Skateboarding Asia

It probably took the rest of the world some 20 or so years to embrace the concept of skateboarding. Of course, there might be a few here and there, and mainly as an after-school activity. But there has been a lot of excitement, especially during big competitions in Asia alone and have been producing some of the best talents when it comes to vert and street skateboarding categories.

Thailand has been a home for the Asian X-Games, where a gathering of some of the best action players in different categories that also include vert and street skateboarding. Looking into the trend, some of the top contenders are mainly China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Australia.

China, especially in major cities like in Shanghai, are no strangers when it comes to skateboarding. Some of the best Asian skateboarders have been competing in the Asian X-Games as well as the World Skateboard Cup usually held in Europe. Annual events have been set up on Shanghai, inviting both local and foreign skateboarders to compete for the cash prize that may reach up to $5,000.

In Japan, there are a few skateboarders, yet sometimes it tends to be outlawed, especially in crowded cities such as Tokyo. Although there is no such ban for skateboarding, there have been a few designated skate parks within and at the outskirts of the city itself. These skate parks were once used mostly by in-line skaters, once a rage in the country and would often compete in the X-Games in the US.

Although the fad has yet to die down, a good number of skateboarders can be found almost all over the place, as long as no local authorities are around to stop them.

Skateboarders in the Philippines are usually in small numbers, yet small competitions, usually held within communities, have encouraged a lot of these skateboarders to win the crowd with their tricks and street performances. Often as a past time, they never seem to take it too seriously and often popular with family members as well for those who want to spend a bit of quality time with their children.

Australia happens to be a big fan of skateboarding, followed by other action sports that they often hold skateboarding tournaments no more than ten times in a year. Usually held in major cities, and with the follow-up to qualify for the Asian X-Games in Thailand, it's often a very competitive sport for the Land Down Under.