On June 1, 2024, the P448 Shanghai Extreme Sports Carnival · Music Carnival coinciding with International Children's Day kicked off at SMP Skatepark in New Jiangwan City. Young extreme sports enthusiasts marked the festive day by engaging in sports, reveling in a fusion of sports and music.

Hosted by the Yangpu Sports Bureau (YSB) and organized by the Shanghai Extreme Sports Association (SESA), the competition features four events: BMX Open, Youth Skateboarding Open, Land Surfing Skateboard Open and Children's Parkour Time Trial, with nearly 400 participants.

Yangpu stands as one of the earliest cities in Shanghai and China to embrace extreme sports, home to the country's largest extreme sports park—SMP Skatepark, said Pan Jiaxin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of YSB. Recently, a multitude of extreme sports veterans from around the world flocked to SMP Skatepark to make their mark, gearing up for the upcoming Shanghai leg of the Olympic qualifiers.

Extreme sports encompass rock climbing, skateboarding, rollerblading, BMX, surfing, extreme biking, parkour, etc. As BMX freestyle, skateboarding, surfing and sport climbing have become official events at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, these sports have fully entered the mainstream, drawing in a growing number of participants. Statistics show that there are more than 1 billion extreme sports lovers globally, with some 200 million people in China having emerged in extreme sports. Enthusiasts typically make at least two trips per year, with spending ranging from 3,500 to 15,000 yuan. Over the past five years, there has been a consistent rise in the registration of businesses related to extreme sports.

Pan said that extreme sports, which are cool, trendy and dynamic, have been developing rapidly in recent years, aligning perfectly with the characteristics of Shanghai as an international metropolis. "In the past, many parents were concerned about the risk of injury and were hesitant to expose their children to extreme sports. But there has been a notable shift in the attitude of younger parents in recent years.

They now view extreme sports as a means not only to enhance physical fitness but also to foster bravery, sharpen coordination, build resilience against setbacks, and instill a spirit of determination and courage in their children. Consequently, there has been a marked increase in the number of young enthusiasts in extreme sports, with a corresponding rise in training institutions. He cited this year's competition as an example, noting that the number of registrants has increased by 10% compared to previous years, and the level has also improved. The organizing committee has also introduced a broader range of age categories to encourage even younger children to take part in the competition.

As extreme sports have made their way in the Olympic Games, Pan said that, as a district with a robust extreme sports culture, Yangpu is actively collaborating with social forces to cultivate a pool of promising talents across different disciplines. Yangpu boasts a roster of over 100 registered young athletes engaged in extreme sports. Looking ahead, YSB will join hands with the Yangpu Education Bureau and other relevant departments to public courses in schools, aiming to help more students engage in extreme sports.

Shanghai Extreme Sports Carnival · Music Carnival has been a resounding success for 16 consecutive years, establishing itself as an influential and far-reaching extreme sports event not only in Shanghai but also across the country.

In this context, SESA is poised to bring international extreme sports competitions like XGAME and ESPN to SMP Skatepark. By integrating with water sports like paddleboarding, they aspire to foster a branded international extreme sports event of Yangpu.

Tang Jiayun, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Director General of YSB; Zhang Chen, Party Secretary and Chairman of Shanghai Chengtou Holding Co., Ltd. (Shanghai Chengtou Holding); Li Dan, General Manager of the Assets Management Department of Shanghai Chengtou Holding; Pan Jiaxin, Deputy Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of YSB; and other leaders attended the opening ceremony and presented awards to the winning athletes.