Thinley Namgay

After a break of more than a year, the Bhutan Olympic Committee (BOC) resumed skating in the capital.

Skateboarding, introduced six years ago by an American family in memory of their late son Johnny Strange, is still limited to the capital alone.

During the recent third annual Johnny Strange skate camp in Thimphu, over 60 skaters from Thimphu participated in six-day skate lessons, giveaways, and demonstrations by professional skateboarders and instructors from the USA, Thailand, Japan, and Germany.

BOC’s Programme Officer, Kelzang Phuntsho, said that skateboarding is relatively new in the country, and the committee aims to promote it. He said that the skate camp imparts valuable skills and experiences to young skaters.

“BOC plans to develop our skaters so that a few of them could also participate in international competitions such as the Olympics in the future,” said Kelzang Phuntsho, adding that the camp will be conducted annually.

He said that the BOC intends to identify suitable locations and construct additional skate parks in the future.

The recent camp was a collaborative effort between BOC, the Strange family, and Salad Days of Skateboarding.

Salad Days of Skateboarding, a non profit organisation based in Los Angeles, USA, operates globally, engaging with developing and underserved skateboarding communities.

The organisation partners with local community leaders to donate equipment, build infrastructure, and provide mentorship programming.