We are the Malaysian old school skaters & most of us are the skaters back in the late 80's to as early 90's. Personally, it has been almost 22 years since I last skate in 1991. And most of our BOSS friends today are also about the same as most of them started to skateboarding as early 90’s and onwards.
Generally, most of the Malaysian old school skaters started as BMX racers & street/vert freestyler. Sincerely, I first started to know what is skateboard in the year 1986 from a friend of mine in the neighborhood. It was a plastic skateboard or so called mini cruiser / penny skateboard from the 70's skateboard designs. But, it does not amaze me at that point of time and me continuing with my BMX freestyling.
How do I really start to skateboard? In the early year 1987, I was riding my BMX at Plaza Damansara, Damansara Heights. I saw three brothers and they were skating down the stairs doing Boneless tricks, Ollie & Shuvit too. The board looks different from the first skateboard I've played before. It was a ‘Fish deck’ design. I started to tag along & tried to skate and learnt the tricks. And one very day, a friend of mine presents me a gift - a complete board! Green Natas Panther deck by SMA, Neon Green Gullwing Super Pro III trucks, OJII wheels if not mistaken, NMB bearings with rails & Cellblock riser pads. Here is where I actually started my life as a ‘skateboarder’.
We do not have designated area for skateboarding. There is no skate park at that point of time! We dreamt to have it one day in Malaysia, One Day! & it was our golden dream.
In the present, there is a numbers of skate shop and park in close proximity anywhere now in Malaysia. You can easily purchase, download or on line anything about skateboard, the clothes, safety gears, video games and even action figures too. The gadjets built power in your hands. You can have them at your fingertips.
During our prime time, before we actually go for street skate. We will do our tricks revision from the skate magazines such as TRASHER & POWEREDGE. Skate videos are our skateboarding learning tools at that time. We will watch again and again. We will hold the player controller and stand-by to 'Paused' & ‘Rewind’ on the action scenes again and again until it absorbed into our brain cells. That is how we learnt to develop our skills to perform the tricks. Among all the skate videos which I still remembered such as Santa Cruz - Wheels of Fire, Streets on Fire; Powell Peralta – Bones Brigade, Future Primitive, The Search of Animal Chin, Public Domain, Ban This, Propaganda & H-Street - Shackle Me Not & Hokus Pokus.
My favorites skate video? Hokus Pokus, Shackle Me Not, Public Domain & Ban This.
Who is my idol? Matt Hensley & Frankie Hill.
After we watched and loaded most of the tricks in to our head. We go on street skate and do the tricks again and again till we land it perfectly. From block to block, from street to street, from building to building we skate and seek for obstacles such as stairs, ledge, bench, curbs, hand rails, banks, gaps and all skate able places. We also built on our own DIY launcher, quarter pipe ramp, mini ramps & also vert ramp. My personal best street skate spot where we used to practice those days was in Pusat Bandar Damansara (Imigresen), Damansara Heights.
First skateboard shop in Malaysia? 1989 - Skate Warehouse, Taman Melawati. I and three others were sponsored by them.
I have also acted in MILO advertisement in the year 1989/90 under Image Maker Productions, Damansara Kim an Advertisement Company. It was the first full skateboard scene played on Malaysian television. The shot took place at Taman Tasik Perdana, Kuala Lumpur. I believed, this advertisement has shock most of the youth in Malaysia to start skateboarding at that time.
I also acted a short scene in Nescafe advertisement. The shot was taken at Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur.
First skateboard competition? The BSC Skate Competition on September 19th, 1990. It was freakin' Awesome! They have fun box with rails & handrail, quarter pipe, bank & launcher, single 3.5ft height curved launcher, 12ft length of wooden block board slide & DIY wall with wall ramp for wall ride. It was huge skate events with huge skate spectators supporting the great event and I have won 2nd placed. It was a most precious moments & great memories, I will treasured.
Well, I believed most of the Malaysian old school skaters had such similarity experienced too may depending to the area they grown up.
After so long, we being apart with own directions of life & responsibilities. Somehow Facebook has connected us all. I would like to say a Huge Big Thank You to FB for such brilliant application! We have met again the old friends after so many years lost contacts. Here is where BROTHERHOOD of Old Skool Skaters (BOSS) was formed. Together we unite, we are 1 family.
BROTHERHOOD of Old Skool Skaters (BOSS) is a skateboard group a non-governmental organization (NGO). BOSS was formed in June 2012 by Mr. Mohd AlJefferi Bin Mohd Zam (FB name: Jefferi Al Mohd Zam) being the Founder & President of BOSS. Our mission is to gather and unite all the Malaysian skaters from the era of 80's (old school) & 90's (mid school) under one roof. The group is also open to all skaters from the new school generation to joined us who loves or interested in old school skateboards, old school tricks or just being a fans of BROTHERHOOD of Old Skool Skaters (BOSS).
Come and joined BOSS. It’s a group of a huge happy skate family. Fulls of enjoyment with the old crazy buddies. Trust me!
You may also skate & tag along with our BOSS family on every Sunday morning skate session at Kg. Batu Skate Park.
Always remember, Safety first! Measure your own capabilities & consequences to bail in safe manner.
