Skateboarding in Cambodia: how Tony Hawk, an Australian photographer and an NGO from Afghanistan sparked a thriving scene
Social programmes combining skateboarding with education are one of the reasons why the scene in Cambodia has grown so much over the last 10 years
Last year a federation was formed to create a professional skateboarding team, while young skaters are dreaming of success at the 2023 SEA Games on home turf
Marissa Carruthers
Published: 7:15am, 13 Aug, 2020
The clatter of skateboards echoes around an indoor park in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital. A round of applause erupts as a skater masters a kickflip after several failed attempts. Elsewhere, bodies gleaming with sweat tackle the ramps and rails that fill the centre.

Some of the skaters are nurturing dreams of representing their country in this burgeoning sport one day. For others, it is an escape from the streets and a break from the shackles of poverty.

“Skateboarding didn’t really exist 10 years ago,” says one of the country’s first skaters, Peterson Khim. In just a decade, Cambodia’s skateboarding scene has gained momentum. Social programmes combining the sport with education have been launched, skate shops and dedicated parks have opened, and a federation has been formed with the aim of steering the country’s best skaters towards a spot in the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
Full article: https://www.scmp.com/print/lifestyle/tr ... australian