Friday, May 29, 2015

ethiopia skate



The title track from The Very Best’s latest album Makes A King.

Featuring Ethiopia Skate, started two years ago by a peer group of young skaters, led by then 16 year old Abenezer Temesgen, who shared only 7 boards between 25 youth in Ethiopia’s capitol, Addis Ababa. With time they connected with older skateboarders Addisu Hailemichael, Buzeyo Julien, and Yared Aya who each brought their neighborhood crews to the mix- creating a citywide network of youth interested in skating. With no place to buy skateboards, the crew created the beginnings of a skateboard scene and start a community organization to support it.

American photographer Sean Stromsoe documented this process by taking photos and making videos to inspire the movement. Since then, Ethiopia Skate has been able to get over 100 kids skateboarding with boards donated from Austria and America. They use Instagram to connect with various skaters and travelers, even getting the attention of CNN- who did a story on the movement in 2014.

In a place where there are no proper skate spots, this generation shows how to make do with what you have- power sliding down steep hills in the Piassa district or dropping in on their homemade mini ramp. They aim to buildEthiopia’s first public skatepark and spark a movement that lasts long into the future.

Shot & edited by Sean Stromsoe
Produced by Ethiopia Skate

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