(Image: Tyler Hicks for the New York Times.)
Photographer Glen E. Friedman, who is the subject of our Boing Boing Video episode tomorrow -- he shot some of the greatest skateboarding photos of our time -- pointed me to this interesting story in the NYT from a few days ago. Glen asks, "Isn't there someone [reading this blog post] who can figure out how to get this guy some more boards for these kids?" Snip:
Afghan youth have learned to recover almost instantly from such routine violence. One person determined to inject some normalcy into their lives is Oliver Percovich. A 34-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, he plans to open this country’s first skateboarding school, Skateistan, this spring. He sees sport as a way to woo students into after-school activities like English and computer classes, which are otherwise reserved for the elite.Full story, pics of super cute Afghan kid skaters, and a neat video all here: Skateboarding in Afghanistan Provides a Diversion From Desolation (NYT). Here is the Skateistan website. And here's how you can help.“Teenagers are trying to dissociate from old mentalities, and I’m their servant,” Percovich said. “If they weren’t interested, I would’ve left a long time ago.”
Now, when he pulls his motorcycle into a residential courtyard here, a dozen youngsters pounce before it comes to a stop, yanking six chipped skateboards with fading paint off the back. The children, most participating in a sport for the first time in their war-hardened lives, do not want to waste any time. Their skateboard park is a decrepit Soviet-style concrete fountain with deep fissures. The tangle of novice skaters resembles bumper cars more than X Games.
But Percovich has raised the money needed to build an 8,600-square-foot bubble to house the nonprofit Skateistan complex, and the Kabul Parks Authority has tentatively donated land. He is still waiting for official permission to begin the project. And since a spate of kidnappings and the car bombing in late November, he has reduced his daily sessions at the fountain to once or twice a week.
Among those who look forward to his visits is Maro, an elfin 9-year-old girl who was terrified of skateboarding at first. “It gives me courage, and once I start skating, I completely forget about my fears,” she said.
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That's cool.
Glad to here the girls are getting in on it too.
Go Maro!
/hear? /Read?
oops
I will make that rail-slide, "Ollie Willing".
@3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0PIdWdw15U
Totally wonderful. Thanks!
After reading this and watching the video, I'll probably have a smile on for the rest of the day.
Donation made!
So cool and sad at the same time.
Tony Hawk should get in on this.
p.s. the "Ollie willing" comment was pitch perfect!
Skate Deck Show taking place at Columbia College Chicago March 6 - April 2
Click on the link and scroll down to reSESSION
http://www2.colum.edu/sgc/Exhibitions.html
Pretty fucking cool idea. Like many places in the world, not immune to American global capitalism and intervention, Middle Eastern kids really dig American subculture. And I agree that it would be awesome if established, successful American skaters could contribute to this cause. But as usual, where are the chicks??? Gender apartheid disguised under religious etiquette still seems apparent in this case. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thanks.
Whoops! Just noticed that there IS a female participant! That's pretty cool and is very significant in today's sexist Taliban-dominated Afghanistan.
This is awesome!! Seriously! How could would it be to bring a pro tour to afghanistan for one day. To give those kids something to look forward too!
awesome! 100% WIN
Really cool till the Taliban beheads them .
pseudonym, what an assinine and jerk-like thing to say. did someone pee on your wheaties this mornin? nonetheless: congrats! you win the "bung of the day" award!
Good to see someone stepping up and bringing a little joy to kids' lives.
NEil from California
Don't forget the Skateistan Fundraiser Festival in Linköping, Sweden on 29 August! /SkatistanSweden (MySpace)
I thought skateboard was prohibited in Afghanistan. It is a kind of sport/game from the west countries, right? It's great to hear that the country is now more open to trend or culture from the others. Korean Fashion
Wow, a bit unbelievable that they finally allow a bit of "western style" inside the country. I am working at the Concrete Sealer branch office in Saudi Arabia, but I am from Asian countries. Etreme regulations on something like this is a common thing here.