Skate scenes in their infancy often have a guiding light, a champion and pioneer who evangelises and develops and agitates at the absolute grassroots level, to try and make things happen for the new people skating hooks every day once they have access to it.
This is happening all over the world right now, and it is the purest version of skateboarding’s promise. As a counterpoint to all the upriver skate activity going on in the world today, wonderful though that doubtless is, shining a light not just on these nascent scenes but the builders of those scenes is a dollop of wholesome radness nobody can have too much of.
So, when South African skate evangelis Yann Horowitz, Chenai Gwandure and Jackson Pilz suggested continuing Red Bull’s drop- ins with the diverse skate scenes throughout the continent by heading to Ghana to meet Sandy Alibo and the Accra skaters, Jaakko Ojanen leapt at the once-in-a-lifetime chance to bring his magic feet to the party. What was created proved to be a pivotal skate happening for the Accra scene; one which will never be forgotten by anyone involved. Absorb Patrik Wallner’s awesome film from the tour up top there, and roll back around in a week’s time as the squad roll into Nairobi, Kenya!