Like the 2009 American skateboarding film directed by Chris Zamoscianyk, local skateboarder Ming Yew is on his grind in our big city.
Photography: Erwin Canuela.
—
View this post on Instagram
What is the best part about skateboarding?
The best part about skateboarding for me is the feeling it gives you whenever you land a trick. It may take you hours, days and a few slams to land it but when you finally get it right, nothing can beat the feeling.
I got hooked onto skating because of how the community is filled with people from different backgrounds and associating myself with them allows me to stay open-minded. It also allowed me to engage with people that I wouldn’t have otherwise met. Growing up in a city where everyone is busy, skateboarding gives us all something to look forward to as it’s an escape from our problems while also helping us to focus on what truly matters. I’m sure it’s not just in Singapore but the same everywhere else.
—
View this post on Instagram
You mentioned you got your friends hooked onto skating, do you also teach them?
My friend messaged me after seeing my skating videos and asked if I could teach him how to do it because he already had a board at home. From there we started skating together and I introduced him to a few of my friends who also gave him tips on tricks that he had trouble doing.
Just being there to motivate each other to get better together and having fun at the same time is the best part about skating.
—
View this post on Instagram
Do your other hobbies bleed into skateboarding?
I’m not sure if listening to music counts as a hobby but it plays a very important role in my life, and I’m sure for others too as it’s definitely one of the purest forms of expression. You can tell the kind of style people are into just by the music they listen to.
—
View this post on Instagram
Has skateboarding become too democratic in your opinion?
Skateboarding used to be looked down upon but now that it’s slowly getting validated by legitimate brands and musicians, it can definitely help us get more comfortable voicing out and helping people understand skateboarding better rather than being closed minded about it.
—
View this post on Instagram
What then is the Singapore style of skateboarding?
I don’t think there’s any “Singaporean style” of skating but what I can tell is that Singaporeans love comparing themselves to others for everything. However, skateboarding is something that is not easily comparable as everyone has different styles of skating — some skate on streets and some skate in the park. Also, there are people who expect themselves to already be good at it when they have only just started and end up quitting because they feel like they’re not progressing as fast as others.
In skateboarding, the only person you should really compete with is yourself.
—
View this post on Instagram
About skateboarding clothing, is there some kind of an influence from the US or is there a Singaporean look to it?
Most skaters here are definitely heavily influenced by skaters from the States because of videos and magazines. When they see a style that they like, they’ll take inspiration and try to rock it.
—
View this post on Instagram
Do you feel there is some form of elitism within the skateboarding culture here — which is to say, you are not truly good unless you can do tricks?
Yes, you’re not truly good if you can’t do tricks but you don’t have to be able to do tricks to enjoy skateboarding. No one started out good, even pros started out as beginners but if you enjoy it and you keep doing it, you’ll learn to do tricks along the way.
—
Lastly, can you drop five tracks that remind you of the carefree nature of skateboarding?
This story about local skateboarder Ming Yew first appeared in our March 2021 issue.
RELATED ARTICLES
Life, In A Slow Dive
