Skateboarding culture has seen an endearing presence in Brunei, evolving from a fringe hobby into a dynamic cultural phenomenon.
Starting with friends who passed around skating tape demos to games such as Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series captivating a new audience, this curiosity ignited a passion that spread rapidly among the youth.
As skaters continued to hone and master new tricks with homemade ramps and rails, the scene grew organically, drawing in more participants and spectators alike while also developing proper venues for skaters to showcase their newfound tricks.
Despite the slump seen during the pandemic, skateboarding in Brunei is now experiencing resurgence, driven by a renewed passion and the support of a tightly-knit community, making it a vibrant and integral part of the local culture.
One such lively showcase of skateboarding culture was recently seen at the skate park overlooking the scenic Kampong Pandan Lagoon and the Kampong Pandan Mosque, where skaters arrived en masse to share their passion for the hobby turn sports as the skating community in the area celebrated the annual Go Skateboarding Day.
The global event is a highlight for many skaters as it brings together like-minded individuals and groups to celebrate their passion for skateboarding through various activities such as competitions and free skate sessions.
I was fortunate to meet Pengiran Saiful Bahrin bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad, one of the organisers and a member of the skating community in the Belait District.
Pengiran Saiful Bahrin has played an active role in the development of skateboarding over the past several decades, both as a skater and a competitor, representing Brunei in international competitions and tournaments.
“Back in the 2000s when the skating scene was in its infancy, we just started to skate with no guidance from seniors or instructors. Most of our knowledge and insights were based on skating videos that were passed around using VHS videotapes, VCDs, and DVDs,” he recalled.
By scrutinising these rudimentary videos, the young budding first generation of skaters started to hone their skills.
“Because we learn through trial and error along with analysing the skating videos, it took many of us a long time to learn the tricks which were quickly shared among friends and other skaters.”
As skills and technology continue to grow, skateboarding and the community around it have also evolved. The advent of video streaming sites like YouTube provided easier and more convenient ways to share the passion for skateboarding.
This first generation of skaters then came to lead the charge as instructors and mentors for aspiring skaters.
While the resulting growth of the skateboarding community is evident in today’s skate parks, Pengiran Saiful Bahrin noted that the community faced significant challenges during its development over the past decades.
One major challenge he highlighted was finding proper venues to skate, particularly skate parks with dimensions and standards that align with international skateboarding rules and regulations.
Despite these challenges, the community’s passion for skateboarding drove its growth. Skaters continuously challenged themselves to learn new tricks and skate alongside like-minded individuals and groups.
Additionally, support from local and international brands contributed significantly to the community’s expansion, alongside the natural emergence of the skateboarding scene through skater interaction and shared passion.
“Many of the supporters comprised of local brands and businesses who reach out to us to help carry out some of the skateboarding community’s activities.”
One recent event that exemplified this growth was the celebration of Go Skateboarding Day, featuring a variety of games and competitions.
Highlights included the Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Competition, the Skate Race Open, Old Skool Skater Race, and even a finger skateboard showcase and competition. These activities aimed to promote and showcase skateboarding in its various forms and scales.
Such gatherings and events not only encourage skaters of all ages to unite in their shared passion but also serve to inspire and pass down knowledge from seasoned veterans to young aspiring skaters.
“At first, it was just us veteran skaters who came out to take part and compete in these annual events and activities, but over time as word got around, we planned more events to be more in line and appeal to the younger generation to inspire them to start skating and honing their skills,” he said.
In conducting such gatherings and showcases of skateboarding, Pengiran Saiful Bahrin hopes that it will help to promote the sport and grow the community following the global pandemic slump.
He said, “Since skateboarding was introduced as part of the Olympic lineup back in 2020, we want to grow the community here in Brunei and nurture the potential among the skaters here to the level where they can one day represent Brunei and compete on the international stage.”
With the future of skateboarding in Brunei looking promising, Pengiran Saiful Bahrin noted that one of the more endearing facts about the sport, which drives skaters back to the grind, is the satisfaction that is felt when mastering a new trick.
“It’s always fun to engage with other skaters, and it’s always during skating sessions where we get to see skaters shine in doing surprising tricks that we can all appreciate and cheer on. This is some of the best and memorable moments about skateboarding.” – Daniel Lim