Before Farris Rahman could pull off seemingly impossible manoeuvres, he learned basic tricks from studying skateboarding videos on VHS.
PHOTO: MARK TEO
Watching Farris Rahman skate is a sight to behold. Turning 27 this year, the pro skater garners raucous cheers when he executes tricks like the McTwist, where he spins 540 degrees in the air, with effortless ease.
He has another signature manoeuvre called the Superman Finger Flip, where he holds on to the tail end of his skateboard while soaring through the air like Superman, then flips the board.
“I first got into skateboarding after watching my brother first pick it up. My dad had bought a basic board for him from Carrefour to try out,” reveals the young athlete, whom you might occasionally see busting a move at Singapore Sports Hub’s skate park.
“I thought my brother looked really cool and I asked my dad if I could try it too. Without hesitation he agreed!”
To date, Farris has competed in prestigious competitions like the Maloof Money Cup in South Africa and Vert Attack in Sweden, along with multiple X Games across the globe. When he isn’t lifting off verts and ramps, Farris customises skateboards commercially under his own brand, Sotong Skateboards, which he founded together with his brothers.
4-year-old Farris’s first skateboard was a simple skateboard from Carrefour supermarket, which he shared with his brothers. Today, he runs a skateboard company together with his brothers.
PHOTO: MARK TEO
Here To Play: Hi Farris! What’s a day in your life like?
Farris Rahman: Well it’s just like everyone else’s (laughs). I wake up, I go to work, then I go and skate right after.
What’s your favourite part of skateboarding?
The first thing is definitely the intimacy between you and the board. It’s a reflection of you and your personality. The level you can achieve in skateboarding is entirely dependent on how much effort you choose to put in. No one can tell you what you can or can’t do. It’s all entirely up to you.
Who are your favourite skateboarders of all time?
Without a doubt my two elder brothers, who themselves are professional skateboarders. They are the ones whom I’ve spent my whole life skating with and they are the ones who have pushed me to be the best I can be. I love skating with them.
Skating must surely make you feel a special way. How does cruising on a skateboard make you feel?
This will sound cliché, but it just feels easy. When you’re cruising on your board and feeling the wind in your hair, your worries just fade away. You’re just living in the moment and enjoying life to its fullest.
In comparison, how does skating at a competitive level feel like?
Competitive skating is something else entirely (laughs). It’s super intense. Having all your training culminating to this one epic moment, there are no second guesses, no holding back. You’re there to compete against the best and prove to everyone how good you’ve trained to be. The adrenaline rush is addicting!
What are your main challenges when training for competitions like these?
The main challenge I face is trying to avoid stagnation of my skills and abilities. Not to sound boastful, but trying to push yourself further when you’re at the top is very difficult. One tends to get complacent and lazy. The only way to push yourself to be better is by skating with athletes who are better. It humbles me and gives me the motivation to push myself further.
Can you share some good lifestyle and diet habits that you keep, in order to keep up with your training regimen?
The best thing about skateboarding is that you don’t need to be a specific body size to participate in it. The sport is more about skill rather than strength. Hence, I just try to exercise regularly and eat healthy to keep my body in shape. Although I have a bad habit of snacking from time to time.
As an athlete, what have been your highest points and what are your future goals?
Getting a medal at the X-Games in Shanghai, and being ranked 45th in the world by World Cup Skateboarding in 2012. As I’m currently recovering from four separate knee surgeries, my main goal is to just get my knees back to 100%. Once I achieve that, then I’ll start thinking about what I’ll do next.
What are the greatest demands of your sport that others might not know about?
We all know that skateboarding is an extreme sport, but some may not understand why it’s classified as such. The learning curve in skateboarding is incredibly steep and it never levels off. It’s physically punishing and there’s no one to hold your hand through it. If you mess up and make a mistake, you’d better be prepared to absorb the full impact of the fall. You will reap the consequences of all your actions, be it good or bad. Believe me, I know (laughs). It can get incredibly frustrating, but you must stay determined and never give up.
Although Farris took eight years to learn how to kickflip, he was able to grasp more complicated tricks very quickly afterward. He was elated when skateboarding was recently included into the Summer Olympics’ list of sports.
PHOTO: MARK TEO
