California in the 1950s, skateboarding has evolved over the past decades from a mere mode of transportation into a vibrant and trendy street culture. With its inclusion as an official competition event at the Tokyo Olympics, the sport has seen a surge in popularity in recent years. Before immersing ourselves in the awe-inspiring skateboard performances featuring breathtaking flips and manoeuvres, let's brush up on some of the skateboarding basics to fully appreciate the talent and skill on display during the thrilling competitions!
【Trivia on Skateboarding Regulations】
Ever wondered what it takes to clinch the championship in skateboarding? In Olympic skateboarding, the contests are divided into men’s and women’s park and street events – four categories in total. Street events are held on a straight course featuring various obstacles, such as stairs, benches, and ramps. Contestants have 45 seconds to utilise these obstacles to showcase the skills in their arsenal, ranging from board-sliding and board-grinding to ollies and flips. Scores are calculated based on factors including manoeuvre difficulty, speed, originality, completeness, etc.
On the other hand, park events take place in a bowl-shaped facility with nearly vertical sides, where skaters can perform high-difficulty moves such as aerial spins and board-grabbing. Apart from these complex manoeuvres, the route chosen and the personal style displayed by the competitors are also key scoring elements.
【Three Must-Know Stylish Skateboarding Tricks】
Behind every seamless and fluid motion is much hard work and years of dedication. Check out below essential tricks that every skateboarding enthusiast should know and aspire to master!
The Kick Turn
First, place your back foot at the tail of the skateboard and shift your weight slightly towards the back foot. In the meantime, put your front foot on the area over the front wheel assembly. As you shift more weight to the back foot, the nose of the skateboard will automatically lift, allowing you to use your front foot to pivot the board left or right.
Ollie
Considered one of the most critical foundational tricks, the ollie first involves a skater in a slightly crouched posture stomping the tail of the skateboard off the ground, so that the nose rises and the entire board lifts into the air almost vertically. Simultaneously, the skater leaps alongside the board and slides their front foot forward to level out the skateboard at the peak of the jump shortly before landing.
The Boardslide
The boardslide is a combination of the above techniques. The skater first performs an ollie and turns the board 90 degrees in the air, such that the board's midsection – the area between the wheel assemblies – lands on a rail or platform. Then, the skater slides along the rail towards the rear end and lands gracefully while repositioning the board to face forward.
Lee Gardens area is stirring up a skateboarding frenzy with the annual event "Lee Gardens Skateboard Fest 2023", taking place this weekend from 11-12 November at Pak Sha Road! Three top Japanese skateboarders are invited to Hong Kong for the first time, including Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Funa Nakayama, Yumeka Oda who set the highest score record in the Street League Skateboarding, and Sora Shirai, the fifth-ranked Tokyo Olympic athlete.
Join the “Lee Gardens Skateboard Fest 2023” this weekend and appreciate the amazing demonstrations of top experts’ high-level skateboarding skills!
Skateboarding festival will hold three skateboarding events, also men's and women's elite contest at #UrbanPark for the first time, showcasing the fearless explosive power of "Skateboard Kings" also the flexible skills and graceful posture of "Skateboard Queens". The audience can feel the passionate street skateboarding atmosphere. "Little Elite Skater Contest" is also set up for young skateboarders to show their skills. Come and cheer for the "Little Skateboard Kings"
“Lee Gardens Skateboarding Fest 2023”
Date: 11-12 November 2023
Time: 12 noon to 6 p.m.
Location: Pak Sha Road, Causeway Bay; 4/F #Urban Park and 5/F Atrium of Hysan Place
Please visit the official website for more details: https://www.leegardens.com.hk/