KUCHING: The Kuching Waterfront has been packed with non-stop action since Wednesday, as the CANROLL Pro Urban Sports Festival – sanctioned by the Urban World Series (UWS) – reaches its final stages.
As I write this, the sun is dipping behind the Sarawak River and the atmosphere is electric. We are in the final countdown to the grand finale (on Saturday night), a climax that effectively repositions Sarawak as a global epicenter for urban culture and elite athleticism.
While the festival spans multiple disciplines, the weekend spotlight is fixed firmly on the Professional Rollerblade finals – a category that bridges Sarawak’s deep-rooted skating heritage with international excellence.
The Quest for Redemption
The day’s primary narrative followed the return of Denis Gul, who was on a mission to reclaim his standing after the 2025 edition, where he narrowly lost the title to then-13-year-old local hero, Azrul Hail.
With Hail absent from this year’s roster, the top spots in the Pro category were contested by a fierce international field, keeping the pressure on Gul at an all-time high.
However, the road to the final was not smooth. CANROLL Rollerblading Judge, Rudy Ibrahim, noted that Gul played a strategic, yet difficult, game during the earlier heats.
“Watching him yesterday felt like he was a bit more conservative, maybe due to it being just the prelims,” Rudy explained. “But at the same time, luck wasn’t on his side. In this sport, the margin between a perfect landing and a technical hitch is razor-thin.”
The Next Generation: Junior Progression
While the pro-tier battles raged, the true heart of the Sarawakian story lay in the Junior Category. This year saw a massive surge in progression among local youngsters, a result of both raw natural talent and relentless hours logged at Kuching’s local skateparks.
In particular, Chris Moh and Jensen Bong emerged as the faces of this new wave. Their technical growth has been described as a “quantum leap”, proving that the grassroots infrastructure in Sarawak is successfully cultivating world-class potential.
Environmental Factors: Heat vs. Heart
Beyond technical skill, the environmental conditions of the Waterfront played a massive role in the final scoring. Rudy pointed out that the grueling Sarawakian climate became a silent competitor for every athlete on the course.
“The heat played a pivotal role as seen by the later run scores,” the judge observed. “We saw some athletes unable to perform like their first run as the temperature rose, while others managed to find that extra gear.
“However, the crowd was the ultimate catalyst. Much like performing on a stage, that energy we get from the audience is what athletes give back in their performance. It increased the level of competition exponentially.”
The ‘Javi Factor’ and the Global Bar
The most symbolic presence in the lineup remained Spain’s Javi Garrido. As the sole female pro in the roster and a sponsored Rollerblade® athlete, Garrido’s presence was a full-circle moment for Sarawak, where the brand originally sparked the local scene decades ago.
Rudy highlighted how much the landscape has shifted since the early days of the sport.
“The attendance of female competitors has increased exponentially since our era,” he noted. “Javi has given our local girls the inspiration to raise the local bar even more – a bar that is now set incredibly high internationally, championed by Asian skaters from Korea and Japan.”
He added that the gap is closing fast across the board.
“Some of these athletes are still competing in junior categories but are absolute giant-killers, even when put into the men’s open divisions.”
The Soul of the Circuit
For CANROLL President and founder, Nik Mohd Suhaily, himself a lifelong blader, the festival’s completion is about more than scores. While other categories prioritise technical dominance, the CANROLL x UWS partnership focuses on the human identity behind the professional athlete.
“This is a deep shift in the circle of CANROLL athletes,” Nik observed.
He noted that the true victory lies in the cultural exchange – witnessing global stars or “orang puteh” pros perform in Sarawak’s backyard, bridging the gap between international profiles and local passion.
As the festival concludes, the results will be etched into history, but the legacy of CANROLL 2026 is already clear: Kuching has officially claimed its place as the heart of the global urban sports circuit.
