Hong Kong must do more to meet skateboarding boom, says skating ‘Godfather’ Warren Stuart
- Hong Kong skateboarding ‘Godfather’ hopes to recruit as many young kids as possible – ‘they are the seeds we need,’ he says
- 17 local youngsters will compete in the inaugural Hong Kong Youth Street Skateboarding Open III, with the final round coming up in March
Off the back of the first-ever Hong Kong Youth Street Skateboarding Open III, the city’s skateboarding “Godfather” Warren Stuart has urged the government to review the rules, including the age limit on competitors.
The Open featured four age groups, with eight skaters competing in the boys’ and girls’ Under 8-11 and nine in the U12-16 at the Skatepark at Lai Chi Kok Park, with skaters showing their best in two 45-second runs.
“We’ve had the Open for men and women for many years, young skaters taking part is more fun, more recreational,” Stuart, the head of skateboarding subcommittee for the Hong Kong Federation of Roller Sports, said.
“And now, for the first time, we have established the age group division with the goal of selecting the best apples among them and nurturing them to represent Hong Kong in the overseas competitions.”
The first two rounds of the city’s inaugural Youth Open were held in September and November, with the Open Final following Saturday’s third round on March 18, with competitors of roughly the same age.
Zhang Yat-kit, a 16-year-old Form Five pupil, won the U12-16 Boys’ category twice in a row, including on Saturday, with a score of 60.25, while Jaimie Chan, 13, won the Girls’ category in 49.38.