David Pang’s photos of the Erindale Brick Banks could be one reason the site was heritage listed. Photo: David Pang.
David Pang was there even before Canberra had skateparks.
“When I started skating, there weren’t any skateparks – so we just skated underpasses,” he says.
Now 60, he’s still rolling into Belconnen Skatepark most weeks. But for nearly five decades, he’s also been standing on the sidelines, camera in hand, documenting the people and places that have shaped the ACT’s skate scene.
This month, he’s pulling together 60 of his favourite images for a new exhibition and book, 60/Sixty, at Civic Art Bureau – a nod to both his milestone birthday and the classic skateboard trick, the 50/50.
A life on four wheels (and behind the lens)
Pang got hooked on skateboarding in the mid to late 70s. Not long after, the original Woden Skatepark opened, and he landed a job there as a “skate monitor”.
“We just made sure people were wearing helmets and didn’t injure themselves.”
The Sixty/60 exhibition opened at the Civic Art Bureau on Thursday, 19 February. Photo: David Pang.
But photography was his other passion. At school, he says it was “the one subject … that I was passionate about” and he later enrolled in the only tertiary-accredited photography course in Canberra at Narrabundah College – although it required a workaround.
“Narrabundah was technically outside my enrolment area, but the school also taught Chinese, and I come from a Chinese background, so the deal was, I could go there for photography classes as long as I did Chinese too.”
His two interests quickly merged, and photography dovetailed with recording Canberra’s skating culture.
He’s since shot almost every major ACT spot: Spence Drains, the Kambah halfpipe, Belco Bowl and the now heritage-listed Erindale Brick Banks.
Pang is modest about the role his images played in protecting the Banks, but he admits that having photos of Tony Hawk skating the site didn’t hurt.
“I hope that did help and contribute to it getting heritage listed.”
His work travelled far beyond Canberra. While serving 25 years in the Royal Australian Air Force, he photographed skaters in Sydney and Melbourne and covered the ’80s Australian Ramp Rides in Torquay, when American pros toured the country.
“If I’ve got the means to go there and the time, I’ll go there. I just love seeing the best skating in the world and different facilities being skated.”
Tony Hawk skating at Erindale Brick Banks in 1989. Photo: David Pang.
He sent photos overseas to America’s skate magazines Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding on a whim – and got a surprise response.
“I got a letter back saying, ‘Dave, where have you been hiding?’
“Sometimes people post images from magazines from Japan or England that I didn’t even know existed, and somehow they’ve got my original photos too.”
What sets Canberra skaters apart
Pang has seen it all, even skating facilities that have since disappeared.
“I’ve seen every skatepark being built and skated them. And I’ve seen some of them disappear as well … Fadden Pines used to have a halfpipe, but unfortunately it was removed because it was made out of steel and got very hot in the summer and was a potential hazard.”
Joel Bliss skating at the Beclo Bowl. Photo: David Pang.
He believes Canberra skaters have a style all their own.
“I’ll be a little bit biased, but … for some reason, Canberra skaters have got like a just a really smooth, flowy style.
“They also tend to be more introverted and quiet and just let their skating do the talking for them.”
He’s also watched the sport evolve, and says Skateboarding’s Olympic debut in 2020 has brought fresh attention and young faces.
“We’re very fortunate in Canberra that the Canberra Skateboarding Association runs regular free learn to skate sessions … and on average, get between 30 and 50 kids every time they run those.”
But that doesn’t always translate to packed bowls on weekends.
“There’s still not a huge number of kids coming in … and skating of their own accord.”
One change he’s especially happy about is the rise of female skaters.
“It used to be quite a heavily masculine sport. So seeing so many great girl skaters, that are just as … capable and talented as the male skaters now, it’s great.”
An exhibition and a book
Pang has resisted publishing a book of his photos for years – at least until he turned 60 in December.
“I’ve been hounded for decades to do a book, and I just felt my photos were documentary photographs rather than something to be published. Turning 60 changed that, though.”
The exhibition is open until Sunday, 8 March. Photo: David Pang.
The result is 60 double-page spreads, each paired with a short story. Many of the skaters featured, including Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, and other international names, have also contributed their own reflections.
“It’s not just a photo book, it’s got little stories to go with each photograph.”
The exhibition at Civic Art Bureau will feature up to 120 photographs, alongside about 60 one-off artworks painted on skateboard decks by more than 50 graffiti, street and contemporary artists.
Presented as part of the 25th anniversary Belco Bowl Jam, 60/Sixty runs until Sunday, 8 March 2026.
The book will be available to buy later in March from the Civic Art Bureau, Sancho’s Dirty Laundry, Trinity Distribution and David Pangs.
