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Published on February 3, 2008

Outdoor-sports company Quiksilver last week reprised its yearly cutting-edge extravaganza at Sunway Lagoon in the Malaysian capital. The surfing and skating showcase dubbed "Quiksilver Revolution 2.0" kicked off with Australian surfers and Quiksilver presenters Josh Kerr, Ry Craike and Troy Brook putting on a show.

"I started surfing at age five because my dad was doing it," says Craike, 22.

"I surf two of three times a day for 30 to 45 minutes a stretch. It's beautiful when you're out there. I don't think about anything, only what the next move will be when the next wave comes."

Craike - regarded as one of the world's best free-surfers - is five-time Quiksilver Airshow champion and the 2004 Quiksilver World Air champion.

The event coincided with Australia's National Day, so there were quite a few Aussie youngsters waving the flag, adding to the fun for the rest of the crowd, mostly Malaysian teens sporting bikinis or shorts.

Sunway Lagoon is an amazing fun park, with 80 acres divided among a wildlife interactive zone, a theme park, a 1,200-room hotel and a massive shopping mall.

Most importantly, there's an artificial sandy shore and a surfing beach with high waves that roll in every two minutes.

"I like it here a lot," Craike enthused. "It's my second time. It's good to surf, of course, and I really enjoy the climate."

The Australians were joined by aspiring Puerto Rican athlete Dylan Graves and Indonesian star Wayan Merta.

On the ramp were lots of foreign skaters, including world No 13 Sascha Muller from Germany, X-Games winner Renton Millar from Australia, European champions Swedish Jocke Olsen and German Jurgen Howarth and former world No 3 Trevor Ward, also from Australia.

They took turns demonstrating their styles on a 4.2-metre-high half-pipe vert ramp imported from Australia.

Onstage entertaining the crowd were Malaysian acts Pop Shuvit, Joe Flizzow and Stylustiks DJs, as well as Bangkok-based sleaze rockers Futon.

The whole event was broadcast live on the Quiksilver website.

Manta Klangboonkrong

The Nation

Kuala Lumpur