Jump: Ozi performs skateboarding moves in Malang, East Java.

As an accomplished athlete, Ozias Widijanto Irawan is not only the nation'€™s best skater but, not yet 30, he has also initiated the construction of skateparks for public use in Malang, East Java.

Ozi says he just wants to promote this sport so that skateboarders can demonstrate their existence in Malang and perform as their peers do in major cities in Indonesia.

He said the lack of support from the city government for the sport had prompted him to spearhead the skatepark development.

'€œInstead of working alone, I was backed by the skateboarder community in Malang in this effort,'€ he recalled.

Ozi'€™s struggle for the skatepark construction took over a decade. In 2005, for instance, he and community members skateboarded around the city'€™s main roads on June 21 to commemorate World Go Skateboarding Day.

Pick one: Various skateboards for sale in Combine Skate Shop.

'€œWe weren'€™t just reveling or disturbing other road users, but we wished to show the city government that we needed some place to exercise and practice,'€ he said.

Previously, he tried to submit a proposal for a skatepark facility before carrying out the action.

Ozi was runner-up in the national skateboard competition in 2006. In the same year, he won the Best Skater of The Year title in Bali, and was later ranked 20th among hundreds of contestants worldwide.

The graduate of the Malang State University, majoring in communication design, described skateboarding as a very positive hobby to nurture sportsmanship and keep youths away from the bad influences of liquor and drugs.

'€œIt'€™s because the sport requires high stamina and prime physical condition,'€ Ozi, who started his skate shop business in 2011, said.

Ozi'€™s intense negotiations with the city'€™s youth and sports agency on the skatepark facility were deadlocked. He said the agency officials rejected the idea because they did not see the necessity for building special facilities for skateboarders. They also cited a lack of funding.

Going viral: Ozias Widijanto Irawan displays skateboards in his shop. He has named his products Disease, hoping that the sport will become contagious like a disease.

He did not give up, though. He turned to the city'€™s parks and sanitation agency (DKP) to seek another chance, after learning that by the end of 2014, some city parks were being revitalized under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs of several companies.

'€œIt was a good opportunity to act,'€ he said.

Ozi used a different strategy this time, using his business background as the owner of Combine Skate Shop in the negotiations. After meeting with the DKP officials several times, he finally got the green light, with the city government eventually approving the development of an outdoor skatepark in the city center, located in Malang'€™s town square.

'€œThe approved size was 29 by 6 meters,'€ he said.

Another outdoor skatepark was also built under the CSR program in a newly opened city park in Mojolangu, Lowokwaru district, Malang. Ozi said this skatepark was shorter than the town square facility, only 23 by 10 meters, but the larger open space offered the potential for further expansion.

Both skateparks were completed in November 2015. Today, skateboarders can use the public facilities free of charge.

The CSR funds for the two skateparks reportedly amounted to Rp100 million (US$7,530). The DKP is responsible for the daily maintenance, but any damage requiring repair work will be taken care of by Ozi'€™s skate store.

Ozi began taking skateboarding seriously when he was 14 years old. He started his skate venture after finding it difficult to get skateboards that suited the needs of professional boarders in Malang. '€œI used to have my friends purchase them in Surabaya [East Java] or Jakarta,'€ he said.

He opened the shop in 2011 to cater to the needs of the growing skateboarder community, so they could easily get access to skateboards and various spare parts like decks, wheels, bearings, trucks and nuts and bolts.

He first learned to buy wholesale items from Surabaya and Bali by visiting the cities himself. Today, his shop enjoys a monthly turnover of Rp 30-50 million.

Ozi hopes the skateparks can give birth to talented athletes who can take the sport into the limelight and eventually attract government attention and skateboarding companies'€™ sponsorship.

Higher: Young people in Malang use the skatepark facility to hone their skateboarding skills.

In action: A small boy practices skateboarding in the Town Square in Malang

In his observation, the skateparks have had a considerable impact on skateboarders and the city. The athletes can now practice and explore diverse tricks and styles to suit their needs. Malang has also become a more appealing city to outsiders, thanks to the internet.

'€œRecording skateboarders'€™ activities while training and uploading their videos on YouTube and other social media has prompted skaters from other cities and even from Malaysia to visit the city and try out the skateparks,'€ Ozi said.

Muhammad Syahroni, 25, a resident of Mojokerto, East Java, praised the skateparks after trying them out with his peers on weekends, saying the designs of the facilities were comfortable and in compliance with standards, thus enabling many variations on movements.

'€œSuch arenas are still lacking in our city as we only have a level track,'€ he said.

Ozi hopes the Mojolangu skatepark can be developed into an extreme skatepark, which will be more extensive and will attract a lot more skateboarders to train in the facility.

'€œOne tough job is yet to be carried out, which is to generate successors who will realize my aspirations, maintain the existing arenas and continue to dedicate themselves to the city through skateboarding,'€ he said.

'€” Photos by Nedi Putra AW