Johnny Tang gives a tour of Shanghai, the megacity he calls one giant skatepark. — China's reputation, especially of late, is often overshadowed by censorship and state control. But it's also the site of a flourishing new skate scene. Huck explores these two disconnected worlds through the eyes of Shanghai-based pro skater Johnny Tang.
- Text by Shelley Jones
When Johnny Tang first moved to China his mum told him there were only “dirt roads and horses” to try and suppress his desire to skate – a pretty non-traditional pastime for a grown man in Shanghai. But what Johnny Tang found instead was a giant skatepark.
We travel to Shanghai to meet Johnny and find out what skating looks like in an authoritarian state — in our latest video in collaboration with Levi’s Skateboarding, to celebrate The Skateboarding Special II – stories of independence in skateboarding worldwide – .
You can read more about the nascent scene in this story by Charlotte Middlehurst, originally printed in The Skateboarding Special II itself.
