The scene is set for the Maloof Money Cup to be held in Kimberley in September 2011. South Africa's skateboarding community is a fast growing group of hardcore enthusiasts who spend their days looking for the highest jumps, the smoothest rails to grind and the best terrain to showcase their skills.
South Africa however has limited skate parks that offer awesome skateboarding adventures for these sport enthusiasts. Most of these parks are unattainable by the general mass participation market segment, which is our core market penetration objective.
Essentially, where there's tar or cement, there is a potential for a skating and rollerblading venue, however South Africans are not privileged to have any official municipal skate parks in the various provinces and children are fined if caught skating in car parks, shopping centres, etc.
The lack of municipal skate parks calls for a development program, to initiate skateboarding at a provincial level with the eye on national and international level competitions.
It is important to bring the awareness of the benefits of facilities of this nature, to the local communities. Australia, United States of America and the United Kingdom have realised these benefits and embraced them.
The Northern Cape provincial government decided to embrace skateboarding as an official sport and to this end secured the rights to host the Maloof Money Cup, the world's richest skateboarding championship with a total price purse of R3.75 million.
Skateboarding, being an individual sport with a low cost at entry level with regards to equipment (R250 per board), and free entry to parks, will be accessible to all community levels.
The provincial government will be hosting a skateboard event in Kimberley to launch this sport to the Northern Cape and the rest of South Africa. This event, which will be held at the Memorial Gardens in Kimberley on 9 October 2010 between 09:00 to 17:00 is once again a "first" for Kimberley.
A variety of exciting activities will be taking place: skateboarding demonstrations from renowned skateboarding champions in South Africa, running of skateboarding clinics throughout the day for the youth (skateboards will be provided), an education station where demonstrations will take place on how to construct the different components of a skateboard, do it yourself area where professional ramp builders will demonstrate how to build ramps and obstacles.
Competitions with prizes will be held throughout the day to identify and reward local skaters. Various DJ artists and hip hop dance groups will be showing off their talent. Members of the public are invited, both young and old to experience and take part in this extreme skateboarding event.
The Northern Cape Premier, Ms Hazel Jenkins will provide insight into the provincial plan to adopt skateboarding as a sport and commence the roll out of both the Maloof Money Cup and establishment of skate parks throughout the province.
For further information contact:
Peter McKuchane
Tel: 053 833 1434
E-mail: peter.ncta@telkomsa.net
Cell: 082 467 2525
Source: Northern Cape Provincial Government
Skateboarding set to position the Northern Cape firmly on the world map
Province
