Growing up in Singapore, Chris Haslam never thought that he could turn skateboarding into a lifelong career. Skate parks were limited and being a professional skateboarder was practically unheard of.
This all changed when Chris and his family moved back to Canada. He realized that skateboarding can be more than just a hobby. However, he would need to improve his skateboarding skills if he really wanted to turn pro. He might have been one of the best skateboarders in Singapore, but his tricks weren’t at par with the skateboarders in Canada.
The Skater Life of Chris Haslam
Once Chris has turned pro, there was no stopping him. He first rode for a skate shop in Vancouver called The Boarding House. Chris also rode for two of Daewon Song’s skating team called Deca and Artafact. Afterward, he settled with the Almost team in 2003.
Chris Haslam became a widely recognized skateboarder due to his appearance in several skateboarding videos. While several skateboarders can boast of the same feat, Chris is widely known for his tricks that were surprising and innovative.
Chris first came into the spotlight with the 2004 skateboarding video “Almost: Round Three,” which was followed with the “Almost: Cheese and Crackers” video in 2006. Due to the popularity of Cheese and Crackers, there has been a huge clamor for a follow up. However, Chris does not seem to be keen on doing a Part 2 of the video.
There is always an element of surprise in his performance. He took a cue from Rodney Mullen’s advice to perform a trick that is “unsuspecting so that people can’t tell what you’re going to do next”
Chris Haslam has quickly turned into a fan favorite, which earned him the Reader’s Choice Award at the 7th Annual Transworld Skateboarding Awards.
Chirs is currently sponsored by Almost, Globe Shoes, Independent Trucks, Bones Wheels, Bones Bearings, Glassy Sun Haters, Dakine, Turbokolor, Vestal, and Leftover Hardware.
