The amount of skaters and BMX riders that gathered at Key West Shopping Centre during the record’s recent visit indicated that the latest addition to the newly-revamped centre, the skate park, is well enjoyed.
It is the first of its kind in the West Rand — an official, full-sized skate park that attracts both skating veterans and newcomers and trick bikers (BMXers).
The record interviewed some local skateboarders and BMXers to shed some light on the West Rand situation. The new skate park has lured street skaters Bash Moliki, 25, and Rudy Kindler, 28, from their hiding places as veteran skaters that have each been skateboarding for more than 15 years.
Rudy is a filmmaker that lives in Horizon View and says his favourite skating spots remain parking lots.
“You get to be creative in a parking lot,” the street skater said.
Bash said that skateboarding is equally dangerous whether you’re in a park skating spine or vert (on top of ramps or on ramps or inclines) or skating park (street skating).
Bash only really skates over weekends when he can manage to visit the nearest skate park at Brightwater Commons Shopping Centre in Randburg.
“At least now I can skate closer to home,” said the Monument resident.
“It spares me the travelling time that I can now dedicate to perfecting my tricks.”
He misses the good old days when Montecasino still had a skate park and said he has skated in South African skating mecca, Kimberley.
Bash sees himself as lucky, owning a vehicle of his own by which to travel to nearest skate parks, but says others aren’t as fortunate.
Youngsters Jean Venter and Bryan Webster, both 14, are glad for the addition. The best friends used to spend their time doing tricks in their yards or on the street but can now do so safely at a nearby skate park.
“All the vert gives me the opportunity to learn new tricks,” Webster said after skillfully stopping his BMX bike and acknowledging the record with a wave.
With some research one realises that skateboarding in South Africa is all but unofficial. At least eight major skateboarding events take place nationally every year, largely hosted by organisers of the Kimberley Diamond Cup (KDC) that also hosts smaller Grandslams in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. The KDC Grandslam hosted closest to the West Rand was held at Cresta Shopping Centre in June last year. Other competitions include the Ultimate X extreme sports competition in Cape Town in February, the Midway Mayhem in Kimberley in October, the Kumba Skate Plaza Jam in Kimberley and the Halloween Jam held every October. The longest running skate tour, heading into its 15th consecutive year, is the annual Buck Tour in George in July.
Besides the KDC organisers have hosted the World Skateboarding Championships in partnership with the World Skateboarding Grand Prix in Kimberley last year.
In September last year, TopGram International Skateboarding Competition has announced that it has provisionally chosen cities Durban, Cape Town, Pretoria and Kimberly to host qualifiers for the international event in August.
A “gram” or “grammet” is a young skateboarder that is under the age of 13, irrespective of experience or ability. It is currently the only known gram competition to be hosted in South Africa.
The record asked BMXers Jean and Bryan Webster whether they would compete in such competitions (that often have a BMX riding category).
“Of course!,” they proclaimed.
Jean already has, he says, but won’t divulge more information.
“Wouldn’t it be even better, though, if they hosted it right here?”
Local skateboarding videos:
“Yet another skate video”:
Uploaded by Christopher van Deelen
“Poelo Mofolo Weekend Edit in Krugersdorp”:
Uploaded by Christopher van Deelen.
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