Africa Is a Country

Tell ’em to skate

Tell ’em to skate

By
Sonja Sugira

The first, and only, half-pipe in East Africa, built entirely by the youth from the Kampala suburb of Kitintale.

Images: Yann Gross.

The Uganda Skateboard Union has (deservedly) been getting a lot of love lately. They’ve been featured in the UK Independent, GOOD, and now in the current issue of Guernica. Much of that has been facilitated by Swiss photographer Yann Gross, who has also documented the skateboarders. He had initially gone to Kampala to visit a girlfriend.

When I first saw the skate park, I couldn’t believe it… the first and only East African half pipe was located in the middle of nowhere: a field with some goats running around.

I decided to stay a few months in the suburb and every day I went to skate at the park. The kids were still learning how to ride on the board, so I was able to teach them some tricks. Then, we organized a contest in order to promote skateboarding in Uganda, since nobody knew about the game. We visited the local newspapers and TV channels and even invited the National Council of Sports Assistant.

By all accounts, this is the first, and only, half-pipe in East Africa, built entirely by the youth from the Kampala suburb of Kitintale. Now, with some assistance from Birdhouse Skateboards and the Tony Hawk Foundation—who are both sponsoring the park on an ongoing basis—they’ll be skating for a while. Needless to say, I like this.

And I love the photos. For more, you can read their blog here (highly recommended for some great action shots), visit their website here, and see more pictures on Gross’ site here.

Sorry, I’ve had Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh (the remix featuring Nicki Minaj) in my head for a couple of weeks now.

Further Reading

Ruto’s Kenya

Since June’s anti-finance bill protests, dozens of people remain unaccounted for—a stark reminder of the Kenyan state’s long history of abductions and assassinations.

Between Harlem and home

African postcolonial cinema serves as a mirror, revealing the limits of escape—whether through migration or personal defiance—and exposing the tensions between dreams and reality.

The real Rwanda

The world is slowly opening its eyes to how Paul Kagame’s regime abuses human rights, suppresses dissent, and exploits neighboring countries.

In the shadow of Mondlane

After a historic election and on the eve of celebrating fifty years of independence, Mozambicans need to ask whether the values, symbols, and institutions created to give shape to “national unity” are still legitimate today.

À sombra de Mondlane

Depois de uma eleição histórica e em vésperas de celebrar os 50 anos de independência, os moçambicanos precisam de perguntar se os valores, símbolos e instituições criados para dar forma à “unidade nacional” ainda são legítimos hoje.