Most of us know skateboarding as an exciting activity practiced by daring people. But skateboarding is actually also a competitive sport and – as we learned – has even been part of the Olympic Games since 2020! We spoke to Mr. Balzer, whose sons Felix and Sean spend a lot of time skateboarding after their school day at GESS and have already won several competitions. .
Can you tell us a bit about your family? Where are you from? How long have you been in Singapore and at GESS?
Siew Bee, my wife has roots in Malaysia but is now Singaporean and has lived here for over 20 years. I am a true Hamburg “Jung” and have been working internationally for many years. I came to Singapore in 2006, where Siew Bee and I met immediately and have been together ever since. The great thing is that Felix and Sean only decided to enrich our lives after we got married and bought an apartment. As if they had been waiting for it.
Felix has been at GESS since 2016 and still enjoyed all the “old” facilities. Sean has been at GESS since 2019 and only knows the new campus.
How did it come about that you, Felix and Sean, developed such an interest in skateboarding?
We think it’s our parents’ fault! 😊 My parents say we’ve always been very active and both started playing sports at an early age. Plus, no one in our family can sit still. Sports opportunities in Singapore are naturally limited, especially outdoors.
We also appreciate the independence that skateboarding offers: One skateboard, no rain, no team, and off you go. I (Felix) was particularly obsessed with my scooter. In fact, I’ve always been on some kind of rolling vehicle since I could walk. My dad then bought me a stunt scooter and we went to the Somerset Skatepark a lot. We saw the skateboarders there and when we were each 3 years old, we started skateboarding at a school.
We are both transition skaters and focus on park skating (not street) and, if possible, vert skating (vertical skating). However, vert is difficult in Singapore as there is only one way to practice it. Then it kind of took on a life of its own and became an intense part of our childhood. We go to practice 4 to 5 times a week, depending on the weather, which is about 10 to 14 hours. For Sean, that’s fewer hours. In addition to skateboarding, we also practice other sports, mainly swimming and taekwondo. And we both sleep well! 😊
What do you like best about skateboarding?
Skateboarding is probably one of the few sports that also represents an attitude to life and integrates art and (sub)culture. We like three things best: it’s extreme, the creative element and the community. There are few rules and no tricks that you can’t do. It’s also technically very demanding and challenging. There are tricks that take years to master. The elements build on each other. You also need extreme stamina to master them. The path is literally paved with bruises, abrasions, broken bones, wounds that need stitches… every skater has to go through it again and again. There is no shortcut. It’s only a matter of time before something happens. You have to learn to get up again and again and try again and differently. It teaches you a lot for life. That’s why skateboarding is probably the only sport in the world where all the competitors cheer and are happy when one of us manages a line or a trick, even in a competition where you’ve worked hard and therefore win. The community respects the work. That’s what we like best. Unlike soccer in Germany, there aren’t 80 million national coaches who know and can do everything better than you.
What is the skateboarding scene like in Singapore? Where and how can you train?
Like everywhere else, the skateboarding scene is heterogeneous, not particularly organized, but nevertheless lively. Since skateboarding celebrated its Olympic premiere at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, a lot has already changed, even if Singapore does not have a clear focus on skateboarding.
Unfortunately, Singapore does not have any major indoor parks. There are only two smaller indoor parks, which means you have to rely on three main outdoor parks and the weather: Xtreme Skaterpark (East Coast), Lakeside (West Coast) and Somerset. Each has its pros and cons. Somerset is already very outdated, and the Xtreme Skatepark, which has been around for over 10 years, should either be rebuilt or extensively refurbished. Water seeps into the bowls after rain and the surfaces are very rough. The park “eats” shoes, clothing and decks – in Felix’s case, they are often completely worn out after just four weeks. There are also days when shoes are ruined after just one weekend of intensive training. It depends on which tricks he practises and how often he falls. Lakeside was only opened in 2022. There are also some very small parks like Eunos or at the National Stadium and some miniramps, which were very helpful during the COVID period. Unfortunately, however, there is no Olympic-quality park. That’s why we train abroad as often as possible, mainly in Bali, Australia or Switzerland.
Despite the limited skatepark options, there are some good coaching opportunities to consider in Singapore. The choice depends on what your goals are and what skills you already have.
Felix, we heard that you won gold in the Youth Category and silver in the Men’s Category at the National Skateboarding Championships this summer. Can you tell us a bit more about the championships? Was this your first time taking part?
The National Skateboarding Championships took place in June 2023 for the first time after the COVID pandemic, having been postponed twice. These championships are of great importance as currently the National Ranking is the only way to participate in international/regional competitions such as the SEA Games, Asian Games, and it is also the pathway to the Olympics. After my win, I was accepted into the Singapore National Team. This basically means that I can officially compete for Singapore as an athlete, but this has to be confirmed before each competition. However, it does not mean that I will automatically receive support such as flights, accommodation or training. There is also no national training program at the moment, everything is still under construction. I rely on sponsors, and in my case it’s mainly my parents, as I’m still too young for the main sponsors and don’t fit into their compliance rules – but I understand that.
This was my first time taking part in the championships (in the park category) and I prepared intensively for it. The fact that I also won the silver medal in the men’s category naturally made me very happy. My line was very consistent, while other, older competitors were perhaps more advanced but made mistakes. I, on the other hand, did not. Unfortunately, Sean was ill when the competition took place. He also probably would have been too young to win already, as he would have had to compete against competitors up to 16 years old. But he has already won many of the Games4Groms competitions in his age group.
For me personally, it’s now a matter of seeing how my sporting career progresses and how my ambitions develop. I’m also in contact with the Olympic skateboarding team in Germany. If things don’t continue here, there is a possibility that I will become active in Germany or even move to California. 😊
What’s next for Felix and Sean? Are they planning to take part in other championships?
Felix has spent the last few months preparing intensively for the World Skate Tour competition in Dubai and took part in the Park Competition from February 25 to March 3.
This competition was also the last opportunity for athletes to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, although this was not Felix’s primary goal. There is no youth category and the world’s best skateboarders took part. The level of performance was high. Our task was to prepare Felix in such a way that he would turn the impressions and insights into motivation rather than frustration. Felix performed very well both mentally and technically.
The Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Bangkok are also on the international agenda for 2024. This is a pan-continental multi-sport event that is held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. It is not yet entirely clear whether Park will be included alongside Skateboarding Street. There is currently no competitive park in Bangkok. Other important dates are the Singapore Skateboarding Championship and, in particular, the SEA Games in 2025.
