Skateboarding in Afghanistan?
Absolutely. As soon as Australian skateboarders Oliver Percovich and Sharna Nolan lay down their boards in Kabul, they were surrounded by the eager faces of children of all ages begging to teach them how to skate. Stretching the three boards they had, they developed a small skate school.
A group of Afghan friends (aged 18-22) who were naturals at skateboarding shared the three boards and quickly progressed in their new favorite sport — and so skateboarding hit Afghanistan. The founders’ success with their first students prompted them to think bigger: by bringing more boards back to Kabul and establishing an indoor skateboarding venue, they would be able to teach many more youth; they would also be able to hold separate classes for girls.
Ever since, Skateistan has been Afghanistan’s first skateboarding school dedicated to teaching both male and female students. We aim to build indoor and outdoor skateboarding facilities on which Afghan youth can come together to skateboard: here, they forge bonds that transcend social barriers; here, they’re enabled to affect change on issues important to them.
Current Activities
Our project starts in Kabul, where we are currently building an all-inclusive skatepark facility on 5428 square meters of land donated by the Afghan Olympic Committee. The indoor section will be built by IOU Ramps; the outdoor section is being designed by Convic Design.
Once built, students will receive training from experienced skateboarders in a secure environment. Skateboards, shoes, and safety equipment will be loaned on-site for the duration of classes. A documentary (”To Live and Skate in Kabul”) will soon be released, detailing the construction of the school, the achievements of its students, and what it’s like to grow up in twenty-first century Afghanistan.
