Integrated resort (IR) operator Melco Resorts & Entertainment is slated to bring a skateboarding competition titled “International Festival of Extreme Sports (FISE)*: Battle of the Champions (BOTC) 2025” to Macau next year, along with an upcoming skatepark at Studio City in Cotai.
The company made the announcement during a press conference on Friday.
Slated for March 2025, the event, according to a Melco statement released on the same day, is hosted in conjunction with Rakuten Sports and event organiser Hurricane Group. It will invite “the world’s top skateboarders to face off in a one-on-one battle tournament”, with a winner determined by a professional judging panel.
The event will have Pan Jia Jie, the first Chinese professional skater to participate in the Tampa Pro 2024 Contest, and Liang Wen Min (Xiao Min), a young female skateboarder, as ambassadors.
Melco Board Director Clarence Chung Yuk Man was quoted by the statement as saying: “We are excited to introduce ‘FISE: BOTC 2025, Macau’ as the first event of its kind to take place in Macau and the Greater Bay Area [GBA]. The festival will combine sport and youth culture in a vibrant festival atmosphere to appeal to both locals and visitors”.
The skatepark, meanwhile, will be “an ideal venue for the hosting of similar urban sports events”, according to Chung. The opening of a new skatepark at Studio City, the statement said, is aimed at providing enthusiasts with a well-equipped skateboarding venue and support the sport’s development in Macau.
*The FISE World Series is the world’s largest comprehensive extreme sports event that comprises 9 extreme sports, the statement said. The series has been held in 12 cities around the world since 2014.
This handout photo provided by Melco Resorts & Entertainment shows a skateboarder performing during Friday’s press conference at Studio City in Cotai.
