Skateboarders bring hope
As part of the Skateboarding for Hope community outreach initiative, children from The Bethany House Trust received brand-new skateboards.
Close to 100 competitors arrived at Key West shopping centre to try its new skate park and to compete for some serious cash prizes.
With Krugersdorp being a completely new location for the Skateboarding for Hope series, organisers were excited to see skaters from all over Gauteng pitching up.
The Skateboarding for Hope tour forms part of the Northern Cape Provincial Government’s youth development programme and introduces South African youth to skateboarding, both as a leisure activity and a platform for social development. Since its inception five years ago, Skateboarding for Hope has travelled throughout the country engaging with more than 100 000 people and has handed out more than 5 000 pairs of shoes, 10 000 T-shirts and almost 5 000 skateboards.
As part of the Skateboarding for Hope community outreach initiative, children from The Bethany House Trust received brand-new skateboards and participated in a skateboarding clinic before watching some of South Africa’s top skateboarders in action.
For Evan Binge, Yann Horowitz and Daniel Miltiadou, the many transitions incorporated in the park’s design played to their strengths and allowed them to show off their skills, while other skaters made good use of marble ledges and flat bars.
Evan took the top spot in the Open Division for skaters 14 and older with Yann in second place and Ofentse Ramakanye scoring third place with some impressive slides on the bar.
In the Top Grom division for skaters aged 13 and younger, the 11-year-old Stylianou twins Brian and Michael showed their superior skills by finishing first and second respectively.
Young Ashton Banwell placed third and earned his first podium finish. The youngster has become a well-known face at local contests, having competed in all the Gauteng Skateboarding for Hope events this season.
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