Session Magazine - Issue 47 by Session Magazine

south africa: R35.95 other countries: R30.04

20SK8 w e e k e n d element holiday polokwane

element holiday yann - dallas - comps - stick tips

issue 47 - apr/may 2012

w w w. s e s s i o n m a g . c o . z a

GIOVANNI VOTANO ELEMENTSOUTHAFRICA.COM

08.Galleria 16.Redial

18.Bizness 22.Walking The Cow

2 4 . d a l l a s K e tc h u p

2 8 . y a n n k e tc h u p

3 4 . 2 0 SK 8 !

4 4 . E l e m e n t H o l i d ay

5 2 . PLK W e e k e n d 58.Closet Envy

59. stick tips 60.Reviews

6 2 . D ay s c o r n e r Cover:

Pieter Retief puts his balls on the line with a 15 stair Frontside 50-50 to finish his AV part and claim his first cover. Ph. Wayne Reiche Contents:

Despite a short, crusty run-up Brendan Dyamond ollies out to 5-0 and goes the distance on a hefty loading dock ledge. Ph. Jonathan Pinkhard

Khule NGubane - nollie tailslide shuvit lipslide fakie durban. ph: clinton theron 09

joubert van staden - flip backlip fakie cape town. ph: jansen van staden 11

moses adams - bigspin backside boardslide paarl. ph: alan marola 13

alan marola - double set switch noseslide cape town. ph: jansen van staden 15

“ g o o db y e i s t o o g r e a t a w o rd bab e , s o i ’ l l j u s t s ay far e t h e e w e l l . ”

Curtains.

After ten years, Session is now under new management. We are all indebted to Bredon Body for devoting a decade of his life to build, not only this publication, but the greater skateboarding industry of South Africa. Bod, we salute you and endeavour to cherish and uphold the values of skateboarding upon which Session was built.

o n t h e

y s e k

founder

Brendon Body editor

AD Henderson ad@sessionmag.co.za team photographers

Pablo Ponzone, Gavin Scott, Ben Bergh, Sam Clark, Miguel Howell, Wayne Reiche, Alan Marola, Tyronne Bradley, Tim Moolman, contributing photographers

Andre Visser, Clinton Theron , JP Du Preez, Jansen van Staden, Darren Jacoby, Rudi Jeggle, Marcel Yslie, Werner Lamprecht, Jonathan Pinkhard. writers

Adrian Day, Luke Jackson, Bod, Brett Shaw, AD Henderson, Giovanni Vitona, Darren Jacoby, Jacqueline Midgley.

This is my last editors column for Session, after ten years as publisher and editor I have decided to hand over the reigns to Clint van der Schyf, Adrian Henderson, and Adrian Day three of the most dedicated, creative and hardworking skateboarders in South Africa. AD will take over as editor in chief and will be in charge of all of Session’s content while Clint and Adrian will help guide things from a publishing perspective and in so doing keep the authenticity, creativity and independence that makes Session what it is. To be honest I’ve always struggled with my editors column there are only a few I have written in 47 issues that I have actually liked so with this one being my last one ever I’m completely at a loss for words, obviously? But I guess all I really want to say in this last “Redial” is THANK YOU, thank you to all the skaters, industry, creative and talented individuals I have had the privilege to work with over all these years who have tirelessly given their skills into shaping Session into what it is today, without all of you Session would never be possible! Thank you to you, our readers your support and love for the mag has meant everything to the people who produce it and is the reason we get up everyday and lastly thanks to all my friends and family who have supported myself and Session this past decade I don’t think I would have made it without you. The mag is in safe hands and the future in my opinion is looking better than ever for Session and the SA skate scene so with that ladies and gents I bow out, but look forward to catching up with many of you down the road wherever that may lead. Session for Life! Bod

Session Skateboarding Magazine Published independantly. Mail us news, photos & all things skate!

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Session Skateboarding Magazine is published independantly 6 times a year by Session Magazine cc. Session will welcome all letters, e-mails and photos. We will review the contribution and assess whether or not it can be used as print or online content. The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the magazine, it’s owners or it’s management. Session Skateboarding Magazine is the copyright of Session Magazine cc. Any duplication of this magazine, for any media or sale activity, will result in legal action and your details being passed over to our security company, 20SK8, to resolve the situation.

The Bizness

i s s u e 4 7 | a p r i l / m ay 2 0 1 2

rooms Milnerton, Cape Town DC is proud to announce that Gavin “Moses” Adams will now be rocking DC apparel in addition to their footwear. Moses has enjoyed many years with Volcom, but has decided that the only constant is change and DC is stoked to have him on the apparel line-up now.

four dudes and a spanish woman... Yup, that was the crew german national Louis Taubert brought together to tour around the country in January. The crew was Louis, Niklas Speer von Cappelin (Germany) and Justus Kotze onboard as the skate half, while Barcelona locals Lucas Fiederling and Andrea DoSouto joined Sam Clark to make up the media contingent. Sam shot the whole trip and helped Lucas film it all in HD. Lucas has been hard at work slicing and editing the trip together. The edit premiered in Cape Town early March and will be available online soon.

As a result of this tour Sam Clark has since departed SA shores to take up residence in an open room in Lucas’ Barcelona flat. Homie is stepping up! After his recent international exposure in the way of a Globe ad, Almost ad and Fallen tour photos, and with a German mag running an article on The Birdsnake Tour, it looks like Mr Clark is well on his way... but Jacoby swears he’s doomed to succumb to the nightlife and forget about skating all together. Be sure to see how it turns out if he ever starts updating his blog: www.samclark.co.za

Nike sb chronicles The Team Edition 2 is in all Revolution stores and Baseline and is killing it. If you like the ever popular Janoski you’ll be down. SB Chronicles premiered globally and is available on iTunes. Sucks if you’re in SA, but get a web nerd to find it online. Grant Taylor got the last part of course further solidifying his Thrasher SOTY status. 18

The DC team are busy wrapping up filming for the upcoming DC team exposure article in AV Skateboarding – keep an eye out for that. And internationally, The Danny Way documentary film “Waiting for Lightning” is due for release globally sometime in April. Danny Way is one of the biggest icons in skateboarding history and his story spans more than 20 years – so the documentary is sure to be mind blowing and collector worthy. DC are planning premiere screenings – so keeps your eyes and ears out for more info. UltimateX happened in Cape Town midFebruary and german Louis Taubert claimed victory. Simon Stipcich and Moses Adams took second and third respectively. Reports are that it was a truly extreme weekend. Khulu Dlamini FS Overcrooks at UltimateX. Ph. Yslie

plan b south africa PlanB has officially launched in SA and have added two of Durban’s finest to their team: Khulu Dlamini (above left) and Braxton Haine (above right) .

moving poop Cape Town The brothers van Staden (Joubert & Jansen) haved relocated to Cape Town with Marcel Maassen following suit. Skippy and JP Du Preez are still holding Pretoria down, with the aid of Nico and the gang. Skippy has finally started doing tattoos and his artwork can be seen on the new Plankie board graphics, dropping very soon. The team is still filming constantly as they explore the nooks and crannies of Slaap Stad. In related news, Joubert and Skippy have started a griptape company called Mud Buddies. Yes, it’s poop. A steaming pile of dung. That’s their logo. They’ve got some tee’s done and the griptape is due out shortly. It does however remain to be seen whether people will buy anything with a picture of faeces on it.

issue 47 | March / Aprril 2012

Wandile Msomi POPS a nollie bigheel on the ramp at Da Les’ annual Summer Pool Party. Mad sessions went down, with bands playing, DJ’s and general good vibes. Unfortunately Sam Khumalo didn’t try jumping over anyone this year. Sequence: Clint van der Schyf.

changing

Fellow DC rider Khule Ngubane points out the change in Moses’ kit.

s o u t h a f r i c a n s k at e b oa r d i n g i n d u s t ry m ov e m e n t s

M ud Budd i e s

“Dis a kuk. Wat van it?” - MC Marcel Maassen models the new Tees

DC BLABAC COMP WINNERS

And the winners are:

Marcel Yslie

Bottom Right: Craig Leak - Backtail.

Katlego Sehume

Top Right: Maanda Muluadzi - Switch Tre.

Rhulane Shiburi

Left: Shuaib Philander - Backsmith. Well done gents, you’ll all be receiving your shirts soon. Check out our Closet Envy for the next contributors photo competition.

sprankles

and

give-away s

THEOTIS BEASLEY wearing Hesh

Reports out of the AV camp say Alan Marola has done a number on his ankle recently. Alan was filming for a close up in the next issue, however due to his injury Pieter Retief will have the Close Up this issue. The next issue also contains Exposure 14.1, Weekend in Fishhoek and a new article called ‘Debut’ with Matthew Henderson. AV recently relaunched their website and have some Funisu boards to give away so head over there and browse around for details, premier dates, giveaways and all the other good stuff AV Skateboarding keeps delivering. www.avskateboarding.tv

clothing anD concrete

New Dope Industries rider Gary McNoughton is settling into his new apparel nicely and working on a few things in Durban. Willy T has left to live in Switzerland with his new wife Sarah for 6 months - he is also trying to push the goods that side while he is out there. Kanya Spani’s Session video part is coming along nicely too. Check out the new Dope website: www.dopeind.com

PHOTO: YOON SUL

s o u t h a f r i c a n s k at e b oa r d i n g i n d u s t ry m ov e m e n t s

Woodies are still trying to get enough funds together to finish up at Edgemead. They hosted an awesome event Skate Tithe - a skate product auction and braai day at the park. - to raise the last funds needed but have challenged all brands to meet DC’s donation of R5000.00 to support skateboarding. If more brands do the same, Woodies can really start making a difference to the number of parks South Africa has at the moment. They also run monthly donations competitions where you stand a chance of winning some product. Checkout their facebook page for details. The Salesian Institute have received a few Woodies obstacles and with more donations they can build more ramps there too. The ramp at Woodstock Industrial Centre has been taken down and transformed into a new ramp at Clarkes on Bree Street, Cape Town.

yann’s

on vans He has also moved to Cape Town, and the Familia team are starting to film to coincide with the release of a new series of boards coming soon. It’s all very secret... London-side, the new Slam vid is out and Steph Morgan has a section in there. Check it out online at http://www. slamcity.com. The vid is called City of Rats.

“We haven’t quit yet... Thanks to the 4175 unique visitors for supporting our side project with their 28 395 page views. “ - Reprobait

FACEBOOK.COM/SKULLCANDY

s o u t h a f r i c a n s k at e b oa r d i n g i n d u s t ry m ov e m e n t s

i s s u e 4 7 | a p r i l / m ay 2 0 1 2

adidas skateboarding THE o f f i c i a ll y l a u n c h e s i n s o u t h a f r i c a baseline

team

adidas skateboarding coinsided their official launch with Baseline’s Re-Launch in Cape Town recently. All the homies in the city bowl pulled through every night to help renovate the store which included an upstairs adidas installation showcasing images from the adidas team trip to Mozambique, as well as all the shoes. The team then travelled up to JHB for the second plaunch at Festival Mall park where they had a Mystery Obstacle courtesy of Woodies Ramps. Pieter Retief had the following to say about the launch overall:

“The launch was a massive success! In Cape Town there was definitely no shortage of beers, and people from all over SA attended. After closing the doors and calling it a night, Khulu and Marcel had other ideas, inviting random girls from Long Street in for one last beer. Good vibes! After the Baseline launch the team, Khulu Dlamini, Jansen van Staden and myself accompanied by Marcel Maasen, Leon Bester and Joubert van Staden headed to JHB for the launch at Festival Mall. The mystery obstacle arrived by truck on the Thursday. and the park was kept open for us Friday night by Anthony and his staff so we could set up the obstacle, and get

everything ready for Saturday’s event. All the skaters seem to enjoy the obstacle - a lot of good tricks went down. JP du Preez took home some new adidas Busenitz along with Ofentse Ramakanye and with Bryce Rheeder doing a steezy 5-0 trefip out. It was rad seeing these guys kill it, big ups! Marcel was on the mic although his eyes were pinned on the Red Bull ladies. Leon manned the hotdog and cold drink stand and Joubert was behind the lens, so be sure to check out the edit on AV14. Big thanks to DJ Mellisa Griesel and the Festival staff. Be sure to get a pair of adidas from Baseline and all Revolution stores nationwide.

As mentioned. Baseline recently underwent a massive redux and with the help of pretty much the whole Baseline team and some other good friends, Clint and Adrian have transformed the store from the dark, grunge look to an all new clean and pure skate store that captures the heritage of Baseline as the oldest skate shop in South Africa and the quality aesthetic and style of their new direction. Check out more at the all new www.baselinestudio.co.za Together with this relaunch, they have announced their shop team. And all we’re going to say is, we cannot WAIT until they start putting a video together!

The Baseline team is as follows:

Yann Horowitz Darren Jacoby Pieter Retief Kanya Spani Khulu Dlamini Loucas Polydorou Congrats to the skaters and be sure to stop by Baseline whenever you’re in Long Street,.

Backyard burnt out!

WALLRIDE

ADIDAS.COM/SKATEBOARDING / / / SILAS PRO

Photos. Tyrone Bradley

The Quiksilver Backyard Burnout went down swimmingly late last year. Literally, as it rained painfully hard, but the crowd stuck it out and a ROCKER was had. Yann took first, Thalente Biyela 2nd, Chris De Cana 3rd and Willy-T took home Best Trick. Get hold of AV13 if you missed it!

SILAS BAXTER-NEAL

St(E)ak was rocking the decks at the Burnout so you know it was straight Slayer, Megadeath and a host of other gnarly tunes blaring all night. Reprobait recently did an interview with our beloved founding member. Check their archives. © 2012 ADIDAS AMERICA, INC. ADIDAS, THE TREFOIL LOGO AND THE 3-STRIPES MARK ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THE ADIDAS GROUP.

FREE NATIONWIDE DELIVERY! Brett Shaw provides some guidelines for life as a skateboarder.

Walking The Cow

So, you’re sponsored?

Get the root beer out because the YouTube Sponsor Me clip of your switch Benihana over a house has landed you a spot on the Epol dog food team, and to seal the deal, G-Unit is giving you your own doo-rag. I heard that Ricky styles said, that you may even get on flow for Croc shoes because his dad’s cousins exlover works there - so what now? Here’s a list of some banger things to look out for once you get sponsored, plus a few ringside tip’s. 1 – Smile and wave. It’s the best way. When you get 6 pairs of white board shorts with lumo pink paint and a baby blue warthog holding a hotdog splattered all over them, plus a puke yellow crop-top with a special pocket to keep your lip ice in, it’s hard to stay positive. It’s even harder to look your friends in the eye when you rock your sponsored togs. You’ll tell yourself “They’re not that bad.”. Don’t kid yourself. They are. Welcome to the world of free clothes. 2 – Don’t horde your stash (this is an easy one if your sponsor sucks) if you’ve got a good one, hook up the kids at your local spot. You won’t get a prize for having 69 hoodie’s. The karma wheels spinning, so make sure you don’t get in the way. 3 – Nothing’s for free. If someone gives you something they want something back. So don’t kid yourself. Doing demo’s, catalogue photo shoots, contest results, photo’s in SESSION, clips on AV - it’s endless. Give and take but just remember, tasteful nudes are not for all of us. 4 – Just because you got a board for free doesn’t mean you can focus it. Nobody like’s a knob. If you have a close look, most of the sponsored guy’s have their own flavor. Look at someone like Yann. He never sent anyone a sponsor me video. He got hooked up by skateboarding on everything all the time, and everyone loves him. People want to be

around fun people, so do team managers and company owners. If you’ve got the same personality as a Weetbix box, good luck. 5 – The coolest feeling is getting a box - there’s nothing better. You know it’s coming. Then it’s at your shack and it’s on. So ride for company’s you can relate to. If you’re into VANS, Independent and Creature don’t try ride for a panty-pad company, it will kill you. You don’t want a box where everything sucks, you want to think. “Hell yeah! I’m psyched on the entire box.” 6 – Make sure you’ve got more than 5 tricks. I’ve been on a few tours where dude’s start to look lame doing their 5 tricks, 5 days in a row. Make sure you’ve got a lot of dance moves before you get on the dance floor. 7 – Don’t try be a lotto winner. If you’re shooting a photo and you’ve never done a double switch tre flip, late back foot flip down 10, definitely don’t try learn it while Pablo’s got 9 flashes set up and there’s a van full of skaters waiting to get a Roti from Johnny’s. 7 – Don’t lick ass. Your tongue was made for Ice Creams... uuum, considering most of my friends are Vegans, lets change that to your tongue was made for … (insert your own word here)

GET YOUR GEAR ON... LINE

8 – Say thank you for everything because think about it, someone has taken the time to give you something for free because you can steer a piece of wood with 4 wheels in cool directions – that’s messed up.

Be yourself and never change what you think is cool to get free stuff. It’s always 1st prize to be sponsored by a skate company with a team manager who knows what’s up, but unfortunately only a select few get that honor. So don’t bend over too far, nobody wants to get wood in their teeth.

www.avskateboarding.tv www.shop.avskateboarding.tv Advertising, Sales Information and Contributors > Email: info@avskateboarding.tv or go to www.avskatebaording.tv

“...he is such an inspiration, and man we had a good time doing ten skate parks and ten strip bars in one day!!”

Photos: Mike Goetz Interview: J. Midgley

Photographer MikeG on the shots he got with Dallas.

Da ll as Oberholzer dbn

cpt -

Left: Sniper shot. Backtail on the extension. 24

Right: Front Smith deep in the kidney.

You should all know the name Dallas Oberholzer; he is a legend in SA skateboarding. The man has passion, and a balls-to-the-wall attitude. It’s ensured not only the success of Indigo Skate Camp up in the Valley of 1000 Hills, but also the Zulu community that have become intrinsically involved in its management. His work has motivated the Laureas Foundation, Indigo’s funders, to become more focused on areas of South Africa where there clearly is a lack of facilities and resources for up-and-coming skate talent.

up lately?” posed, Dallas jumps right in with the Laureas’ interest in expanding more in the Western Cape. “After setting up in the two areas which really work here [Klenvlei and Scotsdene] we’re looking for other established skate crews here...”

On one of Dallas’ recent trips to Cape Town - in between cruising the streets on his mad-green bike and meeting up with homies we managed to catch up on the latest progressions with Indigo. Once coffee was out, and the first question of “So, what’s been

“It’s a great opportunity for us to come in and find skaters from within communities and give them an incentive to be there and run programs, which we’d like to run there. Basic skateboard instruction programs as well as some kind of guidance, you know, bro out the

He continues by describing existing skate parks in the Western Cape and how a lack of income and incentives usually end up with the parks not lasting too long. “...so we’re trying to just find established scenes and places that aren’t well looked after, no real sense of “big brother” there, there’s this new generation of groms blazing around the place without much guidance.” As he expands on the topic, the situation begins to sound a bit bleak. This reality however, has given Indigo the opportunity to repeat their success in KZN in Cape Town and it’s surrounds, and get these areas noticed by people who can make a difference.

Far Left: Burnside Feebles. Bottom Left: Backsmiths over the light. Left: Backlips round the corner

younger guys. Give them firstly skateboards, give them a sense of belonging to a unit, an established crew...” Now when Dallas talks, it’s as if he were on a conference with possible funders. One senses his die-hard belief in what he’s doing. The passion he speaks with is contagious. We ask after his ideas on where to setup next.

It let s ev e ryo ne jus t meet up a nd roll togethe r no mat te r what - int erpr et the i r lives t hro u gh sk at eb oa r di ng .

“We’re going to use the Salesian Institute, which is a reform school with a little ramp and flat area, so we’d like to try do some kind of program with the reform children, and not only them but mix them up with the children from wealthier areas, to get them to integrate. That’s the founding reason behind Indigo, to integrate society. I think it’s good we stick with that because that’s the ability that skating has beyond most sports. It lets everyone just meet up and roll together no matter what, interpret their lives through skateboarding.” Dallas has been through it all, from grom to contests to running businesses and travelling, one can’t deny he has covered almost everything while living as a skateboarder. He seems to be doing it right though... You’ve been overseas recently? “Yeah, I was invited by the Laureas Sport for Good Foundation to a global summit on utilising sport for social change, in London. So we went out there and met 90 other projects from around the world that are also funded by Laureas and networked, shared ideas and learned new ways of relating with the youth and giving them

guidance through skateboarding. I met some childhood heroes who I thought were the business when I was a kid you know, so it was really inspirational.”

to create similar opportunities for other people. Though his nature is disarmingly genuine, he nurtures a powerful skill and has gone beyond the threshold of most others in utilising it through Indigo.

How has this latest conference helped shape Indigo?

“Yeah I mean having a job creates a sense of dignity and belonging in a community. I’m lucky to have found my place in skateboarding and to be able to do what I love and share what I love.”

“I guess I understand the youth but I’m a bit overwhelmed when it comes to legit youth guidance methods. So it’s great because the conference brings together other like-minded people who have made similar journeys, and they workshop us on everything from fundraising to selling the idea to get funding, monitoring and evaluating our progress... Indigo’s very lucky to have backing from this big organisation. They can show us the established norms because skateboarding hasn’t really been officially used for this kind of social interaction and we can learn elements from other sports and bring it to skateboarding.” You combined the London trip with a detour to the States, any news from there? “Well yeah I went to Detour in Las Vegas, connected with the Element headquarters in Irvine California, was pretty cool seeing all the same faces from Maloof there at the next contest. Visited all these “Journey” parks, which is a new take on skate parks, so I’ve taken some inspiration to expand the skate camp from those experiences.” He’s lucky only in that he’s worked so hard for it. He describes how fulfilling it’s been through Indigo to “find his place” and that he wants

“Through our work we’re going to try and broaden the base of skateboarding, I mean, that’s what we’ve all always wanted to do. Let’s try turn the perception of the public on its head when they think skating is just a waste of time. I hope this story goes a long way, because it’ll make all my work worth while. We just need to be invited; Indigo’s ready.” He ends off our interview with a word or two on why he’s chosen this path for himself. “I love skating and even when I’m not doing it, I will be learning about it. I owe my life to it - that’s why I choose to share it with the world.” end

Stills: Jansen van Staden Sequences: Alan Marola Interview: Neil Hughes & AD

The man with the perpetually mispelt surname, Mr Horowitz has been blaizing a trail across London and Barcelona for the last 2 years. He joined Converse on The Big Push across Europe; roomied with Fred Gall for 2 weeks; roamed the streets of Barcelona; skated Stockwell almost everyday and managed to get evicted from every place he stayed in London. I eventually caught up with him at Baseline one weekday afternoon. We managed to rouse Neil Hughes and pick him up from Sidewalk Cafe and all headed to Joubert’s flat to look at the view and throw some words around. Unfortunately, only the following extracts could be recovered. We join as the tape begins, the banter already having started... NH: Does she still love you? YH: Yes. NH: Is it true love? YH: Nah. Joubert: Virgins love forever. (laughter) NH: So Yann, tell us about some of your highlights in the United Kingdom? - That’s a good one eh? (Turning to me with sarcasm and a wide grin.) AD: Yeah. Gem of a question Neil. YH: Geezis... NH: What were the highllights and the lowlights... and EVERYthing in between. (laughter) YH: The highlight was probably living close enough to Stockwell skatepark that I could skate there if I was broke; being able to drink in public and skate at the same time; and watching Death From Above 1979 at the Brixton Academy... and living with Mr Hughes at 329 Kempton Road. NH: Word. David Byrne. YH: Oh, yeah... (laughter) And watching Stop Making Sense like three times a day. AD: Did you meet up with Neil immediately when you got over there? YH: Yeah pretty much. I first moved in with Jay Bassons, a good friend of mine from Durban. He hooked me up a place to stay for 2 months. Then I got a place in South London with my friend Little Dog and my other friend David Ratcliffe... We got evicted, pretty soon, so I was homeless again then Neil took me in. NH: But you pulled through. YH: I did pull through. (laughter) 28

YH: I just pulled through, fucking hell dude.. NH: (I mean the bong...) YH: I dunno, I’ve had a pretty good run. I got evicted from every single place I lived in in London. NH: Are you still in touch with Malik? YH: Yeah yeah, still in touch with the landlord, he’s still looking for Neil Hughes. I just want him to think Neil Hughes has died. (laughter) NH: And he’s got a copy of our passports. So we won’t go back. AD: But you didn’t just stay in London though? YH: Well my first year was in Barcelona. And yeah, Barcleona was amazing. It was just a seven month party, skating Macba every day, then missioning out to spots, then partying all night, going to the beach all day... NH: This isn’t going on E dude. YH: What?

AD: This isn’t going on E? NH: His tone of voice was like he was on ETV, did you see that? “Tonight on E TEE VEE” YH: What, is this going to be an audio file IN the Session, like you open and it plays like those cards? AD: Yeah, you just start talking. YH: “Tonight on EEEEH” (laughter) Yann regails how he got on Converse, and Neil chips in how he was standing next to the guy that smsed Converse from Stockwell skatepark saying “You gotta see this South African kid.” “Yeah so they hooked me up some shoes and then someone dropped out of The Big Push so they asked me to come along. I was hyped. Was funny though, ‘cuz Clint Peterson gets in the van 29

Top: Yann goes 180 to quick Fakie pops at Skinner. Bottom: Ollie fire-cracker. Taking a new angle to the City Hall double set. Right: FS ollie in The Pond.

at one point and there I am, this weird little South African kid. He was like, ‘What the hell is he doing in the van?’” (laughter) AD: So then when you came back that kind of stopped or what? YH: Well Gavin told me Chez tried to call to give me more shoes and couldn’t get hold of me, so he asks Gav asks if he knows where I am and Gav’s like “Uh, South Africa.” But yeah I really do need to get hold of him. (laughter) AD: Then you got hooked up with Vans when you got back? YH: Yeah, pretty much just after I got back Brett Shaw and my friend Calvin just called Warren up and said, ‘Put Yann on the team.’ ... and I kinda felt guilty ‘cuz I didn’t have to lift a finger. (laughter) AD: Hah, didn’t have to do anything? YH: Yeah, I just got this call from Warren who says, “Yeah so, you’re on the team...” I said, oh ok cool. And I was hyped, ‘cuz I’ve always wanted to skate for Vans as well. It’s just one of those timeless companies where everything’s just cool. AD: So you never sent a sponsor me tape anywhere? YH: Ah.... Oh, I had to make one for Familia actually... (huge grin) but it was a really cheeky one I did on my computer. I didn’t have any proper editing programs or whatever. It was SO bad.. ah, so bad. DIY. But then I went on the tour to Barca, and that’s when I ended up staying with them. And that’s sorta how I got on Familia. It’s also another company I’m really feeling at the moment. So chilled. They doing a lot of cool things. I try dig up some stories from Neil about Yann, but his memory fails him largely.

home is a different concept when you’ve been away from home for a while 30

YH: NH: (laughter) YH: NH: YH: NH: YH:

NH: Jeez I’m struggling to think of one, it’s all just this big blur... YH: Yeah, that’s why it was hard for me to think of one as well. It’s all a blur. But yeah, we would chill like everyday. It wasn’t like I wouldn’t see Neil for a couple weeks. We’d just get hyped and things would happen. NH: Best times were at the park, just chilling at Stockwell skatepark. Good crew there, the Boys. (the pause before next question drags out...) YH: Maybe, like how South Africa’s been so far? AD: Hmmm, yeah! Maybe you should just asked yourself some questions? (laughter) YH: Well I was pretty much hounded to come back to SA to get a degree under my belt. AD: Parental pressures? YH: Yeah, to an extent.... So I came back to SA to study at UCT, and I dunno, when I first got back it was like a culture shock, but it was home...? You know? Like, home is a different concept once you’ve been away from home for a while. When I think of home, I’ve got a home in Barcelona, London, Durban and now it’s Cape Town. So yeah, now I’m studying. And I won the Backyard Burnout, which was super cool ‘cuz I didn’t have to get a job for the holidays. AD: Nice lump sum of cash! YH: Yeah, got the cash, got my tatt, chilled. But yeah, I was supposed to go to UCT but at the last minute I changed my mind and now I’m at SAEast studying sound production. It’s tough, it’s like a whole new language, but that’s pretty much how SA’s been so far. And I havn’t been skating enough. AD: YH:

Last words? Always a lovely lame question. Pssssshhh... last words... uhm... oh: Don’t let Monday ruin your Sunday.

What, is that those See Through Rizzla’s? Yeah, now you see through, now you don’t. Wow Neil, so you can’t think of a good story? My little Yann story...? Am I that boring? Yeah you were a complete bore the whole time. I know. 31

The last photo Sam Clark got before leaving for Spain. Justin Leslie - Backside Powerslide.

green flat peaks will be the biggest trend this year. watch. tooth kickflips an 8 stair with green ghetto steeeez.

Photos: words:

er andre viss son ad hender

The Cape Flats was built on sand. The whole area was just barren dunes, with a single road connecting Cape Town with The Strand. But in little more than a generation, the Cape Flats became home to the majority of the population of Greater Cape Town. They called it, “The dumping grounds of apartheid.”

We call it, “The stomping grounds of 20SK8!”

It was in the 1950’s that the delusional Nationalist government decided it was time that Non-Whites be removed from the designated ‘White’ areas and forced into the housing projects that had been erected in The Flats. All that nauseating politics produced an area that is now largely poverty stricken with a high level of unemployment, crime and gang activity. Out of that, we’d like to introduce to you 20SK8. Gansters cut from a different cloth. Gansters on four wheels. Robbing only the terrain of cities and neighbourhoods of a simple pleasure... the freedom of skateboarding We caught up with 3 of the members Toothless (TL), Tooth (T) and Shuaib Philander (S) and posed them a few questions. So you’re all gangsters right? TL: It depends on what your definition of a gangster is. To me a gangster is someone who does their own thing and 20sk8 does their own thing so... T: I’m not a gangster, but we got gangster swag. S: Yes. In terms of the way you describe the skateboarding in the brotherhood. Where are you all from and how did you all meet? S: Each and every one of us reigns from the Cape Flats and met skating at Boogaloos skatepark. The brotherhood goes back about a decade. Why the name 20SK8? Who came up with it? TL: It’s derived from the 2 and the 8 which written together represents the most notorious gang on the Cape Flats. A path each and every one of us could have easily followed and that’s where skating plays the role of being our positive constant. The idea of relating us to gangsters came from the legends Marola, Patrick Avenant, Derik Du Toit, Wiehahn Brothers, Chippy etc.

Clockwise from above: junaid Kippie frontboards in Skelmbosch. Recycling is a message 20sk8 feel strongly about. That and backside kgrinds. Shuaib philander gaps out in red. Toothless lets loose a front shuv in WyyYyynberg.

How many of you have gone to Pollsmoor? T: None. And none of us intend on going there unless it is to skate a demo or a competition. Maybe 20sk8boarding could become a outlet for those guys in there. How many of you have been arrested? S: Just one. But it was for illegal street racing. There’s this guy in Woodstock I don’t like, can I get 20SK8 to go intimidate him? TL: Tooth’s sister, Chelsea is infamous for viciously attacking people with a 2L Jive. So that Woodstock nigger better watch out. Have you guys really had hard lives or does everyone on the flats just know how to hide government money really well? TL: Ja AD, we crack babies that’s why we rip so hard. S: Yes. Life has been hard for some of us, we’ve lost some of the members that should have been around. But the ones that are still here - we’re really looking out for each other. T: They actually did hide the money very well. That’s why we have all the government skateparks in the flats. 20sk8! 36

“They actually did hide the money very well. That’s why we have all the government skateparks in the flats. 20sk8!” - Tooth 37

My bad, speaking of African politics, Dylan (Vaughan) says he remembers Shuaib as one of the guys they stayed out of the way of at Canal Walk skate park. Were you a gang back then as well? S: LMFAO. Can’t wait to see Dylan. (I’m gonna ride straight towards him) Who is the 20sk8 Godfather? 20sk8: Wayde Arendse Does tik really help you clean the kichen faster? S: Depends if you cooking the sh*t yourself. TL: Go ask your mother. T: I don’t know. I never tried cleaning the kitchen. Does tik help you skate better? TL: Dont think so, hope not. ‘Cuz boards and shoes are already heavy on the pocket. S: No, try cigarettes. T: No, but kickflips got me feeling high. Where do you all usually skate? S: Cape Town skating is booming but lacking in facilities. Keen on street missions. T: I was born in Strandfontein skatepark, but Salesians is where it is at, at the moment.

If Jive realises that coloureds make them the most money then they’ll make the smart decision by doing so... - Shuaib

Do you have to be able to backside smith grinds to get into 20sk8? 20sk8: The only way in is if you’ve been in the brotherhood since DAY 1.

Will you get sponsored by Jive? That cricketer guy got on it. The one with the Osama beard. Is that an aspiration for 20SK8? TL: To grow Osama Bin Laden beards? Most definitely. That’s OG. Osama is OG! S: If Jive realises that coloureds make them the most money then they’ll make the smart decision by doing so.. T: Yoh, we definitely need a Jive sponsor ‘cuz my sister needs ammunition. After hipsters die in Cape Town, will the next trend be Cape Flats gangster threads? S: Definitely Cape Town. 20sk8 is making sure of that. What’s the best thing about Die Antwoord? 20sk8: The best thing is the question mark you ended that question with. Who’s your Jesus? 20sk8: Moses There are 2 Wesley’s in 20sk8, the one’s nickname is Tooth and the other Toothless. Why is 20sk8 obsessed with teeth?

TL: Firstly, Tooth and Toothless are not nicknames. They are our names. Don’t call us anything else. S: Wesley Shroeder was always named Tooth then Wesley Smith lost his Tooth and Toothlesss was born. Ask Charl Jansen about that.

Pedro Sinclair flips up to nosemanny and 180’s out for all the ghetto kids. justin adonis breaks the backside tradition with a frontside smith frontside flip out.

What’s a “Passion Gap”? 20sk8: When 20sk8 skate gaps so BIG you have to love it... but like it passionately. Is Manny Santiago part of the crew because of his missing tooth? 20sk8: Toothless had a mutual connection with Manny... Nigga liked our page! 20sk8! Who’s the king hustler in 20sk8? 20sk8: SHUAIB PHILANDER!!! (He said we must put 3 exclamation marks) Is it true Shuaib stopped skating for a while because he was smuggling drugs into Zimbabwe for Robert Mugabe? TL: No AD man, it was small arms. Don’t you know African politics? 39

left: tooth has started a textbook. figure 01. flip backside nosegrind. bolts. Below: the best thing about this overcrooks by toothless is that he’s asking for a lift at the same time. Check the left hand. “Kaap town toe meneer?” bottom: Gino abrahams pops a passion gap.

Do you have a ritual to initiate a new crew member? Like a knife fight, or do you have to beat Shauib in a game of skate-dice? TL: Beating Shuaib in a game of skate dice would impress us. But “The Brotherhood”, it’s bloodline based now. T: What you mean beat Shuaib? You have to beat me! Is Andre Visser an honarary member? 20sk8: Damn Straight. WhatNOT whatEVER BAPEEEEEEEEE! (Siya (Ntuli) just popped in and asked us to mention him but we not gonna) Are you working on a video? 20sk8: Yebo. Planning to release at the end of this year. Will all the tricks be backside tricks? TL: I’m sure Pedz part...definitely! T: Yes, they’re so much easier and more gangster.

What do you film with? S: Tooth’s hand camera which we mounted on a hacksaw. T: And a fisheye that’s taken out of a wide angle lens and stuck to the camera with double sided tape. It’s like building a waentjie. (Go see the footage or you’ll never know 20sk8 on Facebook)

right: toothless does his ancestors proud with this modern day impression of an indigenous khoi-san hunting a frontside bigspin - a little known delicacy of the san people. Bottom: shuaib bends for a backside smith. Far right: tooth seals the deal with a backside overcrooks.

What’s the most important thing to take on a skate session? (Other than a skateboard, obviously) TL: Papsak and Andre Visser S: Cheese & Wax T: Food and toilet paper What’s the real difference between black and coloured people? TL: Dlamini & Mosey Do you find you get in more kuk because you’re not white or black? TL: What do you think? ‘Cuz we mixed we get double k@k? T: In Cape Town, yes. What is Pinki en De Bruin? How do they fit into 20sk8? 20sk8: 20SK8’s musical ambassadors. Do you own the Mitchell’s Plain skatepark? 20sk8: YES WE DO!!!!!!!! Does the community hide away from you when you roll down the streets? 20sk8: No, they cheer for us. They see us as a positive and are supportive. Do you steal all your product or does someone help you guys out? 20sk8: We get help here and there, but otherwise Shuaib hustle’s everything for us. SHOUT OUTS: Mostly God! Justin Adonis, Gino Abrahams, Frank, Pedz, BrAgDOLL & PinKi, all our families! Aunty Nita for putting up with all of us - all the time! The Pinpanos! All the up and coming kids on the flats! Tatum, Leechie (337) for getting back into skating. AFRICA SKATE, Judo, Carl, Wayde, Rashaad, Gum, Matthew, Evan, Ryle, Adams Family, Dlamini Brothers, Kanya, Plankie, AD, Visser, Son skate crew, Landon, Ramos, Salik, Jody Ford, Marola, Patrick Avenant, Philly & Chippy, Rhuls, Vans, Mabooze Boys..... R.I.P Derik Du Toit & Inus Wiehahn 42

What’s the real difference between black and coloured people?

TL: Dlamini & Mosey

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t h e r o n - p h o t o s c l i n t o n

C a m p h e r J u a n r e

M a r k

M a y

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V o t a n o - w o r ds G i o v a n n i

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S p a n i K a n y a

It had been my first time back with everyone in South Africa in three years. I was too hyped for the trip, the friends, the skating, the backpackers, the van, the frustrations - the joyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of a tour. Let me start off by mentioning the little dinosaur many men search for, was not to be found anywhere here. Kanya Spani, Siya Ntuli, Damon de Clercq, Dlamini Dlamini, Mark May, Juanre Campher and myself were bound for this trip. We were all to meet in the holiday destination of JBay and the home of Clint Theron and Element HQ. Siya was to arrive there a few days later due to his camping ceremony in the wild. He was in the process of becoming a man, so be sure to give him the props he deserves when you see him around.

Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit

Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saep saepius. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure placerat facer possim assum. Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla iiiis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril quod ii legunt saepius. de delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera futurum. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea cotmmodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant iriure dolor in hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore sollemnes in futurum. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper eu feugiat nulla facilisis at vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis autem vel eum iriure dolor in blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi. hend hendrerit in vulputate velit esse molestie consequat, vel illum dolore eu feugiat nulla facilisis at Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id vero eros et accumsan et iusto odio dignissim qui blandit praesent luptatum zzril delenit augue quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. duis dolore te feugait nulla facilisi.

LOREM IPSUM DOLOR SIT AMET, CONSECTETUER ADIPISCING ELIT, SED DIAM NONUMMY NIBH

ELEMENT TEAM

kanya showing off his newly acquired cape town skills. wallie frontside shuvit.

HOLIDAY

So there we were in the van on our way to PE, shooting the shit when we smelt something utterly disgusting. What was this putrid smell possessing the senses of our beloved team riders? More importantly who was the culprit. Much to our surprise it came from Kanya’s shirt that he was still wearing from the night before. I refuse to explain why... We had arrived in PE. We had four days in the hellish city, four days until Siya would arrive. PE is not known to be the best place around when you talking wind factor, but for some reason there was none of it on day one. That was a big fucking deal. Or so we thought, but throughout all four of the days it was the same: no wind. It was truly a miracle. Aside from the good weather, a couple of new spots had been found and some quality tricks went down. We skated, filmed all day, got

sunstroke, drank beer and chilled. As a trip with homies tends to go. If you are not familiar with our team, I should give you some introspective on those who could make it on this trip, its only fair. Juanre Campher - a white, overly-tanned male from PE. He is a chilled guy and if you asked him how he is, he would say “I’m chilled dude”. Dlamini Dlamini - a profound wizard from Durban. A warrior if you like; a beast. Kills, steals, deals and is damn smooth on wheels. Siya Ntuli - currently living in Cape Town. Siya is a catalyst. You throw him in the mix and BOOM! you have good energy. Mark May - currently eating online in PE. I have a soft spot for Mark, one of the few brothers in this world. He skates like a man and has the sincere innocence of a child. Kanya Spani - currently hustling in Cape Town. A synonym for him would be “Slick”. Damon De Clerk - an old soul who lives in JBAY. Damon is cool, calm and collected. I find him tasteful and respectable. Clinton Theron ™ - Married, managing, manly, hard-working and he brings good things to all. Jeffreys Bay is South Africa’s number one surf paradise. If you didn’t catch the last Blue Crush movie. Don’t. What a crock of shit! - but they did hype up this place pretty good, and even though I live right next door, I was well excited to visit again.

if you map out all the angles in this picture, and add them together, you’ll get giovanni’s phone number. nollie 360flip.

sa paving, electricity box, cinder blocks and siya ntuli. could you get any more south african than that? frontside noseblunt

What was this putrid smell possessing the senses of our beloved team riders? More importantly who was the culprit.

No one was shy about anything, things were put out as-is, everyone was involved and everything that happened involved everyone. I liked this.

It gets packed during the holidays, and the little town can barely accommodate the amount of people and the shit that comes with them. Unfortunately Dlamini had to part ways at this stage of the holiday for his family christmas gathering in the island of Lesotho. Element HQ has currently experienced some changes. Two being the new office buildings and the new factory store. The opening was a blast, two days of fun in the blistering sun. The mini ramp was set up, the sun was a blazing and the juices were flowing, the whole event was fetching. In the mix we had Dino Moran a DJ on VZ laying down some hip tracks, a fire, a group of well-groomed lady friends modeling the summer ranges (this was not one of those mediocre shows with half assed models either, you starred with no shame and left stimulated). We were really well looked after by our friends at Element. And not surprisingly the next few days were rather productive! Who wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get on with business after shopping in the Element warehouse and looking so fresh and clean. The feeling I was most satisfied with on this holiday adventure, was the consistent intellectual word play, followed by painful laughter. We had a guitar on us all the time, jamming and singing along wherever we went, creating and recreating our favorite cult music. No one was shy about anything, things were put out as-is, everyone was involved and everything that happened involved everyone. I liked this.

on the right up there is mark may catching a nollie hardflip down that set. Reason #653 for needing to go check the edit online. below him, kanya goes a little crooked. below and background: jesus could walk on water, damo can skate on walls. wallie wallride.

despite the continuous flow of foreign juices, many of us still experienced a humorous drought

no it isn’t florida, but the skating is on par. Dlamini lofts a frontside heel. scan the code below to watch the element holiday edit on elementsouthafrica.com

The Island Vibe, a hub for travelers from all over the world and our home for the trip, was always happening, and despite the continuous flow of foreign juices, many of us still experienced a humorous drought. Those who were handed a lemon, had to really squeeze to get their juice out. Ahem. Anyway the place is located right on the beach, there’s a bar area with a decent pool table, a pretty good selection of music playing, a lot of new people every night and non-stop fun. We needed not go anywhere else. Myself and Kanya remained rich and unbeaten, drinking for free most of the time thanks to our continued winning streek over numerous games of pool. Siya was successfully the last man standing at the bar almost

every night. Mark always first in bed and Juanre out with the guitar or minors. Damon chose to spend most nights with his girlfriend instead of us. They say there’s no fire without smoke, in his case there was only smoke. (Don’t worry Damo we believe you.) JBay is a desolate place when it comes to skateboarding, but there were some interesting things found and skated, all in all everyone had fun and got some tricks on camera. For all the footage, be sure you check out the team holiday edit on elementsouthafrica.com and follow the blog for updates. Gio. 51

Sam Khumalo lost 5kgs this trip. Both due to perspiration, dehydration and talking nonstop. But between himself, Thabo and Marcel, there was never a dull moment. Kickflip into the monument.

3 days 2 bakkies 15 skaters 48 Degrees

W •e •e •k •e •n •d

I •n

P •o •l •o •k •w •a •n •e

with:

jp du preez, kanya spani, joubert van staden, wandile msomi, thabo nAge, andrew raw, sam khumalo, skippy, marcel maassen, anthony de mendonca, ad henderson & jansen van staden,

XXXXIV° photos: jansen van staden & jp du preez. 52

words: ad henderson 53

You end up choosing your angle depending on the shadepossibility Left: I wanted the back angle for this crooked. I’d just thought that after Jansen had taken his first attempt at the Feeble. Before I could move to get the Feeble from the front, he was going again. There was smoke in front of the lens, I jittered as I jumped to record and he went and landed it. Boom. This Kgrind came shortly after with added points for a pop out on to the last stair. Right Top to Bottom: Marcel Maassen is now living in Cape Town and trying not to roll his ankle again. Go ask him to show you how to do Backside Heelflips. Joubert and Thabo harvesting avo’s from the tree at the back of the house we stayed at. Yes, they said we could. We pitched our tents in the yard, and the families’ hospitality was hugely appreciated. Housing 15 skaters isn’t a task to be taken lightly. Dankie Tannie!

“J

a oom, ons ry net skaatsplank hieso.” Rynhard pleaded our case to the caretaker of the school we’d just driven into. Skippy had put down a 3rd go heelflip over a gap-stairset-thing with a terrible surface, so Joubert had one clip at least. With Vincent at the hospital getting his legged stitch, we weren’t entirely up to fighting the old man to get some more time. “Die polisie kom.” Yeah yeah, I wish people would get more creative with the reasons we had to leave spots. Like, “Listen boys, I know you’re having fun but me and my geriatric friends are about to get naked and rub ourselves on you if you don’t stop skating here.” THAT would make us leave. And quickly. ‘The police are coming statement’ doesn’t really hold much weight anymore. They usually take longer to respond than we do to get the trick. But this was PLK babay, we held our tongues sufficiently and headed out. Besides, have you any idea how fucking HOT it is there? We didn’t. We had NO idea. And no one wants to argue in the heat. Probably one of the reasons why PLK is so chilled. It was late November, I was couch surfing around Gauteng between the Plankie Mansion and Bod’s house when I got a phone call from Joubert van Staden.

“So let’s go! This weekend. I’ll call Wandile and them. ChickenBONE!” Joubert had the tone of voice that said it was a done deal. We’d been speaking about a trip up to PLK for the weekend for quite some time. As you may have read in the Ruik Die Kaas video article, they knew a guy there called Vincent who was filming rail tricks on his cellphone, and had sent them photos of some mad spots. JP Du Preez was down, Jansen too. Marcel Maasen and Skippy got off work and girlfriend obligations to jump onboard while Anthony De Mendonca was called up to fill the last space. So that was seven of us in a Corsa bukkie, with all our shit tied to the roof. Wandile Msomi packed Sam Khumalo, Kanya Spani, Thabo Nuge and Andrew Raw into his pimpin red Corsa that Friday and set out from Jozi late afternoon. We had by that stage already met up with Rynhard, our humble host, Vincent and the other locals. Our point of reference for this meet was one of the raddest skate-able monuments in South Africa, and the first thing you see as you drive into PLK. It’s a flattened vulcano with four large quarters all the way around. The SA Paving surrounding it is a headache though. When we got to skating it

on Sunday we were melting, but managed to have a load of fun and get some tricks. Sam Khumalo stopped running his mouth for a while, actually got on his board and kickflipped into it. Lofty as all hell. The rest of the crew mostly chilled in the shade on top. We took turns skating, excepting of course the filmers. PLK is possibly the WORST place to be filming skating. Hours in the sun while everyone huddles in whatever shade they can find in between attempts. I know most skaters do factor that in and appreciate it, take turns filming, but whoever has sat there, burning away knows the feeling. And in PLK, yoh yoh yoh, that was hard. You end up choosing your angle depending on the shade-possibility. Don’t be discouraged though, we made it and got enough skating for the weekend article, but the best sessions we had were at night on this PERFECT ledge. Flat coping, smooth ‘crete on top, starting shin height, ending by your knees. The ledge was impecable. Unsurprisingly it the ground was SA Paving again. It didn’t matter after a while though. The ledge was worth it. I can still clearly see the mental-images of Wandile doing a switch BS180 to nosemanny on it. Car headlights going, beers all over, cold sinking in... I missed filming his first one. Probably why I remember it so well, and he

It was a one-manThrasherparty.

Left: Frontsiding boardsliding his way to victory. JP beat the slam demons after a hang up on a feeble. Never let the slam demons win. Always leave on a landed trick, anything so long as it’s not a slam or a bail. Think it was Mark Frolich said that. Good advice. Top: Anthony DeMendonca is rad. Skates so smooth. He spied this skatable basin in the bathroom and had to get a photo on it. Not something you see everyday. Above: Most skaters work on ollieing more and more stairs. Skippy does that too, but by going UP them. Most to date: Ollie up 7.

struggled a bit doing it again, but he made it, and was all smiles. The man possess an attitude towards skating, and life in general, that is genuinely inspirational. We had sessioned at that ledge both nights. The first session was shortly after Vincent, having consumed a bottle and a half of coke-a-cola and mix, raped his shin on a square 8 stair rail. Blue, rectangular, a little loose and warped but rideable. Vince was pumped to say the least. It was a one-man-Thrasher-party. This is a man who almost backsmithed a 15 - so he can skate rails. 10 minutes later, he slips off a FS 50 and takes the rail on with his shin. The shin fought hard to avert the rail’s attack, but alas, the rail did strike. And hard did it strike. I won’t try sugar-coat this: We talked of hospital and, standing there in his boxers, with his jeans around his ankles to display the chunk of split meat he called his lower leg, Vince looks up and says, “Nee vok, kom ons drink ma.” And so we did. We skated schools a lot in PLK. It was rad jumping over fences or crawling under like old times. It’s a bit different now though. Now we’re grown men, “breaking and entering”. Yet PLK was still alright. Where most schools now have hefty electric fencing and security, most places were easy to get in. Anthony found a basin to Front Nose in a bathroom at one school, while Skippy jumped UP some stairs outside and at the next we found the 15 stair rail. Under the gate and low and behold, a diamond in the rough. The rail is loooong, but a nice height. The session got on pretty quickly. JP was trying Feebles, Kanya tried a few 50-50’s then started locking into the STEEZIEST Frontside Salads any of us had seen -

got SO close to a land on two attempts - while Skippy had settled on a Frontside Smith. At one point JP hung up on a Feeble and ate shieeet proper. He sat down, over it. Kanya, the very next attempt, slips on the Salad and goes down the stairs backwards, on his belly. Done. Sits down. Skippy’s the only man left standing and we all thought it was cursed. But what happens on his next attempt? He BOLTS the smith grind. We went nuts. Moments like that are what make missions. Money can’t buy that shit. Jansen then got all excited and started rolling up to it next. He took over JP’s fight with the Feeble and second try, made the distance and rolled away on the crusty tar. A couple try’s later and he had the Kgrind too. We’d all but jumped the fence to leave when JP decides he can’t leave without a trick. After a couple of testers, he stuck a leeeeengthy Frontside Boardslide. Victory claimed, back under the fence. It was a session I shall be hard pressed to forget. We hit a few smaller spots here and there over the two days. There is definitely enough to keep you busy if you’re looking for a mission but we’d recomend having a car, and sunscreen. The schools are a definite must, the industrial area is where that ledge is and a bunch of good spots, and be damn sure to skate the monument. It says Prosperity on it, which I’m not entirely sure is there to mock or inspire the town of Polokwane, but as we drove out that Sunday evening, seeing it in my side-mirror, I thought it should say Perspire. It would make a lot more sense. 57

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o f a d i d a s s k at e s h o e s

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In a dramatic turn of events, Closet Envy has evolved again. Kinda like a Pokemon that’s premature... Anyway, send in your latest skate photos and adidas will judge who has put the most effort in. THREE pairs of adidas skate shoes are up for grabs, so get shooting and sending! Mail your entries to info@sessionmag.co.za with the subject “Why I want adidas shoes”

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Element team riders take us through the How To’s of skateboarding.

with mr siya ntuli

Rolling up

Get your feet ready in a Nollie Shuv-it position. Approach the ledge at a slight angle, the faster you go the easier the pop.......!!

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Nollie FS Shuvit Noseslides

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Popping the Nollie Shuv

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Pop (jump) and scoop the board 270 degrees. Turn your shoulders 90 degrees and get ready to catch your board.

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Sliding Quiksilver fortress hoodie

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vans Splitz Cap | Black Slide dat biatch!! - Catch the mofo and sliiideeeeeee...... and ENJOY the slide.

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Once comfortable to pop out, apply pressure to the nose of the board with the ball of your foot and push straight to allow the board to pop off and away from the ledge.

half cab | Black/white

Rolling away

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Chukka Low | Black / White

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Product available nationwide at Quiksilver, DC, Vans, Revolution, Baseline and other skate stores.

NOW KEEP EEEZZEE AND ROLL AWAY SMOOTH!!

photo: Yoon Sul

Know your heroes skate documentaries

Skate video reviews with manual king Reprobait.com’s Luke Jackson.

The Man Who Souled The World

Deathbowl to Downtown

Pray For Me Jason Jessee

There are a lot of good skate documentaries out there but if there is one I can recommend above all others, it has to be this highly entertaining production about Steve Rocco. He was the mastermind behind several big skate companies, such as World Industries (in its golden age).

New York City is the iconic metropolis that represents inner-city skateboarding around the world. Southern California may have been the birthplace of skateboarding but NYC made it great, in my opinion. This film documents the history and evolution of skateboarding in this infinite place. In the debate of West Coast vs. East Coast, I’m all for East Coast skateboarding. People don’t skate perfect schoolyards or just jump down sets of stairs but rather they prowl the streets and make use of whatever they can find, constantly having to adapt to the changing environment. If you are a South African skateboarder and you complain about having no spots, go and watch East Coast videos and adopt the East Coast mentality.

Jason Jessee was a ramp champ in his day, one of the greats who could have been... but never was. His name is still held in high regard among certain circles but the man himself has had somewhat of a fall from grace.

His companies laid the foundation for the careers of some of today’s biggest names. The film takes the viewer back to a time when it seemed like anything was possible, highly subversive board graphics and comparative advertising were the norm. Young skate rats were making vast sums of money and with nothing more to do all day but ride a skateboard, this inevitably led to general chaos. The film also provides some info on the amazing ‘Big Brother’ skate magazine which pushed journalistic boundaries with the inclusion of all types of offensive yet humorous content. One particularly infamous article detailed ways to commit suicide. Steve Rocco just knew how to piss people off and he did it well. He became the industry’s great dictator but he kept it interesting. Personally, I think that internationally the industry could once again do with a little shake-up ‘Steve Rocco Style’. A lot of things seem to be a bit hurting or boring nowadays, particularly board graphics and extreme sports marketing. Steve left the industry after most of his young talent jumped ship to form the now great, Girl Skateboards. He did however manage to sell World Industries for several million US dollars.

The film is narrated by actress Chloë Sevigny of ‘Kids’ fame and tells stories such as the creation of companies like Zoo York and Shut Skates as well as making reference to interesting personalities such as Harold Hunter and Mark Gonzales. Plenty of young skateboarders are aware of Californian rippers who get big media attention but far too few are knowledgeable in terms of the amazing raw talent that exists in the city of New York. It’s not all about tricks because use of space, fluid movement and individual style are just as important.

your day. You either com pete in races or win contests by doing the best tricks. Locations are monstrous, good looking and range from The Alps to Siberia, Alaska, Africa, Antarctica, America and New Zealand to name a few, each offering their own unique flavour and list of courses. Wing-suiting is also one of the best parts of this game; hitting a huge gap then popping your wing-suit midway and gliding over a 500 meter chasm of death never seems to get boring although it can get somewhat challenging at times but that is what keeps you going back. Much like SKATE it’s a game that you can just play and play and play.... you get the point. 85%

old favorite MGS games from the past, BUT all in HD format. The disk contains 3 complete games: Metal Gear Solid Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater and Metal gear Solid Peace Walker which debuts on console for the first time being originally released for the PSP. Whether you are old or new to the MGS franchise this collection of games offers you a chance to experience the amazing gameplay, design and storytelling that made these games so legendary. One for the collection for sure! 90%

Win a copy EA Games are giving away 2 copies of SSX 60

of SSX

There are a bunch of good documentaries about the bizarre lives of skateboarders, another is the film about ‘Gator’, he used to roll with Tony Hawk but now he’s in jail for rape and murder. You owe it to skateboarding to watch some documentaries and learn a bit more about the history and culture of what you are now a part of. It’s not all Street League and video games.

Metal Gear Solid rates as one of the best gaming franchises of all time with MGS 4 rated as the best console game ever made. Hideo Kojima, the brains behind, MGS has now re-released a handful of your

I enjoy playing SSX mostly because it’s just good gaming fun. Bombing huge mountains littered with rails, monster gaps and jumps, while going a million miles an hour is a fun way to knock off a few hours in

Game reviews with Bod.

He could be a poster boy for the type of conflicted characters which skateboarding attracts. He suffers from extreme paranoia and is seemingly delusional. Since departing from the professional skate world he has enjoyed success in the world of hot rod motor vehicles and is known for his sketchily crafted motorcycles, from which he has gained a big following from eccentric fans in Japan. Jason is currently on the no-fly list for being a suspected terrorist. Check out this film to learn all the fascinating details of his unusual life.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of UFC, this game is pretty good as far as martial arts games go. I remember receiving the second one for a review a while back and hated it! The menu was overly complicated and I could never really get into the action, it seemed pretty dull and took to much effort to really enjoy. With UFC 3 they seem to have fixed all the bugs and the game is far more accessible to the novice player. UFC 3 has a solid tutorial which allows you to learn over 60 ball breaking moves fairly easily as well as having over 100 different fighters to knock the F...k out so things never really get that stale. Career mode is a fairly challenging one in the beginning making you feel pretty feeble against the overwhelming power of your opponents, however with a little time and patience you soon become hard as nails and kicking the shit out of your opponents becomes increasingly addictive. If you are a fan of the UFC and the previous games I highly recommend this one, it’s by far the best one in the franchise. 81%

TO WIN: In one sentence, tell us the funniest reason you want this game. The 2 most humorous answers win a copy. Email your answers to info@sessionmag.co.za along with your contact details, postal address and area code.

HOW YOUR MUSIC SHOULD SOUND

THE ALL NEW HESH THEOTIS BEASLEY //SKULLCANDY TEAM RIDER

Adrian Day opines on the various facets of skateboarding

Day’ s co r n e r

Never Be Satisfied

GARY M c NAUGHTON

Like all art forms, there is always room for improvement. What artist does not want to create a better piece? What musician does not want to write a better song? Sometimes it seems to me that skateboarding gets poisoned for some by the idea of sponsorship being some point of arrival. Like you’ve hit the ceiling and you’re the shit. Well, you ain’t nowhere, and sometimes it seems to me that skatepark heroism is a little out of hand.

Skateboarding has no goal post. You can never own it, you can never dominate it. There will always be a million better kids and in that sense skateboarding should be very humbling. In fact, skateboarding owns you, and can give you the ride of your life or can hand you your own ass. I guess my point is I sometimes see dudes with inflated opinions of themselves. I like confidence, I hate arrogance. But the point is how can you think you’re the shit if you are a million miles away from claiming anything, and in fact, something that’s unclaimable?

PHoto ben bergh

That’s also what keeps skateboarding sick and progressive. The goal is constantly running away from you, and your pursuit of it creates a journey, and that’s what must be remembered and realised. So, never be satisfied, always be humble. The pursuit of an artform has no finish line.

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