LIve Magazine SA - Issue 1

Page 17

street sK8r rolling doWn commissioner street on a PlanK on four Wheels, dodging through saturday afternoon traffic... “mr. taxi man, your loud hooter challenges me not! i could fliP you a tricK to leave you amused While i manual doWn this street and Watch me disaPPear It only takes me ten minutes to travel from Troyeville, through the inner city, to Henry Nxumalo Street in Newtown to meet up with the other skaters that gather there every weekend. You would swear the gods were on my side when they were designing this city’s landscape. With so many smooth downhill tars and skate-able pavements that came about during the construction for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the city has definitely become more skateboarding friendly. Even though a lot can still be created for skaters in Newtown, the area offers a wide range of marble slabs, and stairs with smooth landing, and just a couple of blocks away is the Revolution House. Situated at Mainstreet Life, the Revolution House and Troyeville bowl are the only skate parks in the inner city that allow skaters to experiment with as much tricks as possible without any cover charge. How is that! For uber vibes!

“the more ParKs become free of charge, the more the Kids Will sKate!” It’s crazy how the amount of skaters is growing in the city every day, and when these kids start rolling on a board the harder it becomes to quit. When you bail once you just want to pick up your board and prove to your alter ego that you can land a trick. It becomes a continuous cycle that never stops, always bailing but landing tricks even better and harder! Meet Akona Kenqu (23) a rad lady who loves the idea behind skateboarding; on campus and on the street she is always the only girl that hangs around skateboarding boys.

into thin air, because this board of mine, can be faster than sonic if it Wishes.” if that’s not What haPPens While i’m sKating through inner city Joburg on my Way to toWn to meet uP With the other sKaters, oh… Well…then it’s something that definitely goes through my mind.

akona Kengu Why skateboarding? I have always had an interest in it, I love it and I document it as well through photography. What influence does skateboarding have on your life? It makes you aware of your environment and how you see the space. Is skateboarding an expensive sport? Yeah for sure dude, kats are always hustling just to get boards in order to skate. But props to people like Wandile Msomi that start up skateboard companies and sell decks at affordable prices. What’s your take on female skaters, do we have enough? Nah we don’t, when a chick is seen skateboarding she is associated as being a lesbian. I don’t know maybe that’s why we do not have many skater girls, they’re only a few and they can be counted. Any words for the people? Skate! SKATE! SKATE!

top five skate parks l l l l l

Johannesburg skate park Boogaloos Montecasino skate park Germiston Bowl Hartbeespoort skate park

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