Japanese Olympians bring skateboards and skills to Hong Kong to inspire next generation at city’s Skateboard Fest 2023
- Sora Shirai and Funa Nakayama showcasing their talents at Lee Gardens event
- Rising star Yumeka Oda also looking to connect with city’s athletes in Causeway Bay
Two Japanese Olympians have brought their skateboards and their skills to Hong Kong this weekend, as they look to boost the sport’s profile across the region.
Joined by compatriot and rising star Yumeka Oda, the trio will take part at a two-day event in Causeway Bay, where they will showcase the tricks that have catapulted them to the top of the sport.
With the Paris Olympics getting ever closer, the trio are all working towards qualification, but said the third edition of Hong Kong’s Skateboard Fest at Lee Gardens was more about “having fun” and connecting with local athletes.
“I was told there are not that many skaters in Hong Kong, so coming here will make people more curious about it,” Sora Shirai said.
Shirai, who competed in the men’s park event at the Tokyo Olympics, is working towards bettering his ninth place finish in Japan, a Games that helped the 22-year-old realise the benefits that game with global recognition.
“Just in the past year after the Tokyo Olympics, skateboarding in Japan has grown so much and the sport is so popular now,” he said. “After Paris and even Los Angeles more people will join the sport and it will get a lot of recognition.”
