Uganda’s Skateboarding Scene ~ Big Air in Kampala
By Julie Bosman, NYTIMES ~ Before Jack Mubiru, a father of the skateboarding scene in Uganda, could build a half-pipe in his native Kampala in 2006, he had to avoid paying a construction fee, so he fabricated a story about building a private enclosure for a pet crocodile.
Most local officials — and neighborhood residents — had never heard of skateboarding. Six years later, the sport has spread from the skate park to the streets, attracting children as young as 5 and adult women.
Its profile is growing throughout eastern Africa, with skate parks built or planned in neighboring Kenya and Tanzania. Proponents of skateboarding say it gives participants a welcome leisure activity in countries where there are few other options. ‘‘There is not much else for younger people to do,’’ Mubiru says. ‘‘So many people want to skateboard.’’
About the Author
These boys have got the passion and talent odf skateboarding.