On a Roll

Realising the potential of Singapore’s rollersports scene, entrepreneur and skating enthusiast Sonia Ong wants to help its athletes glide towards a brighter future

- Wayne Rée

It was a warm day out at the Somerset Skate Park in December last year, as Sonia Ong gathered with a group of skaters for our photoshoot. Even with the afternoon sun beating down on them, the entrepreneur’s infectious positivity still somehow managed to shine through. “I’m excited to share something different with you,” she said. “I even brought my hot pink skateboard!”

Ong has certainly earned a reputation for championing the unconventional. In September 2019, she founded Urbanski, a training and travel company designed to bring roller skiing to Asia. Roller skiing, as Urbanski’s website so succinctly puts it, is skiing on wheels.