Sk8 for Gr8 is an initiative that pairs up talented designers with kids to mentor them in design and expose their beautiful minds to exceptional skills Continue reading “Sk8 for Gr8 : Creative Collaboration”
Sk8 for Gr8 : Creative Collaboration
Open Streets Cape Town Bree Street
A fun day in Bree Street as part of the Open Streets Initiative held on the 18th of January 2015 in Cape Town.
Filmed and Edited by Rudy Coertzen.
Read the full coverage of the event on Africa Skate HERE.
Skate City
This is the city we live in and explore. An extract on the Cape Town Scene. Skate city, focuses on a few of Cape Town’s skate residents and the relation they have with their city. This extract focuses on: Shuaib Philander- head of the 20sk8 crew; long time Hout Bay resident MJ Johnson and Andrew Nero Africa Skate’s founder. – Jono Kay
More local edits!
The Gardens Skatepark Launch
Gardens Skatepark officially open this Saturday at 12pm. Make sure to check out the park after the Revolution Warehouse Sample Sale!
Click here for Continue reading “The Gardens Skatepark Launch”
Go Skate Day Cape Town
Ride Channel put this video up from Go Skateboarding Day South Africa – Cape Town. Continue reading “Go Skate Day Cape Town”
Go Skateboarding Day 2014
AFRICA SKATE IN OMAN
Andrew Nero recently travelled to Muscat in Oman (Middle East). Here’s some rad footage he got there.
MONSTER ARMY TOUR
The guys from Monster Energy sent us a tour diary entry from their trip up to Knysna:
Andrew Nero from Africa Skate has been in Knysna developing the skate scene in the area. Recently he hosted a skate comp for the locals at The Yard. Monster Energy brought up Khule Ngubane from Durban with some of the 20sk8 skaters: Shuaib Philander, Ryan Naidoo, Wesley Schroeder and Grant Mclachlan to come hype up the kids and skate in the comp. On Friday the we arrived at The Yard and we watched some of the local kids skate the best trick comp where they skated in a jam session in the outdoor part of the skatepark to win some product from Selfish Skatedboards. There is some growing talent coming out of Knysna and I’m sure that this skate park is going to help build the skate community. After the session we headed out to Plett to check out what Plett rage was all about. Everyone got turned up and we all spent way to much money on box cocktails.
The next day we hit up the park again to skate in the advanced comp and to once again watch the locals show us their skills. It was a really chilled comp and we all just had a fun session together. In the advanced comp Khule came first, Grant came second, and Shuaib third, which really helped because we had no money after raging the night before.
When we got back to Plett we spent the rest of our time racing the pit bike, playing XBox and trying to find the people that stole some of our bags.
On Sunday we skated around Plett looking for street spots, but every place we found had police trying to take away our boards, so we missioned to Mossel Bay and filmed some street for a bit then headed back to Cape Town. Khule is going to be staying here for a while to film for his next video part.
ANDREW NERO INTERVIEW
How did you first get into skateboarding? What keeps you interested?
I got into skateboarding around the end of 1999 at age 12. A female friend of mine was rolling around the Strand Lifesaving Club parking lot one afternoon and I grabbed her board, rolled around a bit but pretty much fell in love within the first two minutes, trying to ride up a bank and over an edge. I couldn’t believe such a small obstacle could stop me dead and ever since then I have seen the world around me through skater’s eyes, wanting to ride and conquer the streets around me. Skating to me is the sickest form of expression and freedom. I’m no artist, so this is my way of getting out and doing what I want, how and when I want to do it. Go FAST, skate whatever is around you and enjoy every bit of every session no matter how good or bad your day has been.
Tell us about Africa Skate
Around March 2010 I started sharing a ton of skate content on Facebook. This quickly morphed into creating a WordPress blog called AfricaSkateNet and after 10 months or so I bought the web domain AfricaSkate.com. The idea being to share national, African and international skateboarding-based or related content from an online hub for all to see. Little exposure is given to the small communities around SA and Africa, so Africa Skate is a platform to share insights, events, news, skate happenings and a huge motivation for us to keep going and growing. It’s not just myself running the site and events, but a group of skaters, filmers and photographers that have been involved in the SA skate scene for years. There is so much capacity for growth in the African skateboarding scene so I really encourage people from across the nation and up into Africa to drop us an email, link to a video or even a few photo’s and words from their skate scene so we can get you some exposure.
Find us online, send us an email or Facebook message, tag us in a photo or video:
Website
Email: info@africaskate.com
Instagram: @AfricaSkate
Twitter: @africaskate
Facebook
Photo by JJ van Rooyen
And Go Skate Cape?
GSC started out in February of 2011 as a local skate get-together. The idea being to host a local event for skaters at a different location around the Cape Peninsula on the last Sunday of every month from 12pm to 4pm. This got skaters from a bunch of communities together for a fun afternoon of skating and the chance to pick up some product by simply being there and having some fun. We always have photographers and filmers at each spot to cover the event and do a post event re-cap via the site. Check out the last Go Skate Cape event we held at Edgemead.
What do you think about the state of skateboarding in South Africa?
Right now the SA skate scene is thriving and growing at a rapid pace. Our scene has gone through many ups and downs over the past decades but it’s in a good space at present and getting better. Best aspects: seeing so many youngsters; boys and girls from all backgrounds picking up boards and skating whatever there is around them to skate. The progression and skill development is monumental. Worst: skaters expecting to get given product and provided with parks/skate spots.
What do you think we could do to improve it?
Educate, encourage and incentivise the youth to get them rolling and creating self-sustainable skate communities, and become part of the national and global skate scene. The skaters need to know it’s up to them to help build the scene from the ground up and not to expect hand-outs from anyone.
You’ve been in Jeffreys Bay for a while now. What were you doing there?
I’m living in Jefferys Bay till December doing some work with the Christian skaters and surfers. By the time you get to read this I’ll have just come back from a series of events that I had been managing and assisting with. We hit towns like Mossel Bay, George, Knysna, Jefferys Bay, Port Alfred and East London running events, skating and surfing with locals at their local spots.
What was your involvement with the Kimberley Diamond Cup?
I’ve been working alongside Chinner in setting up and managing the KDC website and social media online. This year’s event went down incredibly well despite the short time-frame we had in planning. I’m pleased to be a part of what KDC and Skate for Hope are doing within the SA skate scene, and are continuing to do.
Any future plans?
Keep rolling, working and to keep helping the growth of African Skateboarding both online, on the ground with the homies through events and in any way I can.
Shout outs?
I got to give it up to my parents, family and the Lord Jesus for keeping my passion going for so long. I’m truly blessed and hyped to be skateboarding almost every day as well as earning a living through skateboarding. BIG UP to my homies and African skaters from across this amazing continent as well as the companies that have backed myself or Africa Skate in any way! Thanks to Revolution for hooking me up with shoes and boards. Clayton you’re the man!
Support Local African Skateboarding
All photos: Andre Visser
EDGEMEAD AUGUST GO SKATE CAPE JAM
This past Saturday, over a hundred skateboarders congregated at Edgemead Skate Park for Africa Skate’s Go Skate Cape Jam Session.
Photos by Grant Mclachlan.
Video by Matt Lesch and Andrew van der Walt.
EDGEMEAD JAM
Africa Skate in conjunction with Go Skate Cape and Monster Energy are hosting a skate jam on Saturday the 17th of August 2013.
Starts 12pm. Pull in and stand the chance to win some product!
There will be some rad prizes and giveaways from Revolution, Dope Industries, Etnies, Verb Skateboards, Bones Wheels and Monster Energy to keep up rolling all afternoon.
Big up to Woodies Ramps for taking the time and effort into making Edgemead happen.
GO SKATE DAY CAPE TOWN
Africa Skate put up this video clip featuring Africa Skate and Go Skate Cape’s Game of S.K.A.T.E on Friday 21 June 2013 at Salesians in Cape Town. The video is more of a day in the life edit with Liam Loughnane, but shows the event pretty well. Until next year!
Props to Alan Adams for winning the Game of S.K.A.T.E!
Video filmed and edited by Matthew Lesch.
The event was proudly sponsored by Revolution.
GO SKATE CAPE GAME OF S.K.A.T.E RESULTS
On Friday 21 June, International Go Skateboarding Day, Africa Skate hosted the Go Skate Cape Game of S.K.A.T.E at Salesians Institute in Cape Town. It was a pretty heated, although rainy, battle with Alan Adams and Jean-marc Johannes both on S.K.A.T., but Alan landed the Pressure Hardflip to clench the victory. Congrats Alan!
GO SKATE CAPE GAME OF SKATE
Go Skate Cape will be hosting a Game of S.K.A.T.E at Salesians Institute in Cape Town on 21 June, International Go Skateboarding Day. Revolution is a proud sponsor of the event.
The point of International Go Skateboarding day is to stop whatever you’re doing and go skate! Do it!
INFECTING THE CITY
On Friday the 15th of March 2013 a group of about 200 skaters bombed Loop Street and all ended up at Thibault Sqaure! Pinki en Da Bruin were also there to entertain the skaters with some ‘jas’ music! Thanks to Africa Skate, 20sk8, Infecting The City, The sk8 Collective and Matthew Lesch! All filming and editing done by Matthew Lesch!