“Blading Cup Asia’s elevation to a World Skate-sanctioned event has provided Sarawak with an invaluable global platform, cementing the state’s growing profile and potential in the sport.”
KUCHING: A Sarawakian rollerblader spent the weekend on the judging panel of one of Southeast Asia’s most closely watched action sports competitions – then used the same trip to confirm Sarawak’s own entry into that same international framework.
Nik Suhaili was one of six judges assigned to Blading Cup Asia in Jakarta, working across a field of 156 athletes from 16 countries. The competition ran through Men’s and Women’s Under-16, Men’s and Women’s Open, Veteran and Pro divisions, with judges scoring each run on consistency, style, difficulty, execution and overall performance.
By the time the final jam wrapped, Nik had traded his scoresheet for a Canroll registration booth – pitching the same athletes he’d just judged on a trip to Sarawak.
“Judging gives you a front-row view of where the sport is heading, but as soon as the final jam wrapped, I knew why I was really on this flight,” said Nik, founder and president of Canroll Festival.
“You don’t build an ecosystem in Borneo by staying behind a judge’s desk. You walk down to the floor, pin your banner up, and tell these riders to their face: ‘Your next stop is Kuching’.”
The invitation to judge alone was a significant milestone. Blading Cup Asia recently became an officially sanctioned World Skate event, integrating one of roller freestyle’s most influential gatherings into the international federation framework recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Athletes competing over the weekend skated for up to 20,000 World Ranking points per category, feeding directly into the official World Skate Rankings – meaning every run through Nik’s panel carried weight far beyond the day itself.
It is a long way from where the competition began. Blading Cup launched in 2011 with a handful of ramps and vendors taking over a small stretch of Downtown Santa Ana, California. Over fifteen years, that grassroots gathering grew into an event drawing competitors from more than twenty countries.
This week, Sarawak secured a seat at its table for the first time. Sarawak has never hosted a World Skate-sanctioned event of its own – a gap Nik says is about to close.
“It was an inspiring experience because it showed us the standard expected at a World Skate event,” he said. “The exciting part is that next year’s Canroll will be sanctioned as a World Skate Challenger event, making it the first of its kind in Malaysia for inline freestyle rollerblading. This is a major milestone, as it will allow international athletes to earn official World Skate ranking points while competing in Sarawak.”
It is a distinction Nik is careful not to overstate into imitation. Asked whether Jakarta showed him what Canroll could become, he pushed back on the comparison.
“Canroll isn’t trying to become Blading Cup Asia,” he said. “While Blading Cup Asia is an excellent event focused specifically on rollerblading, Canroll has a much broader vision as an urban sports festival. We bring together multiple action and urban sports on one platform, creating a larger experience for athletes, spectators, sponsors and the community. Seeing the passion in Jakarta reinforced that our direction is unique and has even greater potential.”
He holds the festival to the same standard he applied from the judge’s chair.
“As a judge, I expect athletes to demonstrate consistency, preparation, creativity and continuous improvement,” he said. “As a sports innovator and event organiser, I believe Canroll should be held to those same standards. Every year we challenge ourselves to raise the quality of the event, improve the athlete experience, strengthen international partnerships, and deliver a professional competition that meets global expectations.”
The booth itself was no afterthought – it marked Canroll’s first international outreach push, built to give Sarawak’s rolling scene a shot at a bigger stage. Around 20 people registered interest in participating or collaborating with Canroll over the course of the weekend, while five vendors from China and Spain enquired about setting up at future editions of the festival.
“It shows that Canroll is beginning to attract international attention beyond just athletes,” Nik said.
The pitch didn’t go unquestioned.
“Why Sarawak? Why now?” came up more than once, he said – and he had an answer ready rather than improvised.
“Sarawak is ready. We have the vision, the government support, the organising experience, and the ambition to become one of the leading destinations for urban sports in the region. Now is the right time to introduce Sarawak to the international skating community and create new opportunities for athletes across Asia.”
He is measured about what success looks like from here. Even a handful of Indonesian competitors making the trip next year, he said, would be proof enough that the weekend worked.
“It proves that our mission in Jakarta was successful. We weren’t there simply to promote an event – we were there to build awareness and establish relationships. Many inline skaters, coaches and industry players now know about Canroll and Sarawak. Even if only a few athletes make the trip next year, it demonstrates that international outreach works and that Canroll is steadily building its reputation on the global stage.”
