Road Test: skateparks
For many children, nothing seems quite as exciting as rolling around on a skateboard. Hong Kong has a variety of different skateparks with a range of apparatus that will appeal to novice and more accomplished skaters.
The best thing about these parks is that they are free. Parents need only buy a skateboard, and safety equipment is optional. There are various places where children can learn to skateboard in a safe environment. The parks are professionally designed and in most cases specifically made for skateboard use.
I have visited most of them with my sons. At destinations like the skate and bike track on Oi Kwan Road in Wan Chai, children can also ride scooters and in-line skates. This skatepark is an excellent choice for those starting out. It has smooth concrete, a variety of contoured bumps, and a small snake-run. For younger children, the playground adjoining the park is an added bonus.
The Chai Wan skatepark is the next step up the ladder, providing small ramps, a funbox, ledges, grind bars, and a small and very popular mini ramp. This park is again good for beginners, but it's also a favourite of more advanced skateboarders, simply because it is so much fun. The Chai Wan park is also located right next to the public swimming pool, which becomes an attractive destination after a couple of hot hours of skateboarding.
For older children (10 years and up), and those more proficient on their boards, the Mei Foo skatepark in Lai Chi Kok park offers a large space with progressively larger ramps for developing skills. It has recently been resurfaced and hosts the annual HK Skateboard competition, and the finale of Go Skateboarding Day.
Venturing further north, the Fanling skatepark provides a dynamic concrete skatepark with eye-catching bowls. Hong Kong's newest park to date, it is very popular and worth a visit even for the novice. It is an excellent place to watch some home-grown skateboarding talent doing innovative and breathtaking tricks. There are also parks in Tung Chung, Tsuen Wan, and one under construction in Tseung Kwan O. A good way to get more information on the different parks is to visit some of the skater-owned shops in Hong Kong. These include, 8Five2, which has two locations, one with Hong Kong's only indoor skatepark, and the HKIT shop in Tsim Sha Tsui. Alternatively, look for more information on the LCSD website "skateboard grounds". All parks are floodlit for night use.