First skateboarding facility opens at Bishan Sport Centre to boost participation

SINGAPORE – When Zulkarnaen Mohd Zin was in his teens, the avid skateboarder was “looked down” upon because many saw his favourite sport as a counter-culture symbol and the pastime of delinquents.

But nowadays, the 48-year-old is happy to witness the rapid change in perception as skateboarding, like other urban sports, enters the mainstream on the back of its Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021.

On March 16, Zulkarnaen was beaming with pride as he watched his 13-year-old daughter Eva Myra perform tricks during a run at the opening ceremony of ActiveSG’s first skate facility, the YouthCreates Bishan Skate Spot at Bishan Sport Centre.

While there are other larger skate parks such as the 1.4ha Xtreme SkatePark at East Coast Park and 1.7ha SkatePark @ Lakeside Garden, the 300 sq m Bishan facility is the first to be constructed by national agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the only one that is located within an existing sports centre.

The YouthCreates Skate Spot will be open from 7am to 10pm daily, in line with ActiveSG Bishan Sport Centre’s operating hours. The facility can also be used for inline and roller skating, as well as BMX riding.

Zulkarnaen, who works in the logistics industry, said: “When I was skating, if you see the authorities, you pick up the board and walk with your head down. That was a time when there was not much focus on extreme sports.

“With this (Bishan Skate Spot) development, it (shines) more light on the sport. The public can see that it is more than just a delinquent sport. The more skate spots there are, the more awareness we can have for the sport.”

The new venue will serve as a pilot project to promote youth engagement and community building, with plans to have similar facilities across its