What is Surfskating? Here's all you need to know about "surfing on land"
If you think surfing on water is too hard for you, then try surfing on land.
Yes, it is possible to do that.
Surf skating, a sport also known as carveboarding, began in the 1990s as a way for surfers to hone their skills when there were no waves, using boards that are much more nimble than skateboards. Muhammad Haziq, 26, described surf skating as ‘surfing, but on land’ when asked about what surf skate is.
He shared that he started with skateboarding for ten years before he was introduced to surf skate around a year ago. “I actually started skateboarding for 10 years then I started surfing last year. “At first, I found it hard to balance myself on the board and I needed to get used to the different types of skateboard, but once I found the balance the transition was pretty smooth,” he shared.
He said he is glad that the sport is getting more recognition from Malaysians.
He expressed his hope that more people will discover this sport and enjoy the difference between skateboarding and surf skating like he does.
“Surf skating is not actually new in Malaysia but it is gaining more attention now. “I can be considered pretty new to this because I only started a year ago, but I can see that more people from various races have also surf skate now,” he said.
Haziq explained that he has only seen Malays and Indians surf skating before, so it is surprising that currently 80 per cent of those who surf skate are Chinese.
Are skateboarding and surf skating different? He said the answer is a big yes considering the board’s structure and risks of injuries.
“For surf skate, the board is not the same as the skateboard because they are bigger and the front trucks are built harder. The structure is also different from skateboards.
“Surf skating is also easier to play because it is easier to balance yourself on it,” he said.
Besides, it is perfect for those who have wanted to try skateboarding but are afraid of the risks of injuries that come with the sport.
He said it is less likely for you to get injured because it is not like skateboarding where you perform a lot of tricks that require you to fly and jump, making it pretty dangerous.
“With surf skate, you just go with your ‘feel’ or the flow.
“I honestly prefer surf skate because it is less tiring and relaxing,” he said.
However, he said competitions and opportunities for surf skating are not as many as skateboarding.
He said there are many competitions for surf skate in Thailand and other countries, but it is not the same in Malaysia.
He added that this is probably because surf skating is more to sliding and doing ‘snap’, a surf skate maneuver also derived from surfing while skateboarding is more to performing many tricks.
Then, what is his advice for beginners who are split between trying skateboarding or suf skating?
“As someone who has tried both surf skate and skateboarding, I would ask you what it is that you aim for.
“If you want to learn cool tricks and go a little bit extreme, then I would recommend skateboarding. But if you want to just chill and have fun, then go for surf skating,” he said.
During the Grindbaru 8 held at Extreme Park, Shah Alam recently, Haziq demonstrated how surf skating works and true to his word, it really looked like he was surfing on the waves of an ocean instead of hard concrete in the middle of an extreme park.
