Go Skate Day Pakchong

Skateboarding, a culture from the Western world, has now blossomed across the globe. With its rebellious spirit, its refusal to fit neatly into any frame, and its belief in freedom and independence, it is not hard to see why the sport appeals to young people whose hormones are running high.

Today, skateboarding is no longer merely a culture. It is also an international sport that has been included in the Olympic Games, encouraging more children and young people to take an interest in practicing skateboarding.

On June 21, which marked Go Skateboarding Day, Pak Chong District also celebrated the occasion with the 4th Go Skate Day Pakchong. The gathering was scheduled for the early evening at the open ground in front of the Shrine of Chao Pho Krachom Thong.

The Khaoyai Connect team went to experience the atmosphere and spoke with skaters to exchange stories about that day’s event.

“This is my second time joining this event. What I can see is that more very young kids and new generations are coming in to skate. I think that is a very good thing,” said Coach Gap–Saipan Mosikarat, 33, owner of the Manudtidlor Academy page and one of the supporters of the activity, as he described the scene in front of him.

Coach Gap is one of the supporters of this event because he knows “Mo,” a skateboarder who once helped look after the skate park in Pak Chong. The park later closed down because it was losing money. As time passed, children in Pak Chong who loved skateboarding began calling for someone to help bring activities back. Mo then returned, together with Coach Gap, whose role was to support the event with prizes, transportation, and even equipment installed at the venue.

As for how the event came to be held at the open ground of the Shrine of Chao Pho Krachom Thong, the story began with young skateboarders gathering in front of Pak Chong Police Station. However, vendors in the area filed complaints about the potential danger if a skateboard shot out onto the road. The gathering point was therefore moved to the shrine, with the group requesting permission to use the space on days when the shrine was not in use.

This open ground has since become a new space for Pak Chong’s skateboarders for a little over a year.

“I think it is a good thing. It brings together kids who love skateboarding, and it also reduces the chance that they will turn to drugs. At the very least, they get to be with friends and play sports together. When the younger kids see the older ones as idols, they become inspired to practice so that one day they can become as good as them. Another thing is that this sport has already been included in national-level competitions and the Olympics. If someone has the ability, they may be able to work their way up and achieve success on the world stage.”

Coach Gap said that skateboarding in Pak Chong is becoming more popular. Judging from today’s turnout, nearly 50 people joined the event. However, the equipment they have is still not quite up to standard. Some wooden equipment is decaying and needs maintenance, while the ramps are also not yet up to standard. In his view, if adults want to support this sport, they should help provide standard equipment for practice, so that skaters can develop their skills and compete at the national level.

The atmosphere that day began to grow lively from the early evening. Skateboarders came to show their best skills. The sound of boards striking the equipment, and the loud impacts created by various daring tricks, added color to the scene and made the energy more intense with every passing moment.

Turning to the other side, we came across a long-haired man dressed in rugged, laid-back fashion, happily riding his favorite skateboard. We later learned that he works as a ten-wheel truck mechanic at Chok Prasoet Yon Garage.

This rugged man is named Q–Thanaphon Phu Suea. He is 39 years old, but his love of skateboarding has not changed. Today, he is like an elder brother at this skate spot.

Q told us that he has been skating here for six years. What he has clearly seen is that: 1. the kids have become stronger; once they are tired from playing sports, they go home and sleep, leaving no time to go out street racing; 2. they stay away from drugs; and 3. they make new friends.

“People who love skateboarding in Pak Chong come from every occupation. Farmers, agricultural workers, Grab drivers, Bolt drivers, welders, civil servants — everyone comes here. There is no limit in terms of occupation. It is a very free sport. New people can come in and start playing right away. You can see that even very small children come to skate.”

Q also spoke about the benefits of skateboarding, comparing it to a kind of magic medicine that helps relieve stress. He said there have even been cases of people recovering from depression through skating.

“I like skateboard culture. I like its story, where it comes from, and the way we live together like brothers and sisters. We get to see cultures from many different kinds of people. In truth, this sport does not require us to ask for much money at all. What we would like to ask for is just a space where people can exercise, where children big and small can come and play in the evening. That is enough.”

On the side of Ray–Chakkraphong Phromsi, 23, a general worker and organizer of the street fighting competition “Pakchong Fight,” as well as the coordinator who helped make this activity happen, he said that the heart of skateboarding is both sport and friendship.

“The starting point of today’s activity came from every skate kid who wanted to skate. We tried to find a place to play, but there was none. We had no place to skate for more than ten years. Then we began gathering as a group, inviting one another to come outside, and held the first event in front of the district office. Fewer than 20 people came. The second time, we organized it as a downhill ride, and people started to know us because we posted clips. The third time was held at Khao Khaen, where more people began to join. The fourth time is this year, at the open ground of the Shrine of Chao Pho Krachom Thong. It is a wide space suitable for skateboarding. Still, I do feel considerate toward the people in the community, because some people work during the day, and by the time they finish work and come to skate, it is already dark. We worry about disturbing residents who may already be sleeping.”

A suitable place, therefore, remains what the skateboard community needs most at this time.

This gathering of skaters was lively from the early evening, with people of many faces joining the event, from tiny children to seasoned working adults. They may have come from different occupations and different backgrounds, but they all shared one thing in common: skateboarding.

“What you have to invest in skateboarding is your heart and your body. And what you get back is also your heart and your body — but a stronger body, and a heart with more courage,” Ray concluded.

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