Session Magazine - Issue 74

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Issue 74

Oct / Nov 2016

EVAN SMITH \ KICKFLIP \ BLABAC PHOTO

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THE EVAN SMITH

WITH

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CONTENTS ISSUE 74- OCT/NOV 16

Cover – Joshua Chisholm backlips an 11-stair beast, avoiding the perpendicular rail at the bottom and the two-floor drop over the other side, not to mention the sawdust covered roll away. In tribute to JP du Preez who is the only other individual known to have hit this rail. Shot during the Ghostbusters tour in Tzaneen, Limpopo. Photo – Grant Mclachlan

Main Features 12

THE Ghostbusters Tour

26

THE Veg Squad

38

south africons

44

5 years of adidas skate in RSA

54 ScandInavia 56 house of vans jhb 58

PLANKIE “SHAKE IT LOOSE”

regulars 08 REDIAL 60 CLOSET ENVY 62 I AM - FRANCOUIS BREEDT

Contents – Joubert van Staden nosepicks a gem of a spot at the public swimming pool complex in Mokopane, Limpopo on the Ghostbusters tour.

Photo – Grant Mclachlan

sessionmag.co.za | 3

Photography: Peters & Rubio Š 2016 adidas AG. adidas, the trefoil logo and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

Redial

SKATEISTAN SA LAUNCH

Words – Luke jackson Photos - Mike chinner

EDITOR Luke Jackson info@sessionmag.co.za

Skateistan finally launched their new skate facility in the Maboneng precinct of central johannesburg. The facility boasts a new concrete skatepark and an education centre, from where the organization now runs its sa initiatives. To mark the occasion Tony Hawk and birdhouse team riders shawn Hale and david Loy travelled to sa, as well as other distinguished guests like skateistan founder oliver Percovich and deluxe distribution legend jim Thiebaud. not forgetting Thalente biyela, who made a somewhat extended visit home from the usa to mark the occasion.

FOUNDER | CREATIVE Brendan Body brendan@sessionmag.co.za

during their stay in jHb, the crew put on a clinic/demo at the skateistan facility for the media and invited guests. but word spread quickly that Tony was in town and was planning a demo of sorts at the good old Germiston bowl. a massive crowd turned up to see the birdhouse boys slay the old serpent, reportedly around 4000! Many said you could barely see the action as it was just too packed!

PHOTO EDITOR Clint van der Schyf

over the following couple of days they squeezed in a safari day up to the Pilanesberg in north West Province and they got a few skate missions in with Mike chinner, including essential stops at spots like the Volcano in fourways and the centurion ditches.

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PHOTOGRAPHERS 74 Grant Mclachlan, Gavin Scott, Sam Clark, Jansen van Staden, Jonathan Pinkhard, TK Modise, Pieter Retief, Joubert van Staden, Wynand Herholdt, Luke Jackson, Jon Coulthard CONTRIBUTORS 74 Adrian Day PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Session Magazine, 2nd Floor, Earlgo Building, cnr. Kloof & Park Rd, Gardens, Cape Town, 8001.

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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 Tony Hawk inverts at the new skateistan park.

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Ghostbusters A tour up north

So the whole idea of doing a ghost town tour up north in Mpumalanga and Limpopo came from Adrian Day. He found a clip online filmed by two bikers walking through a ghost town called Diepgezet. In their clip on Youtube Adrian randomly saw an old concrete ramp. He thought about it a bit more and then also found a Google map that listed pin locations of known ghost towns around the country. Many of which are located up north, an area of the country that isn’t frequented all that often on skate trips. He came into a Session meeting and proposed a ghost town tour, and we were all down! In comes Monster Energy with their insane new motorhome / tour bus and it was on! We assembled a crew of heavy rippers who we knew could handle rough spots and life on the road for a week. We then proposed a route to Monster and they gave us the green light.

Words: Luke Jackson Photos: Grant Mclachlan (Unless stated)

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“We slept at a petrol station” Our large crew consisted of Khule Ngubane, Yann Horowitz, Joshua Chisholm, Juan Smit, Dylan Vaughan, Wynand Herholdt, chief photographer Grant Mclachlan, chief filmer Joubert van Staden and myself. To round off the eleven-man crew was our two bus drivers Clint and Kapow. My role was to plan the journey, research where we would go, handle all logistics and physically guide everyone to actually make this whole thing happen. I had a good idea of where we would go but nobody knew if we’d actually find all that much to skate. We

also decided to leave it open-ended and not actually book accommodation, so that we could wing it as we went.

The Monster bus has everything from beds and a Playstation to a kitchen and a shower onboard, a perfect base to make missions from. However, as we discovered on route, it averages at about 80KM an hour and it’s so big that parking in campsites or navigating dirt roads is quite tricky. Luckily I had a little Hyundai hatchback rental to scout ahead, tackle steep mountain passes and take the crew where the bus wasn’t able to go.

Wynand Herholdt frontside 180 nosegrinds in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

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We all landed in JHB on a Wednesday afternoon, piled into the bus (or the rental) and headed straight up the N4 towards Nelspruit. The first night we slept at a petrol station so that we could hit the epic Berg-en-dal Boer War memorial near the town of Belfast in Mpumalanga, first thing in the morning. After the memorial we set out to find Diepgezet. I knew exactly where it was located on the map but actually getting there was a whole other story. The bus waited in Barberton while 4 of us went ahead, the idea being I would come back and get the others.

Juan Smit with an early morning backsmith at the Berg-en-dal monument alongside the N4 near Belfast, Mpumalanga. sessionmag.co.za | 15

Khule Ngubane switch flips a tree stump sand gap outside the old town hall in Leydsdorp, Limpopo.

We drove up a massively steep mountain road towards Swaziland and just before the Josefsdal border post we disappeared down a rough dirt track into the valley.

About 2 hours had passed since we last saw the bus and we thought we’d have to turn back when suddenly we stumbled upon the gem.

Diepgezet was abandoned after the local asbestos mine closed down, but the buildings still remain.

Not only did we skate the ramp, but with only about 30 minutes to actually skate the place, we found several other amazing spots too. Somebody still needs to dedicate a full day and go back and give it a more thorough search.

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Ghost towns are creepy as hell, you certainly feel vulnerable exploring the old buildings. It was too far and too rough to go back and get the rest of the crew, so only a lucky few actually got to see it.

From there we reconnected in Barberton and were joined by some enthusiastic locals from Nelspruit, from the GSk8t crew.

They actually first followed us to Diepgezet and earned a punctured tyre on the dirt road for their troubles. Big thanks to those guys for showing us some spots in Nelspruit, helping us find a campsite and with making sure the boys in need had their herbal remedy.

Dylan Vaughan frontside smith grinds inside an old abandoned clubhouse in the ghost town of Diepgezet, Mpumalanga. Photo – Joubert van Staden

“Ghost towns are creepy as hell!” sessionmag.co.za | 17

“we ventured off into the darkness to find our camp�

Joubert van Staden kickflips into a rollercoaster in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

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Juan Smit noseblunts a roadside ditch in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.

Pulling into campsites with the bus was hilarious. Every khaki clad old ‘Oom’ was fascinated by the thing and wanted to know all about us.

Many even asked to come on board to have a look. Of course we also had plenty of bystanders asking for free drinks every time we pulled into a car park to grab some food. Upon arriving in White River, a town 20km north of Nelspruit, a man jumped out of his car and announced that he had followed us all the way from

Nelspruit because Monster Energy is his favourite brand. After an impromptu photo shoot in front of the bus and plenty of laughs we then hit the road north toward the Blyde River canyon, the 3rd largest canyon in the world, and a place I’ve always wanted to see. So you best believe I put it on the itinerary. We were lucky to visit God’s Window and the ‘Three Rondavels’ viewpoint as we made our way north to Hoedspruit in Limpopo Province.

The Blitz and Spice with a lifestyle hammer at Three Rondavels viewpoint in the Blyde River Canyon, Mpumalanga.

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Yann Horowitz with a mid-line backside tailslide in Tzaneen, Limpopo.

The closest campsite we could find to Hoedspruit was actually at Klaserie Dam, 20km south, hidden amongst several private game lodges and nature reserves. Five of us piled into the Hyundai and camped on the edge of the dam while the others slept on the bus in Hoedspruit. We at least got a Spur dinner and a birthday celebration for our driver Clint under our belts before we ventured off into the darkness to find our camp.

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The second ghost town we decided to visit is called Leydsdorp, and it’s located about 10km down dirt road from the town of Gravelotte, Limpopo. Again 5 of us pushed ahead to find it, because we knew the bus probably wouldn’t be able to reach it. The others stayed behind in Hoedspruit so Wynand could battle a narrow ditch, and then met us afterwards in the town of Tzaneen. Leydsdorp (as we discovered) has recently been

bought up by a farmer and turned into a guest lodge and restaurant. However, we did find some creepy old buildings in the veld on the outskirts of town and we were able to skate the old town hall building. On the way back to Gravelotte we stopped off at an amazing 2000-yearold Baobab tree that used to have a bar in its trunk, used by miners who came to Leydsdorp while prospecting for gold.

Joshua Chisholm with a 10-stair switch frontside 180 in Polokwane, Limpopo.

This Mpumalanga local really loves Monster! Photo - Wynand Herholdt

“Tzaneen was next level� sessionmag.co.za | 21

Photo by Wynand Herholdt

Wynand Herholdt with a switch wallride grab in Polokwane, Limpopo.

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We knew these first few days were all about exploration but we had to be in Tzaneen on Saturday and Polokwane on Sunday, because that is where we were most likely going to find the best skate spots. Tzaneen was next level, from mid-afternoon on Saturday the downtown area became deserted and the boys went to work until sunset, where we then camped at Tzaneen Dam. Up at first light and everyone smashed it again, with Josh rounding our time off with the backlip cover shot. Joubert had been talking about this rail for two days but we couldn’t find it, he knew JP du Preez once did a smith grind down it on a Plankie trip many years ago.

Khule Ngubane 360 flips to lipslide in Polokwane, Limpopo.

Our last effort to find the thing sent Joubert down a random alley way and he came back smiling like a little kid with candy. With a huge drop over the other side, that thing is straight gnar, but Josh made it count in tribute to JP - RIP! Literally as Josh rolled away we cruised out of town toward Polokwane, it was already early afternoon on Sunday and we needed to do what we could before we lost all the light.

Upon arrival in Polokwane we met Rynardt van der Merwe, the mayor of skateboarding in PLK. The biggest skate rat and funniest skate guide you will ever meet.

He invited us to camp out at his house for

“Polokwane was the most productive Monday I’ve ever experienced in all my years of skateboarding”

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Joshua Chisholm with a downhill frontside smith in Polokwane, Limpopo.

us straight to the public swimming pool in Mokopane where upon entry we discovered this amazing hunk of concrete that was most likely built back in the 80s or something, what a gem that was.

Photo by Wynand Herholdt

two nights, with the bus on his front lawn.

The guy even gave up his bed for us. Not forgetting the amazing DIY concrete spot he has in his backyard that provided hours of entertainment both day and night. Monday in Polokwane was the most productive Monday I’ve ever experienced in all my years of skateboarding.

Several good handrail bangers, banks, wallrides and stairs, it all went down.

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Polokwane ruled and it was all thanks to Rynardt, he made it happen for us.

In PLK we also met Francouis, a Mokopane local. He offered to show us a spot in his town if we could take him with us on the 50km drive south from Polokwane. It was right on our route down the N1 back toward JHB so we thought why the hell not? Francouis took

Finally, it was back to JHB but not before one last night that we spent at Yann Horowitz’s family home in Midrand. Epic hospitality from his folks who fed us all very well and they even enabled us to ride some horses on their estate. That’s not something you usually get to do on just any old skate trip.

Mpumalanga and Limpopo are epic skate destinations, we loved our time spent up north and I can’t help but feel that we only just scratched the surface.

We will be back to explore more. Thanks to all the locals we met, you guys rule!

Thanks to Monster Energy for making it possible, we’re ready for the next one…

Khule Ngubane 360 shuvs into the tranny of Polokwane’s most iconic skate landmark.

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g e v e h t d a u sq Interview: Luke Jackson Photos: Gavin Scott

Photo TK Modise

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When I started skating there used to be crews all over Jozi, they were based on the suburbs you were from. you had ETEN, red dragons, Fastballs, etc. but those crews dissolved as guys got older or moved away. From 2000 onward I don’t really remember any specific squads and skateboarding was more like one big general family. It’s rad to see all the different crews emerging around Sa and flying their own flags, this is one of them!

– gavin Scott Who is in the Squad and which parts of the city do you all hail from? dyamond - Haha this is a fucking tough question! it’s super hard to actually break the barrier between who is in the squad and who isn’t, that’s actually what’s pretty great about it! of course we have the close squad, the homies that have been there since day one! Throughout the years the squad has grown and we have developed a super rad group of individuals, whether we see them once a month or every weekend, they rep us and we rep them. What makes it rad is that we cover johannesburg from corner to corner, like those “bring back lost lover, penis enlargement and illuminati posters.” johannesburg is huge and each area has pretty obvious defining characteristics that make that area unique. Homies could drive 10 minutes from getting their overpriced coffee in Parkhurst, 15 minutes from the crime scene that is skateworld in Edenvale and maybe 30 minutes from the countless robots on William nicol, all to meet up at some place in this city that defines us as individuals and as a squad.

We’ve got some international connects too, from Thailand to Germany, to London and to australia, it’s always gonna be summer when you got family!

“we cover Johannesburg from corner to corner, like those bring back lost lover, penis enlargement and illuminati posters.”

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Brandon Barnard AKA ‘Cakeboi’ wallies up the first narrow section of wall into a frontside wallride.

It’s really rad that everyone has their own flavour and brings something different to share with the squad, and that skateboarding has brought us together so we can keep thuggin’ in these screets! (actual spelling haha) Vé.G be the squad! #bitchesluhdisshit Shout out to all ya’ll, ya know who ya are!

Is Veg a brand, or is it just a crew?

Lwando - Vé.G is not a brand, Vé.G is not a crew or a team. Vé.G is a familia of homies who skate together and grew up skating together. We making some apparel here and there to get some ‘FastMoney’ for support, and to keep the homies looking fly.

Who came up with the name for the crew?

Levi - The squad pretty much formed itself, at the time the Montecasino park had closed down and the crew split up for a certain amount of time. However, Lwando went on an art adventure, and his art surfaced the face of Veg because of A) he ate a lot of vegetables (except avo, fuck knows why) and B) of course most of the squad smoked their veggies too. Omphile

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on the other hand had ‘White Bread and Butter’ on the go, which consisted of the Veg crew and more goonz from all over.

That’s when it was pretty much decided

by Lwando that the squad is a squad, its name is Vé.G and we need to start putting in work. Baring in mind the goonz were really starting to progress. And that was also a dope reason to make it official.

Tell us about your shirts, about the series and the significance of the graphics?

Dyamond - We had done shirts before that Omphile organised just for us, and we were gonna make jackets as well.

Since he died, I feel we lost that motivation and drive that he brought to that side of the squad. We had been talking about new tees for a while, so when we finished #bitchesluhdisshit and had a premiere sorted, I wanted to make tees for the video. So the night before the premiere I sat in my garage and screenprinted 20 tees just for the squad. The graphic is a Lucho Gazpacho original illustration that he drew at my house around 3 years back, I found it significant because for me it represented an earlier time in the squad

before a lot of shit went down. Plus Lou is fucking talented and that illustration is dope!

Lwando - The significance of the art is that it depicts the Raw element of the squad.

Are you hoping to do more in terms of producing products that people can buy?

Dyamond - Hell yeah we are! Jozi is tough right now in terms of selling our products, because of the lack of stores and the sheer distance between us and the people who do wanna buy our products. But yeah be on the lookout - we working!

Craig Tshabalala was obviously a big part of the crew, can you tell us about the impact he had on the JHB scene?

Lwando - Yeah he was our older brother / older God, he had the know when it came to the skate knowledge game, fam would know who’s on what sponsor and who’s off what sponsor before ya heard that shit on the blocks (he was a Twitter Lord). He was on that Fucking Awesome / Palace / Polar steez way before the hype.

If you ask me, Craig birthed a lot of these

“Homies are always tryna jack your shit to keep their fix alive...There’s been stabbings, fights and all sorts of crazy shit going down.”

Brendan Dyamond frontside blunts in Edenvale. sessionmag.co.za | 29

Malclom Raw gaps to crooked grind.

new kids’ style, in dress code and attire.

Homie was rocking Vans with the folded up chinos / corduroys and tucked in tee way before these Braam kids got on that steez. Peeps would always think we crazy when they saw us sportin’ jerseys like scarfs and tucking in our t-shirts, or rocking flannels with the top button buttoned like vatos. He was doing no-complys and bonelesses back when homies in the city thought it wasn’t cool, now every second kid does a no-comply just to seem ‘steezy’. He had a big impact, but the kids just didn’t see it because of the general corporate or Olympic approach towards skateboarding in SA.

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You recently released the #BLDS video, tell us about the significance of the video, how Omphile was connected to it and how long you filmed for it?

Levi - The same day we started filming for MGM (our first real edit) was the same day Omphile passed away. Which gave me more reason to hold it down cause at the time O-money really had the scene rolling. Filming with everyone from the kids to Dlamini and the West Rand cats, and that really set a marker. I knew someone had to grab the torch and at the time my skating was beyond lazy, so Daniel lent me his cam and we decided to carry on with O-money’s work. MGM was re-

leased in honour of him. Then, sadly Craig passed away a year later and that really brought the squad closer together, we all decided it was time to put together a full-length with deserved full parts and that a Jozi full-length was way overdue.

Cats were killing it and we wanted to keep the scene pushing (which it still is).

In terms of the name, O-money had always pushed the hashtag BLDS and Craig was ALWAYS down for it. You know what I mean? So during the making of the video it was decided in honour of them both to name it BLDS. Dan even phoned me to double check and the squad was like, “fuck yeah!” In terms of footy, O-money

Lwando Gwili wallies in Rosebank.

“RIP C-Murda and O-Money!” played a HUGE roll because we knew he was sitting on a lot of footage, which was supposed to be used, and more importantly Andrew Raw was looking to drop a full part with O-money and that footage went dormant. Eventually, I bothered the Raws enough to collect the HD from his family and we linked up to watch a bit.

Shit was amazing! I was mind-blown with no idea where to start. Dan held it down while I was at work and started sorting the footy, O-money’s footy was sorted. Now ours was tricky. I broke one of the hard drives somehow and that confused the situation. We lost a few clips considering it

was our first full-length and mistakes were made, but we went out with the squad and filmed more. It worked out well. Daniel really had a good system going to catch up, it got sent to Chris Staub who did a fucking good job animating under a lot of pressure, as he has his own day job. Thankfully Brendan helped with the text, he kept in contact with Chris and they pulled it off just in time. And BOOM! The video was done after a year of filming and a month and half of editing every day.

Raw Brothers - #BLDS originated from one of O-Money’s hashtags, it was something

he started on Insta but quickly become a phrase the squad started using. We have always wanted to release a full-length video and decided that it was time to get his footage together and make it happen. The video was filmed over the last year or so, however some of the clips do go further back. #BLDS apart from being our first full length is also our way of immortalizing two goons who will never be forgotten, RIP C-Murda & O-Money!

Tell us about the JHB premiere, it sounds like it was pretty buck?

Levi - The Jozi premiere was always going

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Daniel Miltidou early grab wall jams in Troyeville. Photo – Jonathan Pinkhard

to be buck. There was good planning with the help of Gavin Scott and a few others.

We just never thought so many people would pull through. That’s as far as I remember. Well actually I remember a small fight in the crowd when the video was on, from there I was out of control. It was the first time I’ve ever blacked out so hard, where I was there but remember fuck all!

Shit was nuts and thank you to everyone who came out! Don’t think this is the last of us either. We’ve got work on the go, the goonz are holding shit down. Shout out to Johannesburg!!!

Gav - We held the premiere at George Lea Sports park in Sandton, which has hosted some AV and Session VCD premieres in the past, so I expected they would be semi-prepared for what was to come…not so. The turnout was good and the room was packed to the point where there were guys standing outside on the windowsills and braais to look in.

Mid-premiere the barman rushed into the room as he thought there was a riot with all the shouting and banging on the walls that went along with each part. We had DJs playing and we attempted to drink the bar dry but the neighbours complained about the noise and the car bars

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so we got shut down around 1AM and moved on.

LBGs still seems to be the meet-up spot, or the ‘chill all day and skate’ spot. More recently it seems to be getting a little sketchy around that part of downtown though and there have been issues with authorities. Can you tell us some stories about what’s happening there?

Jarryd – Shit’s been crazy at the library, but I guess that’s because things are getting worse all over the city. There’s been way more nyaope kids chilling around the library though. Homies are always tryna jack your shit to keep their fix alive haha, but yeah it’s been a lot more ghetto. There’s been stabbings, fights and all

sorts of crazy shit going down. As for the pigs, yeah man for some reason they’ve been tryna flex on the library, which is real fucked in my opinion. Putting up these ‘no skateboarding’ signs and even forcing us to leave a couple times over the last few months. I went to the city a few weeks back and saw someone had knocked all the signs down, I’m not sure who but I’m glad they did it. Things have been more ghetto though and the police presence is definitely a reality, but it’s just another day out here in the jungle dawg. Gotta Love Jozi!

The article was delayed after Jarryd randomly got arrested, can you tell us more about what happened?

“They put me in the same cells as some hard motherfuckers, these homies were in there for the murder of some police officers and shit got a bit rowdy.”

Jarryd Barnard gaps out over the pole.

Jarryd – Yeah that shit was crazy man.

It was just supposed to be a normal Friday. Cake and I had gone to the rock after work for a young session and some quartz. I smoked what I thought was my last blunt and when the sun started to set we headed out. As we got on the bike we had these police reservists pull up on us. They asked to search us and of course we were like, “chilled vibes”. What I didn’t know was there was like a half G of this bomb zol we had forgotten about in the bottom of the backpack I was carrying and yeah they found it. From there it was off to the holding cells where I spent the night, which was crazy dawg. They put me in the same cells as some hard motherfuckers, these homies were in there for the murder of some police officers and shit got a bit rowdy. As I got in I went to get my blanket and mattress and these

guys were like nah white boy if you want that then we want your kicks, but I kinda just blew that off, got my stuff and lay down. When I was lying down these 3 guys ended up around me and told me if I don’t give them my kicks then they were gonna take them. I was like fuck this shit and ended up in a punch-up with these cunts, luckily for me there was this other Nigerian dude in there for slanging coke and for some strange reason he had my back, he ended up throwing one of these fuckers half way across the cell and he made sure I wasn’t fucked with for the rest of the night. I found out when I was released that his lawyer actually worked for mine haha. But yeah I was out the next day and back on the mission thanks to CAKE and my lawyer who threw around some racks and made sure I didn’t even see a courtroom.

How long did you guys work on this feature for and was the crew rolling together on all the missions?

Gav - We worked on this for about two months, shooting mostly on weekends.

We had a good mix of guys on every mission, but depending on where we were shooting or what time we started. We had quite a few early 8AM shoots so we’d start small and guys would join throughout the day. In general, everyone is on the same mission, creating hype and supporting whoever is trying to get their trick. Dyamond’s fs blunt is a good example of where everyone was getting so amped for the land that guys started throwing in money (R600) and beer for the next go and that’s the one he landed! There was obviously the other times where we needed to roll with a small crew because these guys aren’t known for their subtleties and sessionmag.co.za | 33

Trae Rice AKA ‘Malibu’ floats over a tall one.

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“Gav is a fucking OG! He’s been part of this Jozi scene forever.”

Levi Webb with a narrow nollie.

getting kicked out before you start is not ideal.

What’s it like shooting with Gav Scott?

Dyamond - Gav is a fucking OG! He’s been part of this Jozi scene forever and I’ve got a lot of respect for him! I remember as a kid in Edenvale I used to stare at him, skate rat shit, until one day he was like, “why do you keep staring at me?”

Haha that set me straight and I never stared at the older dudes again. It’s really dope to shoot with him because he’s down for whatever and makes the mission happen. He made it possible for us to skate one of the best spots in Edenvale, a spot that I had been looking at for years through a fence. I hit him up on Wednesday about it and Saturday morning we were skating it! Gav is business friendly and down for the JOL!

Cake - Gav is always down on the mission, but you need to have something in mind.

He doesn’t like it if you just fuck around when it’s time to shoot. Gav makes shit happen. He puts in just as much hard work and effort as the guy he’s shooting.

He’s got a good vision of how a trick will look when he’s shooting, you don’t have to ask him how he’s gonna shoot it, or put your 2 cents in. Just focus on busting your shit and let Gav do his thing. Trust it will come out fucking dope! Gav knows what’s good, this shit wouldn’t have happened without Gav’s hard work and him pushing us to bust our shit. Shot Gav, you the fucking man!

Who are the new up-and-comers in JHB that will spark the next generation?

Raw Brothers - It’s hard to point out specific up-and-comers when you see new faces at nearly every skate event. Kyle

Kheswa and Daniel Miltiadou are two that jump to mind. However, there are a lot of younger guys who roll in town that we will need to keep an eye out for in the future.

Gav – I’d say a lot of the dudes in this article like Danny, Dyamond, Trae and probably the most underrated is Kyle Kheswa.

The Wasted crew is also killing it with guys like Kelvin Vosloo, T-Kay and Taylor.

Downtown is obviously a big part of the JHB scene, but with the DIY you guys have done at the Volcano, missions to Germiston, the new park at Key West, ongoing DIY at Skateworld in Edenvale, it seems like the scene is thriving all over the city.

On the other hand parks like Brightwater have closed down and skate shops are difficult to come by. What is your take on the current scene in the city, is it growing?

Danny & Cake - The city is what pushes

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Andrew Raw frontside boardslide transfers over the barrier to fakie.

you to get creative and to skate different and difficult spots. Jozi spots are grimy and crusty, but that makes it more gnarly when you’re able to put something down. You gotta know or see the spots to fully understand what it’s like to skate. It can’t be explained. As for the parks and DIYs, it sucks that the parks have closed but it made us progress in other ways by forcing us to hit the streets and hit spots all around. There is tons of shit, you just gotta go out and find it. We think DIYs are the main way that real Jozi cats are gonna be able to skate new shit, where we will get to be able to do what we want. The skate scene here we would say is not growing that much, lack of available gear is a huge problem for dudes who are not hooked up, but what’s here is thriving. Dudes are progressing and rep hard for their squads and the Jozi scene. What`s cool about our current situation is that now is the time where the real goons will more so than ever be separated from the fools. You will find that some kids decide to spend their weekends at YBF or some other whack park, and the real goons go into the city, do DIYs or go wherever the mission is at. Don`t sleep on Jozi!

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Jonathan Pinkhard proving he can handle a good frontside boardslide on both sides of the lens.

Tell us about living in Johannesburg, what are the 5 best and worst aspects of living in the city?

John The positives: Family and homies reside here.

Work – The hustle is real!

The deep house jols.

The skate scene, because of the goons.

The Kasi.

The negatives: Traffic is a bitch!

If you don’t have a car things are far apart.

Not enough skateparks.

Security guards act like Police out here.

Politics!

How often do you guys still hit up the old Green Ramp in Parkhurst?

Pinkhard - Well less recently because it’s been winter, but definitely more now that summer is creeping in. I remember last summer we hit it at least three or four days a week. It became the link up for a while, especially when we started jumping the fence to the Parkhurst pool after every session. Evan would skate the ramp like he was trying to put dents in it and Kan-

ya like he was smoothing them out, those two had good chemistry on the ramp, along with Danny and Cake. I already miss watching Binge fuck up Green Ramp!

List your 5 best JHB skateboarders of all time?

Kyle Kanya Spani Thabo Nage T-kay Modise Pravesh Manga Adrian Day

Any words of wisdom for the kids out there?

Pinkhard - Eat more veggies.

Dyamond - Don’t be Sus! Pinkhard - Delete your athlete page.

Dyamond - Stash yo’ shit!

Pinkhard - Never smoke in the taxi.

Dyamond - Watch out for Magoshas.

Dyamond - Wear condoms.

Pinkhard - Go skate town after midnight.

Dyamond - Don’t drink and drive.

Pinkhard - Get a job!

“Don’t sleep on Jozi!”

Kyle Kheswa with a massive ollie on Constitutional Hill. The future is right here! sessionmag.co.za | 37

Jake Johnson powers over a bump-to-bar on the west side of Johannesburg.

south africons wo r d s Lu k e Jac ks o n / P h oto s J o n C o u lt h a r d

Back in March this year Converse international team riders Jake Johnson, Mike Anderson, Aaron Herrington, Al Davis and Bobby de Keyzer visited South Africa. Alongside them were filmer Ben Chadourne, photographer Jon Coulthard and team manger Lee Berman. The large crew landed in Johannesburg before heading down to the Cape a few days later.

After months of severe drought it was just our luck that the guys arrive to heavy downpours and flooding! We scoured JHB and Pretoria for undercover spots, did the customary visit to the Lion Park and did whatever we could to make it work. Unfortunately, almost every ditch spot we intended on skating was flooded. Add to this that Al Davis sliced his eye on the corner of a box while packing in NYC and he had to visit a doctor to get treatment upon arrival in Johannesburg. The odds were truly stacked against us.

However, with all except Mike visiting SA for the first time, spirits were high! The Cons crew have an obsession with bump-to-bars and JHB has a fair few of those. We were given actual authorized permission to skate both the Soweto Theatre and Pilditch in Pretoria, thanks to a little bit of negotiation with onsite managers. In Soweto the theatre staff taped off one side of the building specifically for us. In PTA local cyclists took exception

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Mike Anderson frontside grinds in the Cape Town city bowl.

to our presence but facility staff backed us up and told the cyclists they should get over it. I couldn’t believe that went down haha. If you want it badly enough then you can find a way. Al’s eye recovered and the first time he even stepped on a board in SA, he banged an amazing nollie flip into the crusty bank in Braamfontein, in downtown JHB. Cape Town was perfectly sunny and the guys went to work quickly with only about 3 days to see the whole city. Bobby did an amazing backside flip over the gnarly death drop at building Twelve in Stellenbosch, before doing a shifty flip manual at the Wale Street bump-tobar in CT.

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Jake wallie 5-0s to backside 180 out in Primrose on the east side of JHB.

“Seeing Jake’s speed and power live is truly mind-blowing!”

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Aaron Herrington nose jams up the wall and then takes the plunge at UCT. sessionmag.co.za | 41

Al Davis bangs a nollie flip into the now infamous downtown JHB cheese grater.

Bobby de Keyzer shifty flips over the bar to manual in central Cape Town.

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Jake handstands and flips out, first try!

Jamie Tancowny backside flip.

Aaron Herrington hippy jumps in downtown Johannesburg.

We also managed to squeeze in a SA premiere of the new Polar Skate Co. video at The Labia Theatre, we couldn’t miss the opportunity of having Aaron here in the flesh, when his amazing part is a standout in the video.

It was surreal for me to spend a good few days cruising around with some of my favourites, no more so than Jake Johnson. The guy is an absolute beast on a skateboard. You never know what he might try. There where a few truly incredible things that so nearly almost went down, no more so than a straight no-comply over a bumpto-bar. Seeing Jake’s speed and power live is truly mind-blowing!

Big thanks to Lee Berman for making this trip happen, even he rips, the best team manager on a board that I’ve encountered for sure! Check out the video edit on The skateboard Mag’s website and a full feature in Issue 152 of their magazine.

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Pieter Retief leads from the front, he’s not afraid to make things happen, take this large nosegrind for example.

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5 Years of adidas Skateboarding in South Africa Photos: Sam Clark

The key to supporting any skate scene is to work with local skateboarders in that scene, rather than trying to dictate to them. You need to consult with actual skateboarders in order to understand skateboarding, and that’s exactly what adidas does in South Africa.

Pieter Retief was one of Cape Town’s biggest up-and-coming skateboarders with deep roots embedded in the local scene. Going on epic skate adventures across Southern Africa, documented in the ‘Via the Back roads’ series as well as producing features for Session Skateboarding Magazine. adidas saw the potential in Pieter, firstly as a team rider, but as time went on even more than that.

Pieter was given the space to craft a local adidas skate program. Pieter handpicked select individuals to represent the brand alongside him.

Dlamini Dlamini is one of South Africa’s most highly acclaimed skateboarders today, both locally and internationally. He’s travelling the world, one of only two South Africans to ever be invited to take part in the prestigious Street League event in Barcelona, Spain and he also regularly spends extended periods in the USA where he’s been acknowledged by global skate media. He also achieves regular podium finishes in all major local skate events. Dlamini proves that it doesn’t matter where you come from, if you have the determination and skill, you can go anywhere by doing what you love.

You grew up skating in Durban, how big a role did the Gateway park have on your progression and how did you manage to overcome being just a park skater when so many others got stuck in parks?

The Gateway park had a big influence

on my skating, it helped me to skate everything and not just focus on one type of skating. The streets are where it’s at though and that’s where skating started, it only felt right.

How big an influence did the streets of Durban have on your skateboarding?

Just skating with my brothers and all the homies made a difference, watching everyone cruise the streets, there’s always new spots popping up and it’s raw!

Your family lineage descends from Lesotho, and you often go back to visit, do you ever take your board with and is there anything to skate over there?

I take my board with me every time I go, the hill bombs are amazing over there.

The city of Maseru has got spots and the architecture is getting good.

How long have you been riding for adidas?

I’ve been on the team for 3 years now.

The first trip you went on with adidas South Africa was also the first trip to film for the new video. Where did you guys go, did you get along with everyone in the crew right away and did you get a lot done on that first trip?

The first trip was really amazing; we went to some good spots in different cities, down back roads and swimming under waterfalls. I already knew everyone on the team so it felt good to be part of the family, everyone got clips, beers were flowing and everyone got to know each other better. It was good times all round.

Your brother Khulu was already in the squad when you joined, is there any competitive sibling rivalry between you, or perhaps rather a strong bond that helps you guys to keep on pushing it?

There’s none of that competitive stuff between us, just love and skateboarding.

Where else have you travelled to while filming for this video?

All over SA, Namibia and I got some clips on my recent trips to the USA. You’ve been over to the States several times, who do you usually stay with and how do you connect with people over there?

I stay with my homies, everyone in the house is from different parts of the States and it’s rad because we all bring something different to the table. I stay in Long Beach, California. I just meet new people and we go out skating together.

You’ve had a few features in the US skate media, like your ‘An Afternoon in The Park’ feature on Transworld Skateboarding and a Thrasher Magazine ‘Firing Line’, how did those come about?

Blair who works for Transworld Magazine hooked up that opportunity in the park and the ‘Firing Line’ was my homie Tim, when I was on a trip to Boston. You just meet people in the skate community and when opportunities come about you have to make them count.

Tell us about your experience being invited to attend the 2016 Street League contest in Barcelona and skating alongside some of the biggest pros in the world?

It was all good vibes at the contest and everyone was killing it all weekend. Just being in Barcelona was surreal because growing up everyone around me was always telling me that I had to go there some day. I am grateful that opportunity came my way.

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Dlamini Dlamini feeble grinds in California, he’s international like that.

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You always seem to do really well at the KDC contest in Kimberley, being the only local to qualify for the finals in the past two years. Do you take contests quite seriously?

I am just there to have a good time with everyone and if I’m skating then it’s all good.

You recently put out quite a heavy part on the Ride Channel too, predominantly filmed in Johannesburg. Can you tell us a bit more about filming for that?

Wandile Msomi filmed all the JHB footage and edited the whole project. I have too much love for that guy. I stayed at his house, went out filming mostly at night after he got done closing his store and we missioned until the AM every night.

Do you still have a home base in one particular city, it seems like you never stop travelling?

Durban is still my home base, but traveling is key!

What does skating for adidas mean to you and how has the brand helped you to develop personally?

Skating for the brand is an honour and it’s allowed me to just focus on what I want to do in the future, giving me a solid foundation.

Who is your favourite person to chill and skate with on the team?

Everyone! Each person brings a vibe from skating, and outside of skating too.

We have fun together.

How long did you work on your part for the new video?

Well since the first trip when I got on the team, so about 3 years.

What can we expect from Dlamini Dlamini in the next 5 years, are you going to keep it local or are you aiming to really make it in America?

I’m just focused on being healthy and keeping my head up.

Khulu Dlamini form Durban possesses both huge pop and an eye for awkward skate spots that are commonly found on South Africa’s rough streets. His laidback style and easygoing nature make him the life of the party at any given session.

Khulu regularly appears in Session Magazine, in which he recently had a full feature and the cover to boot.

Allan Adams is a tech wizard from Cape Town, the rate at which he progresses on a skateboard is astonishing. Allan maintains a heavy social media presence, blowing minds around the country on an almost daily basis. He is proof that the next generation will be better than the last, and adidas is helping to support him in becoming all that he has the potential to be. By recently winning the 2016 Element ‘Make It Count’ contest and earning a trip to Barcelona, there’s no looking back now. Allan is set to take on the world.

Tell us about winning ‘Make It Count’, where did that all go down?

It happened at ‘The Shred’ park in Cape Town, tons of guys showed up from around the country. I was stoked to win and to get to go to Europe.

How long were you in Barcelona for?

I was there for 10 days, we were street skating around the city and gathering footage.

The team consists of like-minded skateboarders who make up a cohesive collective.

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Khulu Dlamini nosemanuals in Camps Bay.

How big was the crew you were rolling with over there, was it easy to get footage?

It’s really easy to get footage over there because the spots are perfect. The winners from each country were divided into 3 groups and we all made missions around town.

What were the spots over there like for you, compared to back home in SA? The spots over there are amazing compared to back home, you have so many different options. That whole city is like a skate park. It’s really smooth over there.

Where can we expect to see coverage from your trip?

I’m not sure exactly but Element will be releasing coverage of what we got up to.

Have you been to any other international destinations on skate trips in the past?

Yeah I went to Oman a couple of years back and also to Namibia on my first adidas trip when I joined the team.

What has been your favourite trip thus far?

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Barcelona for sure, it’s too good! I had the best time at the famous 3-stair drop at MACBA.

Who is your favourite person in the adidas crew to chill and skate with?

Yann Horowitz!

Are you still planning on heading out to the USA at some point?

Yes I’m planning on heading out to the USA next year at some point. I’m going to go along with my brother.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?

At the Olympics in 2020.

How long have you been a part of the adidas South Africa family?

It’s been around about 3 years now.

How has skateboarding for adidas impacted you and what does representing the brand mean to you?

It’s an amazing feeling to be able to represent such a big skateboarding brand, it truly is a dream come true for me.

You were recently featured in an adidas campaign, in store windows across the country, and people were taking photos of the windows and tagging you on social media. What was that like for you?

I never expected that to happen at all, it was something special. I got so much love from so many people.

Yann Horowitz, who originally hails from Durban, is a force of nature with immense power and fluid energy on a skateboard.

He regularly features in skate magazines across Europe and rarely is there ever an issue of Session Magazine where Yann doesn’t make an appearance of some sort. In fact he’s featured on more covers of Session than anybody else. Yann has won numerous local contests, been featured in countless videos and even toured parts of Europe on several occasions, such as Belgium with RVCA and France with Familia Skateboards, for whom he recently turned Pro. He also recently received major international coverage with a heavy barrage of footage in the RVCA South Africa tour on the Thrasher Magazine website. Yann gives 110% every time he steps on a skateboard and his raw ability is awe-inspiring for fellow South Africans.

So you just turned pro for Familia Skateboards, can you tell us a bit about your first board graphics?

The “Man’s Trash” idea is a series made up of 3 sculptures, the team collected trash over the course of about a month and then Gavin (Familia Owner) set it all in resin. The sculptures were then photographed and turned into board graphics. The physical sculptures are amazing objects that can hopefully be displayed in SA one day too. The “Found Objects” graphics are just figurines that Gavin found in Portugal where he lives, he sent me an image of one and I found it hi-

larious, so I was hyped to have it as my board graphic.

There was quite an epic party in Cape Town with the Baseline Skate Shop crew to celebrate, can you tell us a bit more about that?

That party was all I could have asked for, the best crew and everyone was so hyped! Everyone was moshing to Billy Idol and dance music. It was one big mosh pit. People got pepper-sprayed in all the chaos due to some miscommunication issue but everyone stayed through that, powered through and danced all night.

It was just one of the best parties ever!

As a South African skateboarder, how significant is it to turn pro for a local company?

I think it’ll push a lot more local guys to realize that it’s possible. Familia is a local company but it’s branched out to the international skate scene. It wasn’t a publicity stunt, we waited and we put in our time to earn these.

Shaun Witherup (who is also originally from Durban) also just turned pro for Familia in London and co-incidentally

Allan Adams crooked grinds in the Northern Cape.

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he also rides for adidas in the UK, what is it about Durban that so many talented skateboarders seem to come from there?

It’s the tap water, the warm ocean and the humidity. You have to keep moving and stay active otherwise you’ll melt and sink into the sand haha. Durban has amazing spots and it helps you to progress.

You guys recently did a trip to Lyon in France, and you had some coverage in the London-based Grey Skate Mag. Can you tell us a bit about your trip and where the footage will be released?

I bought a one-way ticket and was stressing about getting stuck there after realizing I didn’t have enough money to get home. It was an amazing trip and we didn’t use any public transport. We just skated everywhere because the sidewalks in France are so smooth. I filmed a whole bunch of stuff that is coming out in my Familia video part very soon!

So you also have a video part in the works for Familia, tell us about filming for that whilst filming for the adidas video at the same time, was there a lot of pressure and how did you divide your time up between the two projects?

It’s definitely been hard work because I’ve been trying to not repeat myself in both parts. I want each one to be fresh and different, it helps that one is filmed with a VX and the other is HD. I’ve been filming VX stuff with my friend Ryder and that all goes straight to Familia, everything else goes to the adidas video.

You’ve made a few appearances in Free Skateboard Magazine, Europe’s acclaimed continental skate publication.

Even having a full interview in Issue 3.

How do you go about getting international coverage as a skateboarder based in South Africa, no other locals quite seem to manage how to pull that off?

The best thing to do is save up some cash and go travel, meet people and make connections. Skate with international skaters, meet magazine editors and just be cool with people, make friends. When people become aware of you and they see you have ability then they’ll help you to make it happen and give you opportunities.

Has your coverage in the RVCA South Africa tour video that Thrasher released helped you make any connections and do you have any international travel plans in the works?

The RVCA international guys were really hyped on my skateboarding and have been reaching out to me. I guess I was a

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Daniel Miltiadou ollies out to 50-50 in Spruitview, in the south of JHB.

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Yann Horowitz jams a front board in Namibia.

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pretty good tour guide, party guide and skate guide, and it left an impression.

They all really want me to go visit them in the States. I guess I need to change up my lifestyle a bit and push to get over there. There is also talk of a possible Australia trip coming up soon that I hope will happen. There could possibly also be a little something with me in Thrasher, holding thumbs for that too.

Over the last four or so years you’ve been on some incredible trips with the adidas South Africa skate team, which was your favourite and why?

For me the Namibia trip stuck out the most, I had no idea there would be so many good spots. Windhoek was so good! I am also a big fan of just getting lost in the desert. Nobody had ever been to Namibia on a skate trip like that so we were all just driving through the country blind and discovering things as we went.

It all worked out brilliant and with Pieter as a tour guide nothing can go wrong.

What does being an ambassador for adidas mean to you and how has the brand helped you to develop as a skateboarder in South Africa? adidas helps a lot, being a skateboarder in South Africa is challenging because the scene is quite small here compared to how massive it is overseas. adidas have helped me to push it and do things I want to be part of. It’s always about how we can progress further and push it to do more.

With Pieter as an actual skateboarder running the show we’re always looking to the next project. Everyone on the team has had a lot of opportunities thanks to adidas.

The team consists of like-minded skateboarders who make up a cohesive collective. That is a crucial point - a collective. Skate teams shouldn’t just be a group of individuals picked at random because they can ride a skateboard, if the individuals mesh well then it becomes a family who motivates one other to make things happen, to keep on progressing.

Supporting skateboarding is not just about your immediate team riders, it’s also about supporting the skate community at large, giving back to the scene and helping to grow it. adidas has a wider network of individuals that

they support. People like Craig Leak, an amazingly technical skateboarder who works full-time but skates whenever he gets a spare moment. Daniel Miltiadou a student from Johannesburg with masterful transition skating ability and Joshua Chisholm who is regarded to be one of the gnarliest skateboarders in the country.

A key part of growing a local skate program is involving your team riders, working with them on a local level and providing them with opportunities to excel in their own ways. adidas understands the potential of local ambassadors and strives to support them. A big part of this involves local activations and tours, content creation that values local skateboarders and what they have to contribute to local culture. Getting financial support from a skate brand was once just a dream for many skateboarders in South Africa, but today adidas is leading the charge in supporting its key ambassadors. It’s examples like this that differentiate adidas and promote the growth of skateboarding in the country. Kids have something to look up to and aspire towards.

Led by their ambassadors, adidas have been on a real mission to document skateboarding in locations across Southern Africa over the past 5 years. Mozambique, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Namibia, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and many places in-between have all been documented on their travels.

Let’s not forget 5 years of ‘Battle of the Benches’ events with Baseline Skate Shop in Cape Town. The relationship between adidas and Baseline goes much further than simply events and shoes on the shelf. The crew is organically linked, a family of sorts. Today Baseline and adidas share 5 mutual affiliated riders.

The adidas South Africa skate team collectively represents the best of local skateboarding today, across all terrain.

Progression over the past 5 years has been immense and there are no signs of slowing down now. Who knows where we’ll be in the next 5 years, but the future certainly looks bright. adidas have laid the pathway and inspired a generation of local skateboarders to progress even further.

Progression over the past 5 years has been immense and there are no signs of slowing down now.

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s c a n d i n av i a

Photo by Pieter Retief

Beers, bongs and backside grinds, Two weeks of epic skateboarding in Sweden and Denmark.

The Copenhagen Open, widely regarded as the best skate event in the world.

Why? Because it’s not just one day at some park, it’s a 5 day skate festival with many of the best skateboarders in the world, at all kinds of different spots.

Everybody cruises the city together, on bikes and on boards, and on one particular day even on boats. One stop will be a triple set and the next a concrete bowl, but between the two Koston is riding around on a bike with his two kids, Ishod Wair is hyping the crowd and Alec Majerus is doing kickflip backtails down a handrail just for fun. Every night is some heavy party, drinking in public is legal, the drinks were somehow always free (thanks Rhulz!), the sun goes down very late and many of the biggest pros in the world are packing the dance floor. Many non-contest skateboarders show up to be a part of it, both street and tranny guys, which means you get to engage with legends that you won’t see at any other contest. If you only ever go to one

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skate event, Copenhagen is the one it should be. They call it ‘The Champagne of Skateboarding’. Our South African mate Rhulane Shiburi works in CPH for Street Machine skate shop, and his oldest mate Donovyn Le Roux was first to get on the mission. I heard about the plan and hopped on as soon as I could, then we heard Kanya Spani was coming over from Germany, where he now lives.

A week before we departed Pieter Retief decided to book last minute and then Adriaan Louw who was in Amsterdam decided to meet up with us. Boom! Just like that we had a SA posse to take on CPH 2016. Big thanks to Monster Energy for hooking us up with accommodation for the duration of the event. It’s surreal standing in your hostel lobby and the whole Anti Hero team is drinking in the bar.

An infamous area of CPH called Christiania is a sort of hippy community where marijuana can be bought and consumed freely, so naturally this means many skateboarders love the place.

On the first night everyone ended up at the Alis bowl/DIY spot in the area for Eric Dressen’s salad bowl jam (hosted by the man himself), drinks had been flowing all day and then out came the watermelon bong. Our boy Donny had stars in his eyes and went in big, but came up short, in fact we lost him to his bed for about 3 days of the event. Note to all, if you head to CPH then be careful of the weed out there! Hahaha Spani killed a few ledges behind the scenes during the week and partied it up every night. But he waited until the final event on the last night to enter into anything official. Best trick from kicker to kicker over a giant replica of a CPH barge, floating in a pool of water. In front of a packed crowd Spani came unstuck and somehow body slammed into the barge, breaking off a piece and cementing South Africa’s place in the CPH coverage edit hahahaha. Damn Spani we miss you!

Next we were off to Malmo, Sweden. It’s

Pieter Retief wallrides at one of the most iconic DIY spots in the world, Pontus Alv’s ‘TBS’ in Malmo, Sweden. Photo – Luke Jackson

Photo by Pieter Retief

just 30 minutes away, a train ride across the Oresund bridge. Rhulane resides in the city and kindly gave us a spot to stay.

Malmo is skate city, a very progressive city council works with local organization Bryggeriet to build parks and make the city more skate friendly. They have insanely big free concrete parks, perfect tranny spots, epic street plazas and yes also DIY spots. Bryggeriet even has a school that bases education around an indoor park facility, so instead of play-

Donovyn Le Roux wallies over the wall at Jarmers Plads, Copenhagen’s most iconic skate plaza. Photo – Pieter Retief

ing rugby, you can skate at school and things like learning to film and edit well are actual course work. Malmo is also home to one of my biggest skate inspirations, Pontus Alv. Meeting him and getting a personal tour of the city alongside some of the Polar Skate Co crew was one of my personal highlights. In Malmo we also attended the Vans Park Series World finals, the best tranny skaters in the world going head-to-head at an enormous new concrete park, purpose built for

the event but then donated afterwards.

Sweden and Denmark are absolutely epic skate destinations and they should be at the top of your list. But make sure you visit during their summer because the winter way up north can be quite brutal. A huge thanks goes out to Rhulane and his fiancée Mathilda for the amazing hospitality, as well as Frida for the epic tours of the countryside. I can’t wait to go back!

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Wynand Herholdt switch slappy nosegrind.

TK Modise feeble grinds.

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Trae Rice front feeble.

house of va n s J H B Words – Adrian Day Photos - Jansen van Staden

Last month Vans South Africa headed up to Johannesburg to do the second House Of Vans in SA, in celebration of 50 years of the Waffle Sole. The Cape Town one was big, busy and a blast, but nothing prepared me for the scale of the Jozi party. Holy shit. 3 days, a ton of bands, DJs, 2000+ people a day, one of the best skate events in years, and enough beer to fill an Olympic-sized pool.

In the usual Vans spirit, there were mug printing workshops, tote bag screening opportunities, exhibitions and art all over the gaff. But the ultimate highlight [for me, anyway] was the Baseline X Vans Pro Classic Skate Day. We flew master craftsman Dave de Witt up to recreate a homage obstacle to Jozi’s finest spot - Angle Banks... Or Slopes... or Love Banks - whatever you want to call them. The scale of the obstacle was massive, but Dave got her done in time and we had an amazing Cash-for-Tricks day, with JHB locals from all over pulling in to get some.

At the end of the day, with a project this large, it’s a huge feat, but Vans managed to pull it off seamlessly, and I have to say that Johannesburg crowds know how to have a good time and were very appreciative of the entire rager.

I hope we don’t have to wait another 50 years for the next one.

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Pl ankie s h a k e i t lo o s e Words – Luke Jackson Photos – Jansen van Staden

Craig Leak with a tall switch frontside noseslide.

Joshua Chisholm with a precarious manual.

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The most productive SA board company crew are back with yet another new video.

The crew keeps getting bigger and bigger too! Joshua Chisholm has now also officially joined the squad, alongside Craig Leak, Dylan Vaughan, Alan Marola, Skippy, Joubert and Jansen. Plankie is now also fully homegrown with even their boards being pressed in Cape Town.

The guys are always out skating and filming, and with a heap of footage stocked up it only made sense to put it all together and release a new video. Premieres recently went down at Baseline in Cape Town and Kitchener’s in Johannesburg.

Check out the new video for yourself, now up on our website – www.sessionmag.co.za

Dylan Vaughan going the distance.

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adidas Comp!

Visit vimeo.com/adithreeleaf and share your favourite adidas South Africa skate video from the past five years on Facebook. Tag us ‘Session Skateboarding Magazine’ or take a photo of the your favourite edit and tag us on instagram @sessionskatemag and one lucky winner will receive an adidas skateboarding hamper to the value of r4000!

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khule front shuv nosegrinds on the Ghostbusters Tour - Photo Grant Mclachlan

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iam F r a n c o u i s b r e e dt We met Francouis at Rynardt van der Merwe’s house in Polokwane during the Ghostbusters tour. Meeting locals in various towns on the road is one of the best parts about travelling, and Francouis helped us discover the gem spot in Mokopane, where he currently lives.

The guy is hyped on skateboarding and inspired by SA legend JP du Preez. On a Monday evening in Polokwane after skating the whole day we hit this one last spot, a set of 10 in a narrow corridor. Khu-

le flipped them, Josh switch 180’d them and Francouis kept on trying to land an airwalk. He took some heavy slams and even snapped his board, but still he kept on trying. When he eventually rolled away on a board he borrowed in the heat of the moment, the entire crew erupted! A perfect way to end our twoday stay in the Limpopo capital and a fitting tribute to JP, who apparently inspired Francouis to learn this trick. Keep the stoke alive!

Words – Luke Jackson Photo – Grant Mclachlan

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© BRUWER

USTRIES DYLAN WEARS THE “ANIMAL INSTINCT” BUTTON UP SHIRT, “PREMIUM” FIVE PANEL CAP AND SOCKS. SEE THE ENTIRE RANGE AT DOPEIND.COM

KYLE WAL K E R

F EATUR IN G VAN S WAF F LEC UP â„¢ , UN R EAL SUPPO RT AN D B O ARD F EEL. VAN S.CO M

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PHOTO GRANT MCLACHLAN