Session Magazine - Issue 66

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ISSUE 66

JUNE | JULY 2015

ON THE MISSION KZN | KHULU DLAMINI | BACKYARD POOLS

MIKEY TAYLOR \ SWITCH CROOKS \ BLABAC PHOTO DCSHOES.COM * DC Skate Collection ONLY available at Boardriders - CanalWalk , select Quiksilver stores & skate stores nationwide

enquiries: info@dcshoes.co.za

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66 DYLAN VAUGHAN WALLIE IN THE CT HARBOUR. PHOTO - SAM CLARK

CONTENTS 08 REDIAL 10 KETCHUP WITH JAMIE O’BRIEN 14 ON THE MISSION, KZN BATTLEFIELDS 36 DRAIN BRAIN, BACKYARD POOLS 46 KHULU DLAMINI, WHERE IS MY MIND? 56 RED BULL - UNLOCKED CAPE TOWN 58 SUPERBOWL SATURDAY 60 CLOSET ENVY 62 THE BIZNESS

FRONT COVER KHULU DLAMINI WALLRIDE NOLLIE POP OUT. PHOTO - SAM CLARK

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CABIN LOGO 7.7

RANGE SEAL LOGO 8

@ETHANLOY @ELEMENTSA @ELEMENTAFRICA ELEMENT SOUTH AFRICA

#ADIEASE

NESTOR JUDKINS BACKSIDE TAILSLIDE

adidas.com/skateboarding

Š 2014 adidas AG. adidas, the trefoil logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

REDIAL

Editors banter

OUR MISSION Skateboarding Media (especially skate magazines) has had to adapt in the past 10 or so years, to keep up with the everchanging way we get our daily skate stoke.

I don’t see Session as just a magazine, but rather as a bunch of dedicated skateboarders on a mission to bring you the best South African skate content, on a platform of your choice. Whether you choose to view Session online or in print, the options are all now there and available for everyone to enjoy and share freely! bod

Mclachlan

With so many options and platforms to choose from online, it’s almost impossible to compete in a free content market, so that’s why we have decided from this issue onwards to make Session FREE, yes FREE!

We will send out 3000 mags every 2 months to select doors around the country.

Check out the new stockist list at www. sessionmag.co.za. If you were too slow and didn’t manage to get off the couch and get a free copy or if you’re in a remote area then you can view it online via your phone, tablet or laptop, whilst also taking in a ton of other local and international skate content via the daily Session feed.

AD HENDERSON ON THE MISSION, NO COMPLY PIPE JAM TRANSFER, DEEP IN THE TROPICS.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

PHOTOGRAPHERS 66:

PHYSICAL ADDRESS:

Brendan Body

Sam Clark, Tim Moolman, Jansen van Staden, Grant Mclachlan, Tyrone Bradley, Clinton Cunha, Michael Clarke

Session Magazine, 2nd Floor, Earlgo Building, cnr. Kloof & Park Rd, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001.

WEB EDITOR / FINANCE

CONTRIBUTORS 66:

PRINTERS:

Luke Jackson

Brett Shaw, Ruan Scott

Paarl Media - Paarl

PHOTO EDITOR

SESSION SKATEBOARDING MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED INDEPENDENTLY 6 TIMES A YEAR. 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, ITS OWNERS OR ITS 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 A WARM PAIR OF EARS.

brendan@sessionmag.co.za ON THE MISSION

Adrian Henderson

info@sessionmag.co.za

Clint van der Schyf

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KETCHUP

Jansen van Staden

Faces and Places

ALAN MAROLA LENDING A HAND AND STACKING CLIPS AT THE SHRED, MANNIE TO NOSELBLUNT SLIDE. PHOTO - JANSEN VAN STADEN

THE SHRED WITH JAMIE O’BRIEN

WHAT IS THE SHRED AND HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME FOR IT? The Shred is an indoor skatepark based in Paarden Eiland, Cape Town. It will have a skate shop, coffee shop, Woodies Ramps workshop and offices that are still available if anyone is keen to rent? We are also looking into opening a bar and kitchen soon. Chippy came up with the name one night while drinking beers. He got online and registered it straight away and that was that.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING THE SPACE AND WHY YOU SETTLED WITH THIS SPACE? My partner Marc Baker and I have been looking for a place that can house all the things we want to do and by knocking out some walls and putting some up we were able to make the space work really well.

WHAT’S THE PARK SETUP LOOKING LIKE AND HAVE YOU HAD ANY OUTSIDE HELP OR ASSISTANCE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN? We are working on the 4ft high and 8-sheet wide mini and have collected obstacles from shoots and events over the past 2 years. Converse CONS and adidas have been kind enough to donate the obsta-

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cles we built for them as well. The plan is to have a constantly evolving park. We have mostly wooden obstacles but will be building some concrete soon, as we raise some money. Adam from capetownskateboarding.com is also helping us raise funds to go towards these changes.

We have also been lucky enough to have Cape Town Timbers come to the party and donate loads of wood.

WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED WITH YOU AT THE SHRED? Marc Baker is my business partner and long time friend. We have been sharing a space for over 5 years already and this has been the ultimate goal. Marc is a builder and has been able to transform this space for a fraction of the price. He has also been building ramps for years and been working at the X Games for California Skate Parks for 5 years. By my opinion he is the most qualified and knowledgeable person when it comes to building concrete parks. Our goal is to use this space to showcase our ramps and get some council jobs. Fran is also working with us and will be managing the park and shop. Don’t come and try to get a free session cause he’ll send you packing.

YOU ARE BUSY WITH A NEW THE SHRED WEBSITE, WHEN DOES IT GO LIVE AND WHAT CAN DUDES EXPECT TO FIND THERE? The site and logo is coming along and we hope to have it up soon. We want to be able to use it to show what we doing here in SA and that we do have a solid scene. As I’m a filmer, I will be shooting loads of clips and want to keep posting new edits every few weeks. We have been working on a photo story with Jansen and he has been capturing some great imagery of the development of the building.

WHAT LURKERS HAVE BEEN HELPING OUT WITH THE BUILD? A lot of the homies have been coming down and getting involved, that’s what we want to create, a place for us to build what we want, when we want it. This is not just some park, it’s our park and we can do whatever we want. Gotta love that!

WHEN DOES IT OFFICIALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WHAT’S THE ENTRY FEE PER SESSION? We don’t have an opening date just yet, too stressful to add that to the mix. More details coming soon!

© CLARK

USTRIES GARY WEARS THE “LEAF” TEE AND BUCKET HAT. SEE THE ENTIRE RANGE AT DOPEIND.COM

CONVERSE CONS CTAS PRO INSPIRED BY JASON JESSEE • SUEDE BACKED CANVAS •LUNARLON SOCK LINER • CONS TRACTION RUBBER

by Lieutenant AD Henderson (The Foot) Photos - Grant Mclachlan, Clinton Cunha

WE THOUGHT DURBAN WAS NEARLY DEAD. WE THOUGHT THAT THE MINIMAL COVERAGE AND THE EFFECT OF THE MASS EMIGRATION OF MANY DECORATED LEADERS WERE SIGNS OF A LOSING BATTLE. WE THOUGHT THERE WERE ONLY A HANDFUL OF SOLDIERS LEFT OUT THERE HOLDING THE FORT, WHILE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY FOCUSED ON THEIR OWN BATTLES. WE THOUGHT DURBAN WAS IN TROUBLE AND NEEDED REINFORCEMENTS… WE WERE WRONG.

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Clinton Cunha SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA | 15

Mclachlan

KHULE WILL GET OUT OF THE VAN AND KILL SPOTS QUICKLY, BACKSIDE 180 FAKIE NOSEGRIND.

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O

ur second #OnTheMission trip in association with Monster Energy teamed us up with the special forces in the form of General Andrew Morck and the DC Africa regiment, for a week long escapade around the city and further north into the unchartered territories of Kwazulu Natal and its towns that were once infamous for great Anglo-Boer War battles.

Myself (The Foot) and Lieutenant Joubert van Staden (J-Bae) led the Media Militia, joined by Head Scout James Watts (Jimmy Wong), Sergeant Craig Leak (The Unit) and Sniper Grant McLachlan (TinkTink aka Juicy J/Martha Stewart/Barbara Streisand/Meryl Streep/Frodo/Khule’s ‘white’ friend/cripple). Our mission was one of reconnaissance, to document and report back on just what in the blue blazers was happening on the East Coast. Rumours of their struggle had spread and while social media sources were claiming that they were indeed out there, the lack of communication and subsequent scarce coverage from within the city’s borders was beginning to worry the greater army. Rumours like these can be dangerous, especially in war. Uncertainty leads to questions, and questions lead to doubt, something no successful army can allow. A loss of faith in one contingent can destabilize additional camps, ultimately breaking down all the ‘skate and destroying’ occurring on a national level. We were tasked with reiterating the greater army’s faith in Durban, codenamed ‘Nabrud’, and doing all we could to assist them in fortifying their positions. A task that proved unnecessary.

JBae, TinkTink and I flew out from the West Coast headquarters at 06h00. We arrived safely in Nabrud and after quickly commandeering a vehicle, spent 5 hours doing absolutely nothing on a patch of grass, marvelling at a yellow insect, at the Durban airbase, while we waited for the rest to fly in.

“YOU LOOK LIKE A BEE STUNG YOUR FACE. OR LIKE YOU’RE WAITING TO GET YOUR EYELIDS TATTOOED.” - WONG TO GRANT WHILE HE’S TRYING TO SLEEP Eventually Wong, Corporal Gavin Adams (Moses), Sergeant Alan Marola and Captain Khule Ngubane disembarked and joined us as General Morck pulled up with our second vehicle. The General had brought The Princess (his daughter) along too, to initiate our mission, and she proceeded to bless their vehicle at the top of her lungs as we struck off to our first rendezvous.

The Mamba was behind enemy lines. We’d long heard the rumours of over-sized weaponry being employed, with futuristic protective gear and all-sorts of disastrous disciplines being allowed to run rampant down her twists and turns. We discovered she was indeed built by the rebel forces, but they had done so in no more than 3 weeks, an impressive feat by any account. We met the morning patrol with nerves on edge, only to find their welcome anything but antagonistic.

Sceptical at first, we soon discovered they were genuinely excited that we had decided to begin our assault at the barracks… “We’ve been waiting for you guys”, said Officer Troy to our surprise, “we haven’t had any of your troops here

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Mclachlan

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Clinton Cunha

Clinton Cunha

ALAN MAROLA FRONT BLUNTSLIDE TRANSFER.

to really test out the battlements.” Slightly confused, but filled with the excitement of battle we charged into The Mamba thinking it would be a walkover. How wrong we were. The bends and bumps were some of the gnarliest things we encountered on this mission. No laughing matter, despite the alien attire and equipment of the rebel forces. We set about striking off the trees and jumping the gaps that had never been done. There were a few casualties, most notably JBae attempting to flatten a tree with his bare hands, and Sargent Marola taking a hit as the speed at which the battle reached became almost too much. He fought on and made it through the entire run more than once, adjusting his tactics to mimic the slides and checks of the rebel forces.

High Commander Eben Combrink made it out to spectate over the battle, joining in towards the last stages, making us very unsure of who was on whose side. Captain Khule proved his persistent progression, combining a host of new manoeuvres to outwit The Mamba and push his notoriety into a more creative sphere. His teamwork with JBae linked a sneaky attack line that largely secured our victory. The battle wore us out with its addicted nature, beckoning us down again and again, but it acclimatised us nicely to the humidity of the region, as well as the speed at which further battles would be fought.

rades who were the ones to have discovered the site. They had set about fortifying it where they could with some banks and ramps, even including a gauntlet of a miniramp. We decided on the most prominent location and unpacked the candles. Captain Khule once again took to the forefront of the battle, with Sergeant Marola covering him. We were shortly celebrating and took to hoisting pieces of glass into the air and firing holes through them, not with our guns, but with rocks. Mr Wong and I dropped our guards somewhat to relish in the immaturity of successfully smashing a piece of glass at 6m in the air. The Princess watched this all with a hint of reproach but continued with her pacifier, quietly from a safe distance away and humouring our ways of keeping morale.

“IF YOU SLEEP ON A NEGATIVE ANGLE THEN YOU ONLY HAVE POSITIVE DREAMS” - SIMON TALKING ABOUT SLEEPING ON THE COUCH WITH LEGS IN THE AIR.

Mclachlan

Mclachlan

With our spirits high we hit a beaten track out to an abandoned battalion. The troops were expecting an ambush at any point when we arrived at the remains of what was once a slaughterhouse. Littered with rumble and pieces of Styrofoam from half destroyed make-shift walls, the building had some interesting battle spots. We were welcomed by a small force of com-

Surprises are always a cliched endeavour.

The first ambush arrived shortly after the abandoned slaughterhouse. Our regiment had split in two as the dusk drew near, opting to keep low profiles through decentralised sleeping arrangements. The Media Militia sat in the first hour of darkness at a table by the beach, having our first taste of the Nabrud delicacy known as ‘Bunny Chow’. We suddenly came to a realisation that we did not in fact have barracks for the night, or the next for that matter. ‘Twas’ only then we saw this ambush at all. We had seemingly been outsmarted by the streets. Once the ambush was revealed, we quickly implemented our contingency plans for such scenarios and immediately adopted an undercover operation. We set out to blend in at a bar in Florida Road. We blended in well. We blended in haaaaard. And when fellow rogue officers, Corporal Danny KGB and Captain Rocco appeared from nowhere with not only barracks offered, but also a pipe of peace, we blended in so

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hard it ended with the doors being closed behind us and no one suspecting we were anything more than a usual bunch of rowdy gentleman on a Saturday night, even if it was a Wednesday. We eventually bunked down, but not before the initiation of TinkTink into Mission Life was undertaken by our Head Scout, Wong. A roasting of a modern kind was successfully endured and the night eventually called.

with now knobbed benches and silver ‘up-and-across’ flat bars. The troops were rallying around some strategic videos as we arrived back and we shortly departed to take up arms at the park. The DC Regiment arrived and we fought for a good few hours, documenting as much as we could of each individual’s attacks, before heading off to a scheduled training camp for the afternoon.

An early mission was deployed to collect The Unit from the airfield the following morning and once again the streets attempted to slow down our progress. Thousands of civilians had taken to their vehicles to get to their own battlefields and we were caught in the midst of it. The Unit was patient and kind enough to commandeer some caffeinated beverages when we met him at the airfield, and soon we returned to our temporary barracks. We had learned the previous night that Corporal KGB was part of the underground militia many have heard of but few understand.

His barracks reflected the dedication to the visual art of war, and as we proved our own legitimacy on the battlefields, so we became more privy to information about the current foundation and network of the Nabrud Militia.

As the troops were already riding on a high of successful battles, the training camp was met with a little resistance. To slow the energy down now was difficult and other distractions were beckoning. Thankfully the instructors and participants were few and the troops set off for more traditional cuisine, before venturing out into the beachside battles most of us had been anticipating more than anything. Our timing was impeccable as we arrived at the diner, while a certain Happy Chappy Chikka was well into her second half-dozen brews for the afternoon. Her antics, accent and vivacious nature kept the troops highly entertained, boosting the morale even further. Thankfully, the situations that the woman was suggesting were not to be followed through and after some decent nourishment we resumed our mission at another notorious Nabrud battleground. Moses, The Unit, Marola and Captain Khule took the place apart, one blow at a time. Onlookers stopped to stare, clap and cheer as they rifled through their various arsenals. The Media

“WE ONLY EAT TWICE A DAY...

WE DRINK THE WHOLE DAY” - AD ON THE TOPIC OF BEER.

Our sloppy navigation returning back to basecamp had taken us past a notorious battlefield. An endless expanse of open field, cut by a winding tarmac dotted

LIEUTENANT HENDERSON HAS WALLIE POWER!

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Mclachlan Mclachlan

KHULE FRONTSIDE MAMBA SWEAPS A TREE IN THE BALLITO JUNGLE.

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Mclachlan Mclachlan

JAY BESAANS IS A DURBAN OG AND THE MASTERMIND OF THE BATTLEFIELDS MISSION, POLE JAM FAKIE.

Militia had their hands full, resulting in TinkTink missing a glorious switch attack from Moses. With this, his first official coup into the field, he was pardoned of his shortcomings. Yet one could see he was adamant not to be beaten again.

The day drew dark unnaturally early and plans were put into motion to prepare for the following day’s mission. We were to embark on the trip out from the city centre, into the rarely visited and wholly untouched spots of greater Natal. As we stopped to collect supplies, Colonal KGB’s vehicle was sabotaged, leaving a group somewhat stranded until it repaired itself.

Unit, TinkTink and I went ahead to pack up the barracks while Wong and JBae remained with KGB to wait out the repairs – obviously needing to go undercover once again, so as not to be seen. Thankfully they did not blend in too well this time and we reunited at the barracks a few hours later. Our next battle was to successfully fit all our luggage into the vehicle. We masterfully packed and repacked it and through nothing short of a miracle, we were soon ready to depart. Our destination was the private home of Major Jay Besaans, the humble leader of the Nabrud Militia. The invitation was received with extreme reverence on our part. The Major and his family were too kind and hospitable for words, even gracing us with more rations then we knew what to do with. His enthusiasm and outlook on our lifestyles was contagious and we sat talking and watching Traffic videos late into the night.

your help did not go unappreciated by all who benefitted from it. As we eagerly awaited the DC Regiment we welcomed another legend to the mission in the form of Prof. Commander Simon Stipcich. Fresh off a 2 month sabbatical, The Prof. was as excited as ever to join our ranks. He was positively brimming with eagerness and it was infectious. He and Wong had been battling together for years and the energy they created was a special kind of motivation to the otherwise reserved crew.

Having packed up and fuelled up we attempted to engage at a truck stop as a warm up for what was to come. We’d only just begun with the candles and a few shots to the bank when the streets sent out their top dog. As we attempted to stand him off, the words and powers proved just too much to waste resources on. We called it off in favour of better rewards and set out for Pietermaritzburg.

“NOTHING WILL COST YOU MORE IN YOUR LIFE THAN YOUR OWN DICK” - JAY ON THE TOPIC OF BECOMING A PARENT.

Our envoy was headed by Major Jay’s speedy Tazz. Together with Sniper Clinton Cunha they had mapped out the route through various excursions and via online topographical researching. Various other sources contributed information to the success of the mission. You can be assured 22 | SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA

Civilians ran amok at the first battle we happened upon. A perfect setting of benches overrun with bodies is a frustrating scene. We retreated once again, despite a few solid tactical attacks. Major Jay had a possible battle that needed a little groundwork and scouting to assess its worthiness. After a few bold attempts at it, the wall proved unbattle-able. A few skirmishes were had on the surrounding angle slabs but with the body count not abating, despite the public holiday, we made the difficult call to head out to Ladysmith and closer to our barracks for the night. Before we could head off, The Prof. spied an interesting objective. A road sign alongside a too-supported slab of concrete sent him flying into a 4 lane road.

He persevered for a while, even after conquering the airstrike. He aimed to achieve a smoother execution, but to no avail.

Maritzburg wasn’t providing us with very

SIMON STIPCICH KICKFLIP BOARDSLIDES ON THE FAVOURITE SPOT OF THE MISSION.

Mclachlan

much so we aborted the search and set out for Ladysmith. Thankfully she had more than a few tasty battles for the hungry troop. Despite drug-ladled civilians and overly interested homeless people, we took charge of the battleground that the town offered and ended up battling into the darkness. Thankfully we were prepared for the situation with two high-powered spotlights. Their only drawback was that they needed human stands, resulting in some arm aches for a few of the crew. The Unit battled a high rail as the cold crept in, taking the challenge on single-handedly. He pulled it off in the dying seconds of the allocated time and we packed up jubilantly to venture the last stretch to our barracks for the weekend.

We weren’t done for the day as we unpacked at the Newcastle basecamp. General Morck treated us to a fine chicken establishment before Major Jay rallied us all out into the cold at a deserted parking lot. With one of the best pushing attacks I’ve ever witnessed he claimed his victory after taking numerous blows. The veteran showed unbeatable determination in accomplishing SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA | 23

Mclachlan

the task at hand and warmed us all with his valiant efforts. With his clip locked and loaded we called it a night and retired back to base. Sleeping arrangements were haphazardly arranged on whatever floor space was available and we bedded down to the hilarious adaptation of an FHM interview with two british pornstars performed immaculately by Jimmy Wong and The Prof. Their high-pitched voices and faked accents had us in stitches, until we all eventually passed out.

streets. When the smoke cleared we had extracted more than a few attacks and spirits were rising fast. With very little left in the small town to satisfy our thirst for blood we opted to return to Newcastle and seek out what we could. As the crew split into three groups to scout various locations, we covered a vast amount of ground and stumbled upon a gem of a battlefield.

Untouched, virgin territory does wonders for a dwindling crew morale and we had soon completely taken over the set of stairs and rail.

The battleground was thankfully undercover and lit exceptionally well, allowing for The Prof, Captain Khule and Moses to really unleash their strongest attacks. A group of onlookers, indulging in every from of illegality at the spot, were treated to an astounding display of manoeuvres. Wong managed to educate them in the ways of battle so that their applause and cheers were kept until the attack had played out and not as the troops were setting up. With the distractions subdued, we claimed that battle as the most successful, even with one broken armament and more than

Mclachlan

We were met by disappointment as the battlegrounds we expected to find had been adapted to avoid any further conflicts. Not to be outdone, the crew set about repurposing the spot, finding alternate lines and ways in which to battle the

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Mclachlan

At 06h30 Major Jay was ringing the wake up bells and bribing the troops awake with steaming coffee and harsh words.

The excitement of what the day had in store was growing as we packed up what we needed for the day and set off for the small establishment of Dundee.

Mclachlan

“PIET RUNS THIS AFRICA SHIT” - GRANT ON SEEING SO MANY ‘PIET’S WHOLESALERS’ OR ‘PIET’S OFFICE SUPPLIES’ OR ‘PIET’S TAKEAWAYS’.

THIS COULD BE A POSTCARD, “HI MOM, AT THE BEACH, LOVE CRAIG� BACKSIDE HEELFLIP.

a few hits being taken by the crew. A celebration at the nearest American indian diner was enjoyed before we returned to base to enjoy yet another theatrical production

by Wong and The Prof, this time posing as two welsh lassies catching up about love, parties and unorthodox versions of reality. Major Jay was surely regretting hiding the FHMs. Our final leg of the excursion was a long haul to the town of Empangeni, 160kms north east of Nabrud central. The drawn out passage brought us to a little establishment that was dotted with possible conflicts. Most notorious of these was a double kinked rail, clearly completely untouched.

With the troops still drained from the drive and early start, none were up to the challenge of battle at any of these locations and much to my disappointment we left them as they were, hopefully for future recruits to test their mettle on. In hindsight, the skipping of these battles proved permissible as Empangeni had more than enough to offer the crew. So much so that we were at odds with what to attempt. A first for this crew of talented combatants.

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Clinton Cunha

Clinton Cunha

Mclachlan

A hubba was spotted and attempted, but the authorities at this battleground were well prepared for our onslaught and we were forced to abandon the fight before the crew had even got into their rhythm. This led to a lengthy battle at a brick wallride for Head Scout Wong and myself. I managed to prevail but Wong took an enormous hit and was forced to retreat from the fight. The rest of the crew chose to remain in support instead of venturing off for other battles and it resulted in a decision to seek out a prime ditch battle that had been recommended by a colleague of Major Jay. With no sureties that the battle was even possible, we struck out with blind hope and prayers that it would materialise.

Our contingency was to at least make the training grounds of Richard’s Bay should the ditch battle not work out, but we arrived to a perfect setting.

Perpendicular ditches provided two

ent behind the lens. He proved this yet again towards the end of the battle as Marola launched a blindingly fast line to slay what was left of the ditch. We were exhausted but overjoyed at the find, as we scoured the landscape back to our vehicles.

At this point Major Jay and company had to bid us farewell as duty called back at their home bases. We parted with great sadness and endless gratitude. The rest of us were to continue on to Richard’s Bay in hopes of a few more battles before returning to Nabrud central. With General Morck leading our convoy, we arrived presently in the region and rolled up to yet another gem of a battlefield.

This one had endured previous encounters but for the most part had withstood the attacks. With darkness surrounding us, and civilians coming and going, Moses and Captain Khule let loose an almost unfair bombardment on the silvery goodness. Aided by the light stands of

“THIS IS THE MOST I’VE READ IN YEARS!” - WONG READING THE FHM SEX COLUMN ALOUD. heavy hips for our assailants to leave their mark on. And leave their mark they certainly did. Casualties abounded as Marola, Moses and Captain Khule took the fight head on. Most notably lost however, was TinkTink’s secondary light source, due to an abortion of an attack I launched. As instigator of the mission the weight of this loss bore heavily on my psyche. With a few days left we had no choice but to make do with just one light source in documenting the battles. I endeavoured to make up for my mistakes by launching a counterattack that proved successful, thanks to JBae’s unnatural tal-

Wong and General Morck, they were successful in every attack they mustered. TinkTink was losing his mind covering them, taking hits himself in the process. Without his secondary light source, his battle was by far the toughest, as our two comrades charged through the conflict. By the time the authorities arrived to call a truce we were all too happy to agree. We had captured that flag ten-fold over and saw no need to further humiliate the opponents. We bid them farewell and took a sedate trip out to the training facility that we hoped was illuminated.

Clinton Cunha

DODGING POTHOLES AND DOING NOSEPICKS, LIEUTENANT HENDERSON GOT THAT SHIT ON LOCK.

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CRAIG LEAK COLLECTING POSTCARDS AND CHASING PIGEONS, FRONTSIDE BLUNTSLIDE AT MOSES MABHIDA STADIUM .

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Mclachlan SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA | 29

The joy of a well-built training facility is a special kind of reward after a hard-fought excursion. Moses went a little overboard in his effortless combination of practice attacks as the relief that the facility did indeed have lights inspired us all to get warmed up in the late evening air. A few locals had the pleasure of witnessing the crew’s unashamed destruction of the facility before we were forced to call it a night and return back to Nabrud central. This stop was certainly a highlight for the out-of-towners that had not had the privilege of experiencing its well-laid infrastructure. We could easily have remained there another night, had our itinerary allowed.

Back in the city, the search was on the following day to visit the few remaining locations on the list. We briefly stopped at the infamous stadium and we took some target practice on the marble surface.

The Unit was ecstatic at finally getting the chance to test out the renowned battlegrounds. His flair and agility matched the solid and

Mclachlan

smooth setting, so we let him take charge while the rest of us potted a few shots here and there. We promised to return that night as we had a rendezvous at the Murth ramp scheduled. Commander Ballie Bruce graciously accepted us as we arrived at his private battlegrounds, which included not only the Murth ramp but also a beautifully designed pool. JBae and Wong displayed their special talents in charging the face of this pool and were joined by master builder Major Dave De Witt (Triple D) in annihilating the transitions.

The DC Regiment arrived and proceeded to take their battles to the Murth ramp in full force. Moses damn-near burned it to the ground as he unleashed another onslaught of trickery. Captain Khule covered his assault to a large extent and then joined the forces in the pool too. Having never really tested his transitional skills on such a field, he managed to successfully pull out more than a few lines. Major Dave however sunk the nail in the coffin with a full out attack that we managed to capture in all its picturesque glory. Even the hounds were celebrating as the smoke cleared and we surveyed the remains. With that battle well and truly claimed, the crew set out once

Mclachlan

“ARE YOU OPEN TO A BRIBE?� - SIMON TO TRUCK-STOP OWNER.

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LEAK ON A MISSION, POPPED FRONTSIDE NOSELIDE WITH STEEZE. again and returned to the stadium for some after dark skirmishes. The Cloudy Battalion joined us along with Major Jay and Corporal KGB as we witnessed the finesse of The Unit, Moses and Captain Khule. Time was however not on our side and we were forced to retreat to our new base for the night.

Our host and hostess are to be unequivocally honoured for offering us their homestead on which to make camp. With a murderous hound as protection and an abundance of nourishment and comfortable dwellings, our beaten bodies were rejoicing in their generosity. After a decent meal and even more decent night’s sleep we took to our second last day with a refreshed craving for destruction. The Unit took precedence at many of the prolific battle-

grounds we sought out that day. We were also blessed by the high commanders with the secret location of 3 dry and battle-able pools. Officers Soozy and Nderitu were waiting as we arrived at the 10ft fence surrounding the location. Two large bull terriers guarded the grounds but were persuaded to allow us entry with various snacks and varying degrees of attention. With our energy levels depleted and experience in the large transitions of pool skating not quite matching our enthusiasm, the battles were unfortunately meagre and we were forced to leave somewhat empty-handed. Not before entertaining the adjacent playschool children with our ‘catty’ firing skills as we took turns smashing bottles from the shallow-end. We expected to be reprimanded but on the contrary were left to enjoy the wins and losses of the target practice.

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KHULE NGUBANE BACKSIDE SMITH - PHOTO GRANT MCLACHLAN

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SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA | 33

Mclachlan

Having been unable to launch a full assault on the ICC on a previous night, we returned there in mid-afternoon to see what could be mustered. The Unit, Soozy and Nderitu successfully managed their battles before the authorities descended and we found ourselves battling both the streets and time, as The Unit perservered for his win. Soozy focused all his efforts on blocking the ensuing security, managing to subdue them for a great deal of time before they broke through our defences. We faked defeat and surrender, quietly packing up our things as the security backed off, believing themselves to be successful. However, as soon as they were out of range we resumed our assault and The Unit took his victory in a few minutes. The taste of victory was sweet and inspired Wong to test our luck with a battle of his own. He walked away with at least one victory of his own before we eventually cleared the area.

All-in-all the battlefields of Nabrud proved more glorious than we had ever anticipated. We had ventured forth to discover what was happening on the east coast and we had wholeheartedly ascertained that the troops and militias were holding down their forts perfectly well, without the greater army’s interference. They are simply underground, blending in beautifully to the point that they become almost unnoticed, but when their mettle is tested, they prove to be some of the most ruthless soldiers we have on our side. The battlefields contain more interesting and beautifully crafted spots than anywhere else in the country and we are sure that with this reconnaissance mission now concluded, the fire and intensity with which the battle rages on in Nabrud is only going to burn brighter and brighter. It’s this officer’s opinion that Nabrud as an outpost should be visited and explored far more than it has been in recent years. For all you are and all you have done for us, we salute you Durban.

Mclachlan

We took our last day very much more relaxed. It had been a hard and long excursion on the east coast and as it drew to a close we knew our bodies had given all they could. We returned to the stadium one more time at the request of The Unit and made a point to indulge in one last ‘Bunny Chow’ before returning to the airfields to fly out.

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Clinton Cunha

Clinton Cunha

Over and out.

MOSES GOT OUT OF THE VAN AND DESTROYED STUFF, OBVIOUSLY? KICKFLIP A STEEP ASS HIP.

“YOU’VE GOT A BAD ATTITUDE” – TRUCK-STOP OWNER.

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Moolman

DAVE MAKES SUNGLASSES OUT OF OLD SKATEBOARDS AND CAN FRONTSIDE ROCK THE SHIT OUT OF ANYTHING, HE’S RAD!

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DRAIN BRAIN Moolman

BACKYARD POOLS

TRUE BACKYARD POOL SKATING IS RARE IN SA AND THEREFORE IT’S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE WE HAD ANY SORT OF SOLID LOCAL POOL SKATING FEATURE ON THE PAGES OF SESSION. BRETT SHAW IS THE GO-TO-GUY IN SA FOR ANYTHING TO DO WITH POOLS. WE RECEIVED A SOLID PHOTO OF HIM SHREDDING A RECENT FIND, FROM DURBAN PHOTO-VETERAN PABLO. BRETT RECKONED HE COULD GET MORE AND WE WERE DOWN! HE AMASSED A CREW OF MERRY MEN AND SET OUT ON A POOL MISSION, WITH TIM MOOLMAN BEHIND THE LENS. THE FOLLOWING FEATURE DOCUMENTS BRETT’S LONG-TIME POOL OBSESSION AND WHAT WENT DOWN ON THIS MISSION. PHOTOS - TIM MOOLMAN, PABLO PONZONE WORDS - BRETT SHAW

“IT’S AS SIMPLE AS THIS, IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A SKATEBOARDER AND YOU HAVE NOT SKATEBOARDED A POOL YET, YOU SUCK...”

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Moolman

Moolman

NKOSI DLAMINI HAS ONE OF THE BEST POOLS IN HIS BACKYARD, THIS AIN’T IT. OLLIE FROM THE DECK, OVER THE LOVE SEAT, AND INTO THE TRANNY.

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T

Moolman

Moolman

he White Horse Inn pool was 90 degrees, as pool, Banana bowl, Witch bowl, Clover pool, square as a library monitor. We siphoned Swanky pool and Plectrum pool were all full of that MoFo with this dude named Fizz-bomb’s memories for me. Whoever finds it gets to name it.

Mom’s hosepipe. I remember sucking the pipe so hard that I farted. It took 5 It’s as simple as this - if you considdays to empty it, we checked it every er yourself a skateboarder and you “POOL day after school and spent a whole have not skateboarded a pool yet Saturday with 10 dudes bailing it with SKATEBOARDING then you suck and may whatever buckets… and it was square. We were IS LIKE A DISEASE God you believe in, have mercy on devastated but we learnt to check the your soul.

AND IT RUNS transition with a stick the next time. Everyone has to start somewhere. So we DEEP IN YOUR Pool skateboarding is like a disput our launch ramp in the deep end ease and it runs deep in your veins.

VEINS.” and did wallrides. There have been There’s something killer about find100 odd pools over the last 29 years ing, draining and doing something and every pool always feels like the first time. Fat on tranny that’s impossibly steep. Pool skating is deep ones, skinny with thin coping, tight, mellow, kind of like the street skateboarding of transition, one with red tiles, love seats, death boxes, smooth because pools aren’t ‘meant’ to be skated. You and rough. The Innes road pool had a huge crack have to open your mind up so that you can unlock in the deep end, Ernie pool, Blackjack bowl, Grass the gnarly pockets.

BRETT WROTE THIS ARTICLE WHILE FLYING TO SOUTH AMERICA TO FILM IN THE JUNGLE FOR NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, HE’LL PROBABLY FIND A POOL THERE TOO, SIGNATURE HURRICANE.

Moolman

“RICH NEIGHBOURHOODS HAVE POOR PEOPLE AND POOR NEIGHBOURHOODS HAVE RICH PEOPLE”.

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Moolman

SPARROW GLIDES HIMSELF INTO A BACKSIDE SMITH, GNARLY SHIT FOR A STREET URCHIN.

Moolman

I

t’s like a pendulum, you have to wind it up like a clock to generate enough speed to hit the coping or carve around the stairs. No speed then no trick and pushing inside the pool is like kissing your granny with your tongue.

Moolman

TINK IS NO STRANGER TO THE CRETE, BLUNT FAKIE WITH THE HELP OF HIS LEFT HAND.

We scouted this one pool at 1am and while we were lying in the tall grass this security guard dropped a turd 5 meters away from us and wiped twice with a KFC serviette. Once we hid in a shed for 2 hours while we waited for the cops to go.

We’ve found beds, car windscreens, dead rats and even a live prawn. There is decay even in the most expensive neighbourhoods. One thing we have learnt over the years is that rich neighbourhoods have poor people and poor neighbourhoods have rich people. Andrew Morck got the ball rolling on this mission, he was watching Carte Blanche and he saw this article on these abandoned houses.

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Ponzone

“FAT DEEP ONES, SKINNY WITH THIN COPING, TIGHT, MELLOW, ONE WITH RED TILES, LOVE SEATS, DEATH BOXES, SMOOTH AND ROUGH.”

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GETTING A FRONTSIDE GRIND IN THIS POOL IS GNARLY, BRETT KNOWS HOW.

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Moolman

Moolman

“ALL THOSE POOLS WITH ALL THOSE DEFECTS WERE JUST PERFECT, THATS EXACTLY HOW WE WANTED IT.”

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Moolman

WHEN YOU ARE OLDER YOU KNOW HOW TO DO PROPER LAYBACK GRINDS JUST LIKE DAVE.

as steep as an ironing board propped up on the side of the highway, but Tink, Sparrow and DDD all got some. Nkosi ollied with that Dlamini steeze into the deep end and landed in the tiles. That was rad!

All those pools with all those defects were just perfect, that’s exactly how we wanted it. It’s all about putting yourself in a situation where you can experience something different with your bros. Who did what, where and where doesn’t seem that important when you are having fun. It’s more about driving through thunderstorms and eating fried chicken on the side of the road. Destroying a new board in 3 hours and watching your bro hit the tiles for the first time. Going for your trick while everyone poolside is doing a slow clap, getting sunburnt and the dust that turns to mud on your sweaty body. The faster you go the more you bleed and blood means you did it right. Every pool is unique and that’s why we hunt them. It’s a lucky packet and you’ll never know if you don’t drain it.

Moolman

A few whatsapps, a quick Google Earth search and a call to the Cloudy Brothers… it was on! Then Nico sent me a message to say they had a pool in Klerksdorp. A call to VANS and it was on - 1400km, 3 Days, 6 pools and 2 solid crews. Dave de Witt and I will drop everything for a good pool, and we did. Bruce has been frothing for a pool mission so we had to take him. Tim had been talking to me about riding a pool for ages so that was the Klerksdorp posse. Nico and Hartmut met us in Klerksdorp and the Cloudy brothers were down for Durban, Kalvyn took some time off from selling cars and Danny gave Nkosi the day off, so all in all there were 20 dudes all frothing for some steep tranny. And the Skate Gods granted our steep tranny wish because shit, some of them were steep. The Klerksdorp pool was virtually un-skateable. Of the Durban ones, some had big holes in the deep end, lady finger coping and the one looked like a suppository, it felt like one too when you slammed. The one with the love seat was

A COLOURFUL SPARROW IN BLOOM, FRONTSIDE NOSEBONE.

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KHULU DLAMINI

WHERE IS MY MIND?

Khulu is a real character, always joking and always smiling.

He’s one of those faces that everyone ‘knows’, but not many know all that much about him. He’s no stranger to the party, both day and night, he’s always out on the town. He possesses enviable style and ability on a skateboard. He never really seems to try all that hard, because it seems to come naturally to him. He is often able to adapt to the most awkward of spots with his unorthodox combination of wallies and big snaps.

This interview is long overdue, we finally got to sit down with Khulu to find out more.

Sam Clark

PHOTOS - Sam Clark, Jansen van Staden and Michael Clarke Interview - Bod

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FRONTSIDE BOARDSLIDE.

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HOW DID YOU GET INTO SKATEBOARDING? I got into skateboarding through my older brother. He started going to his friend’s place to skate and slowly Nkosi and I followed, since then I’ve been hooked.

YOU ARE FROM DURBAN RIGHT, TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE GROWING UP THERE AND YOUR EARLY DAYS OF SKATEBOARDING? Durban was wild. So much was going on at that point when I started getting into skateboarding properly. All of the contests that were taking place, pros from the states being on tours there. At that point I saw that I really wanted to keep skating, to see how far I get with it.

My brothers and I would build our own little skatepark with the wood that was lying around the house, if we couldn’t go to Wave House. I used to wake up every weekend at 8 and by 9:00 we’d be at Wave House, and leave the skatepark around 10pm.

HOW MANY OF YOUR BROTHERS SKATE AND HOW DID THEY INFLUENCE YOUR SKATEBOARDING? Three of us skate and I’m not sure if our little brothers carried on, because if we’re not in Durban they loose interest and end up getting into something else. It was great always having two brothers to skate with. We would always push ourselves to learn and hype each other up, I wouldn’t skate the way I do if it wasn’t for them, all the hours we put in at Wave House.

Sam Clark

YOU LIVE IN CAPE TOWN NOW - WHY DID YOU MOVE HERE AND HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE THE TWO? Well there was no actual plan to move here at first. So what happened was that Kanya (Spani) and I had flown down from Joburg to come and skate the Ultimate X contest and spend some time with Siya for the week, but that ended up being a month. Within the first week of being back in Durban I was chatting with Kanya about slowly making our move down here. Homie was down so I just booked my ticket and left.

“DURBAN WAS WILD MAN CAUSE SO MUCH WAS GOING ON AT THAT POINT WHEN I STARTED GETTING INTO SKATEBOARDING PROPERLY.”

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FRONTSIDE FLIP.

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EAST COAST OR WEST COAST? East coast and West coast.

WHERE ARE YOU WORKING AT THE MOMENT? I’m working at the RVCA shop at Gardens Centre in the city bowl.

YOUR KNEE IS MESSED UP RIGHT NOW, WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW LONG YOU DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BE DOWN FOR? Yeah which is such a fucking bummer cause it was at the skatepark. Justus asked me to do a back D on the metal quarter, so I did, but I didn’t lock and went into back noseblunt. I was falling back in but my foot got hooked on the coping and just like that - my knee twisted inwards. I’ve been off the board for the past month because I want it to heal properly for my time in Germany.

“I LAST SAW ELENA ON THE 22ND OF DECEMBER, SO YOU KNOW I’VE BEEN ON A DROUGHT SINCE SHE’S BEEN BACK IN GERMANY.” YOU ARE GOING TO GERMANY FOR A FEW MONTHS TO VISIT YOUR GIRLFRIEND - YOU GOT PLANS FOR SKATE MISSIONS? Yeah man too hyped for that mission to happen. Been missing her loads, I last saw Elena on the 22nd of December. You know I’ve been on a drought since she’s been back in Germany, so I’m dying to see her. Going to be heading to Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland to meet up with all the skaters and homies that have moved that side. Can’t wait to skate all those amazing spots out there.

Sam Clark

DLAMINI SKATES A LOT OF CONTESTS, WHERE AS YOU DON’T SEEM THAT FAZED ABOUT THEM, WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON SKATING CONTESTS LIKE STREET LEAGUE AND KDC? I still like skating contests but I just like having more fun while skating them. I think it’s good that Street League and KDC are having those contests. Those comps open a lot of doors for people that weren’t known in the skate industry. It’s fucking rad that they can put up that much money for skate contests, they are helping out skaters in a big way.

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WHO HOOKS YOU UP? adidas, RVCA, Element, Dakine, Von Zipper and Baseline Skate Shop.

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT GOING ON TOUR WITH ADIDAS? It has to be the places we have gone to, for sure. We never repeat the same places and there is a huge amount of work put in to make these trips possible.

You’re well taken care of, got family and friends on tour. Thanks Pieter for making it all possible.

YOUR CHOICE: A) PIETER OR YANN SKATEBOARDING? B) PIETER OR YANN IN A BAR FIGHT? A) Both, cause they have such different styles and the spots they choose can only be skated by them, cause that shit is gnarly.

B) Yann, hands down, he’s a mad man for sure.

DO PEOPLE EVER TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE TOO TALL FOR SKATEBOARDING AND SHOULD PLAY BASKETBALL RATHER, WHAT’S THE WORST TALL JOKE YOU GET? Not as much from the skate side, just people from school, but I had people from this party at a place called Mzoli’s in Gugulethu calling me Michael Jordan throughout the whole party. “You’re so tall that it takes you two days to hit the ground when falling over.”

“YOU’RE SO TALL THAT IT TAKES YOU TWO DAYS TO HIT THE GROUND WHEN FALLING OVER.” YOU SKATE WITH DONOVYN FROM BASELINE A LOT, HOW DID YOU GUYS BECOME SUCH PALS AND WHAT’S A USUAL SKATE MISSION TOGETHER? I was hanging out at the shop all the time and ‘Donowitz’ was always hyped to go skating, so since then I’ve gotten to know him and his other friends a lot better. Which is cool cause I’ve learnt to skate spots that I would’ve never looked at as spots at all.

YOU’RE EITHER SKATEBOARDING OR PARTYING, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO THAT LIST THAT YOU ARE INTO, OR HAVE PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE? Skate, partying, work and travels to Germany real soon. I’m gonna see how the trip goes and I’ll slowly know about what my future plans will be.

YOU DON’T HAVE ANY PARTICULAR CREW, RIGHT? Nope, I just skate with whoever is down to skate on the day or just mission through the city and have fun.

That’s skateboarding.

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Michael Clarke

WHY DO YOU AND YOUR BROTHER ALWAYS GO OUT WITH GERMAN GIRLS? We were just meant to be together, something we can’t fight.

OLLIE.

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Jansen van Staden

FRONTSIDE FEEBLE.

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YOU DON’T SMOKE WEED, BUT YOU DO DRINK, IS THAT CORRECT? I used to smoke weed once upon a time, but that shit just slows me down. I’ve got too much energy to be high. Yes I drink but not as much as I used to when I got to Cape Town. I guess I’m growing up and don’t like drinking as much as I was in my early 20s anymore.

TELL US A FUNNY PARTY STORY ABOUT KANYA? A long time ago this fool used to pick up drinks at parties, so I told him one night after partying that shit is gonna catch up with him. So the following weekend we went out to Assembly and the fool decided he’s gonna pick drinks from the cleaner’s crate. The next thing I remember was waking up for a skate and he couldn’t move at all, cause he had picked up a spiked drink. Siya and I just left him the whole day but when we got back he told us he hadn’t even gone for a piss.

WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPHERS TO SHOOT WITH? Sam Clark and Jansen van Staden.

TELL US ABOUT THE LEGENDARY POOL AT YOUR HOUSE IN DURBAN, WHO KILLS THAT THING THE MOST? All I can say really say is that the pool has seen a lot of shit go down and been fucked up by everyone. Nkosi has been skating the pool the most. All I ever did in it was a rock and roll, and just carve.

THANKS? Thank you Session Magazine for making the interview possible and my sponsors for all the hook-ups through the years.

Elena Maria Irnsperger for being such an amazing girlfriend, Dlamini, Nkosi, Yann, Pieter, Leon, Justin Leslie, Dennis, Spice, Lani, Dani, Wong, the van Staden brothers and everyone that has helped me out in Cape Town.

“I JUST SKATE WITH WHO EVER IS DOWN TO SKATE ON THE DAY OR JUST MISSION THROUGH THE CITY AND HAVE FUN.”

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PAYDAY

Contests and events.

RED BULL ‘UNLOCKED’ 2015 - CT SKATEBOARDING HAS ITS ROOTS IN REBELLION AND WHO BETTER TO REBEL AGAINST THAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT? THEY OBSTRUCT THE TRUE ESSENCE OF SKATEBOARDING - BEING ABLE TO HIT THE STREETS. BUT WHEN ‘THEY’, ALONG WITH RED BULL, ALLOW YOU TO SKATE A FORBIDDEN SPOT, WELL THEN YOU’VE GOT TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE. EVEN IF IT’S JUST FOR THE DAY. Red Bull launched their ‘Unlocked’ series of skate events in 2013 across three South African cities. An initiative where Red Bull aims to make select skate spots ‘bust free’ for a day. Durban was first in 2013 and Johannesburg followed in 2014. This year it was Cape Town that hosted the third event.

The Provincial Administration building outside Hellen Zille’s (Premiere of the Western Cape) office was the spot to be unlocked. Check out photos of Helen Zille and Moses Adams shredding together - online. Kudos to her for being a sport.Skaters were welcomed to a solid setup of stairs and short handrails, with

MOSES KICKFLIP INTO FIRST PLACE. 56 | SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA

some added ledges to the entrance hall of this authoritative base. Lines were the order of the day.

I am a sucker for sentiment, so when Moses Adams and his brother Allan Adams took first and second place, my heart swelled with stoke. This was their first podium finish together. Let’s hope it doesn’t turn into a Tas and Ben Papas situation….

The win at this event also bagged an ‘Unlocked’ hat-trick for Moses, as he also previously claimed victory in Durban and Johannesburg. A skate workshop was held by Africa Skate for the beginners,

“HELEN ZILLE SAID WE COULD SKATE , TAKE IT UP WITH HER.” JUSTUS BACKSMITH.

WORDS - RUAN SCOTT PHOTOS - TYRONE BRADLEY / RED BULL CONTENT POOL

and the groms pulled in thick. I love these little champs. We all ‘sucked’ at a stage and can all relate, so if you are over 16 and hating on grooms, then fuck you!

Vans pulled into the event and hosted a best trick. Anton Roux dropped a cab biggerspin and claimed the cash money.

Besides the house DJ, it was another great day in skateboarding. Hungry bellies were filled and Red Bull flowed like the rivers of Babylon. Solid skateboarding went down and everyone left smiling. Except maybe the security geyser who couldn’t wait to kick us out…

KANYA SPANI BACKSIDE NOSEBLUNT.

VANS PIT PARTY 2015 - CT

PHOTOS - TYRONE BRADLEY / RED BULL CONTENT POOL

THE 4TH ANNUAL VANS ‘PIT PARTY’ TOOK PLACE ON SATURDAY 30 MAY IN CAPE TOWN. IN ASSOCIATION WITH RED BULL AND STANCE. The Pit (Behind Clarke’s) has hosted many great events over the last few years but unfortunately time for ‘The Pit’ has come to an end. This was one final occasion to celebrate and destroy.

A heavy barrage of bowlriders from across the country unleashed the fury on the bowl. Riaan from NSA and Session were on hand to judge. Roasting Records took care of the music and following the skate contest some solid local bands kept the chaos going long into the night.

SESSION BEER FUNNEL.

GIRLS A PLENTY.

Yann Horowitz took first place and also bagged the prize for Red Bull’s ‘Best Wallride’. Vans’ Joubert van Staden came in second and Justus Kotze rounded out the podium in 3rd.

Honourable mentions: Josh Chisholm for collapsing into the crowd and hitting his head before the contest even began...and then spending the night behind bars.

Joubert’s body-varial-tailgrab-wallride.

Marola’s 360 wallride. Justin Leslie for winning the ‘good vibes’ award (Winning a Rayne camera).

Big thanks to: Warren Talbot and everyone at Vans for another killer event, there was even Champagne! Mel, Lyndall and everyone at Clarke’s for all the good times at ‘The Pit’ over the last few years.

YANN DESTROYED THE PIT AGAIN, IS THERE A CONTEST HE CANNOT WIN!? FRONTSIDE WALL JAMMER TO FAKIE. SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA | 57

PAYDAY

Contests and events.

WEZ, FRONTSIDE TWEAKER INTO SECOND PLACE.

SUPERBOWL SATURDAY - NOORDHOEK

PHOTOS - GRANT MCLACHLAN, SAM CLARK WORDS - RUAN SCOTT

EVERY SKATER DREAMS OF HAVING A BOWL IN THEIR BACKYARD. WELL, HAVING A PRIVATE BOWL IN YOUR FRONT YARD THAT OVERLOOKS THE PICTURESQUE NOORDHOEK BEACH IN THE WESTERN CAPE, ARE MINOR DETAILS SOME DREAMERS FORGET TO INCLUDE. THIS DREAM HOWEVER, IS A REALITY THAT BELONGS TO A DUDE NAMED JOCK.

Once a year Jock opens his private residence to the mainstream, allowing them to take part in the annual Superbowl Saturday Skate Contest. Free entry, free Monster Energy Drinks, free boerie rolls, free skating with challenges setup throughout the day, free groms and even a few free ballies in the mix. All were welcome to roll around the bowl, win some cash from Monster and Volcom, win some hard goods from Volcom & Etnies and just have some fun in the sun, against a 100 Million Rand back drop.

About 50 people showed up to skate.

The queue waiting below the roll-in resembled summer holidays at a water

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park. Energetic kids all lining up for a turn to slip down the supertube - except this time, there’s no water in the pool!

Woodies Ramps upped the game this year by adding three extensions to the bowl. A roll-in (for some speed) led to a wallie/grindbox extension on the coping.

Following that was a staunch wallride extension around the first bend. Yann and Anton Roux were the stand-outs on the wall, going higher and faster than the others.

The challenges where held over approximately 25 min frames, in a jam session format, free for all to enter. They included challenges like best tricks on the

grindbox and the wall, the longest grind, fastest lap around the bowl, an old school category and more.

Yann ‘Horoblitz’ walked away with the loot for first place overall and Wes Coertzen came in a close second. Yann and Monster’s Khule Ngubane (who flew in from DBN) shared the honours and the money for the Volcom ‘Best Trick’ challenge.

There aren’t too many bowls around for local skateboarders to roll but when access is available the fire is definitely there and dudes had a lot of fun at the second annual Saturday Superbowl.

CLOSET ENVY Threads for shred

ELEMENT APPLEYARD

NYJAH

CONVERSE CONS CTAS JASON JESSEE

DC CRISIS

ADIDAS JAKE DONNELLY X SPITFIRE COLLAB

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VOLCOM X SPITFIRE COLAB JACKET

RVCA SKYHOOK JACKET

STANCE HOSOI SOCKS

WESTGATE

ELEMENT WESTGATE T

CONVERSE CONS WEAPON 2.0

ADIDAS BUSENITZ X SPITFIRE COLLAB

VANS CHIMA FERGUSON PRO

VOLCOM X SPITFIRE COLAB SWEATS

ELEMENT CAMDEN BACKPACK

DC NYJAH 2

ADIDAS SILAS X SPITFIRE COLLAB

VANS SK8 HI

w w w . b a s e l i n e s k a t e s h o p. c o m new arrivals online and instore - lots of exclusive brands and sale items. delivery anywhere in south africa within 48hrs. Get some!

I AM Mclachlan

Keerin Noah AGE? 26 years of age.

WHERE YOU FROM? Cape Town - Bonteheuwel.

YEARS SKATING? Skating for about 9 years.

WHAT CREW ARE YOU IN? 20sk8 Crew member.

ANYONE HOOKING YOU UP? No sponsors at the moment.

FAVOURITE VIDEO PART? My all time favourite video part was and still is Andrew Reynolds in Emerica “This is skateboarding”.

LOCAL RIPPER? Gavin ‘Moses’ Adams.

SPOTS OF CHOICE? Any spot I can find in or around CPT that gets me amped.

FIRST SETUP / CURRENT SETUP? First Setup - Indy trucks, Quickies wheels, Bones bearings and a Powell deck that my Dad bought me. Current - Technique board (Super nice!), Tensor trucks, Pig wheels and Killer Blackout bearings.

SHOUT-OUTS? All the 20sk8 members much love to the Brasse Shuaib, Toufeeq, Toothless, SUPA Metas, Quinty, Tooth, Pinki, Justin, Ryan the Goatman LOL Salute to every skater in SA Woza!

CROOKED GRIND, 20SK8 REPRESENT!

THE BIZNESS

Industry banter with AD Henderson Street League – ‘Schmeat League’, Mosey did mad tricks at the Pro open in Barcelona.

He is a pro, but no board to show. This now needs to be fixed.

We’re still pretty stoked for the man and his charging in the international contest. Hopefully only the first of his invitations to such an affair. And was Dlamini even in Barcelona?

Wasn’t he supposed to be there? Was he living too large in the states making video parts and faking traditional customs to feel up every bit of juicy ass he comes across? Unfortunately, to get a Visa he had to be in SA, and he just arrived in the USA so the timing didn’t work out. One thing is for sure though, the hurricane is coming with this adidas video… ohhhhh lordy.

The RVCA crew recently went golfing, with Wong tagging along. I still don’t understand how he got in there, but according to Khulu they played 8 holes and then skipped ten, with a decidedly direct path to the 19th. Is it part of some new video offering? Has Day been filming Eddie doing three-legged manuals while he back tailslides over her? More from the RVCA camp on this collab very soon….

Dope Industries seemingly just puts their homies to work and films them running around in monkey suits. With The Shred having its first event in the form of the Cape Town AV26 Pre62 | SESSIONMAG.CO.ZA

miere, things are certainly getting closer to a new skateboarding landmark. There are going to be regular edits and missions stemming from the complex, so get onto their Facebook sooner than later and watch the progress.

I’m seeing Vans absolutely everywhere at the moment. On all levels, from the streets to the billboards, the events, in the malls and down side-alley stores. Vans stickers er’where gives me a nostalgic feeling every time. And then there’s ‘Propeller’... you want to watch this one! Buy or watch it on your mate’s iPad …

The screenings around the country looked blissfully popular too.

The low-riding, hard-hitters of the DC camp were out in full force on our Durban trip.

Morck sorted the 12-man crew out and captained a successful trip with Jay Besaans and Clint Cunha at the helm. We can’t thank them enough, but also their families. Mad love. Mad respect. Get yourself to Durban. You probably won’t see Khule there because that dude still hasn’t stopped hopping around. Neither has ‘his white friend’ Grant ‘MackaCloughalahn’ aka TinkTink who was initiated into tour life staunchly and still has knee issues leaving him crippling around the whole time. The Monster dudes are definitely making use of their initiatives.

If you don’t know about Pike Dreamz den y’all bin sleeeeping boooi. That tall American guy from Kimberley is behind the brand and the lens of the tranny-centric team. Starting out with Daniel Miltiadou and The Binge is probably the best insight into what to expect. And their products are always interesting. Check

them out, as well as Act of Boredom from fellow Kimberlite Martin Kotze.

As if parting the dark skies and golden sunshine striking a gigantic booty, shimmering in champagne, so the Funisu X SSS colab boards have arrived. Fuck knows how we all gonna get hold of them but the 20sk8 boards were doing hella well, last I heard.

Good to see the crews bring out their own thing, but then you get Baseline’s team board and your mind just flaps open. The crazy-ass character John Second created is seriously unique and the wood is way up to scratch as you’d imagine. I hate/love it so much.

The window display contains all the individual prints of the team riders, which is rad, but still creepy at the same time. We’re waiting to see what happens when the next ‘Battle of the Benches’ goes down, or what’s next?

Especially after getting The Phelper’s endorsement all the way from SF. All that Thrasher shit you always wanted? It’s here! Cop it online if you’re not in CT. Let’s not forget the Volcom x Spitfire collection that’s now in-store too.

The possibilities of all our next missions are limited as the winter comes. We seek out shelter from the conditions. We lose faith with little available to push on. But it’s in these times that we build. When the air bites too icy, when the rain refuses to stop, we seek out shelter and we build. One little garage quarter pipe can keep you entertained for days. Just remember that. Converse CONS have some motivation to keep you rolling through winter, wherever you live in the country. What is this all about? You’ll find out soon enough.

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