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Sweet Spots
Today, I am going to introduce 3, and only 3, skate spots. They are all special, and they all deserve love and care. When I can be bothered, and when these evil exams end, I will review more spots.
Skate Spot 1: Dhoby Ghaut DG, for me, is one of the best skate spots in Singapore. Apart from never-ending marble ledges, fantastically smooth flat land, and a superb run-up on a 5-set, it has played host to some of the top talents in SG. I remember the old school kings like Andy, Suhaimi, Saiful, and Wan. There were, of course, Mel, Gary, and gang as well, and it always amused me how Mel would park his Benz on the hill overlooking DG. When the cops dropped by, he would calmly walk to his car and drive off. Everyone else, on the other hand, would be scaling bushes, darting madly between traffic, and running either to Park Mall or Plaza Singapura. Most of my early skating happened here, and the memories are simply super.
Skate Spot 2: Parkway This is the apotheosis of skate spots. Trees and bushes provide shade, while Ali’s convenience store nearby provides drinks (and on occasion, free beer and ice cream). Ledges used to be perfect, but have since grown increasingly chipped and grind-unfriendly. There are (i) pseudo-launch ramps, (ii) slightly short marble benches, (iii) sets of stairs, and (iv) long, snaking flat land for non-stop S-K-A-T-E battles. At the risk of sounding syrupy, this is where Ken, JT, and I first met. We still love it with all our hearts.
Skate Spot 3: Oasis Tucked away in a little spot next to the river, Oasis is great for an idyllic day out. But due to the somewhat inaccessible location, cars are definitely required. I am not a huge fan of Oasis, largely because the tiled floor makes flat land tricks horribly difficult, but this is the spot where great things have been achieved over the years. Shafiq and his frontside pop shove to 5050 and backside pop shove out come to mind. And how can anyone forget John’s famous kickflip down the 8-set? Now that Kallang Leisure Park has one of the best arcades in the East, there’s even more reason to chill there.
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