Skateboarding For Hope Presented By Vans: Pretoria Recap

Skateboarding For Hope Presented By Vans hit Menlyn Skatepark in Pretoria on Saturday, 1 August, 2015 and welcomed close to 100 Guateng skaters trying their luck at one last shot to earn a wildcard entry to the KDC SA Championships this October. A group of children from Louie Botha Children’s Home joined us for the second year in a row to join us for a skateboarding coaching clinic along with some motivational words from our local skaters.

The crew from the KDC African Tour pulled through with Khule Ngubane, Josh Chisholm, Alan Marola, Anton Roux, and Trae Rice, upping the ante for the day. Anton got broke off trying and eventually pulling a blunt nosegrab in on the huge bank to wall and Trae backed him up with a frontside rock. Juan Smit even got in there with a slash.

In the end, Marola came through with yet another win for the SFH season with Khule right behind after a crazy head to head final. Brandon Valjalo took the 3rd place spot. Local PTA ripper Etienne Leroux ended up taking a well deserved wildcard entry to the KDC SA Champs.

On the TopGrom front, the Stylianou twins made it to the podium once again, this time with Michael in first and Brian in 2nd. Aiden Searle ended up taking 3rd. Fan favorite, Bobo AKA Boipelo Olisamaka took the wildcard entry to the TopGrom champs atKDC this October.

All in all, we were yet again super impressed with the level of skating in the area. The Pretoria kids aren’t sleeping, that’s for sure.

Thanks to all of our sponsors and partners who made the event possible and contributed to another great SFH stop for the season: Menlyn Skatepark, Vans, Kumba Iron Ore, Northern Cape Tourism, Red Bull, Top Grom, World Skateboarding Grand Prix, Aquavita, Old School Productions, and Pragmatics.

Check out some photos and results from the event and keep your eyes peeled for the video recap coming soon!

Results

TopGrom

1. Michael Stylianou

2. Brian Stylianou

3. Aiden Searle

Wildcard- Boipelo Olisamaka

Open Div.

1. Alan Marola

2. Khule Ngubane

3. Brandon Valjalo

Wildcard- Etienne Leroux

Pretoria locals: The more sessions you pay for, the closer Menlyn Skatepark will be to fixing this old hip. We did what we could for the day, using stickers, tape, and everything sticky.

Young skate rat Brandon Botha hardflips the double set for the camera.

Josh Chisholm nosegrinds the hubba before leaving on the KDC African Tour.

Time to say cheese before taking the new boards for a stroll. It was our friend’s first time on a skateboard and he learned how to drop in later on in the day!

More free skateboards, more smiles.

One group photo before the skate clinic goes down.

Spice taking the kids under his wing.

After they learned to push, the guys didn’t hesitate to take them to the ramps to teach them to drop in. Lots of falling happened, but some of the kids managed to catch on and get the hang of it.

On to the TopGrom division. Here’s Aiden Searle with an ollie down the big stairs.

Etienne LeRoux had frontside flips over the hip on lock.

Khule Ngubane, nosegrind.

Trae Rice goes for it on the big scary vert wall. Frontside rock.

David Woolf, gap out to nosegrind.

Alan Marola, back tail.

Crazy dudes David Woolf and Anton Roux took each took home R250 for going for broke. David did gap to nosegrind on the rail and Anton pulled a blunt nosegrab on the vert wall.

Etienne was so stoked to get the wildcard. Well deserved, man.

TopGrom finalists from left to right: The homie (cameo appearance), Brian Stylianou (2nd), Boipelo Olisamaka (wildcard), Aiden Searle (3rd), and Michael Stylianou (1st).

Open Div. winners from left to right: Khule Ngubane (2nd), Etienne LeRoux (wildcard), Alan Marola (1st), and Brandon Valjalo (3rd).

Good times! Thanks to everyone in Pretoria for coming out!

Photos by Rudi Jeggle

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