#KDCgoesvirtual when Skateboarding for Hope gets underway this weekend.

The #KDCgoesvirtual Skateboarding for Hope event takes place at the Kimberley Skate Plaza this Saturday, with a live broadcast of the finals at 1700.

Kimberley, Northern Cape, South Africa.

The city of Kimberley will be treated this weekend with the return of the #TheRealKDC at the Kimberley Skate plaza. Though the event will be a regional event, showcasing the best of the Province, the KDC Grand Slam events will return later in the year for skaters from all over South Africa and the World. Some of SA’s most famous Pro Skaters will fill the roles of Judges and Mc’s, which is sure to stoke the local skate community. Many of the Northern Cape skaters have come through the, Skateboarding for Hope, development program, run by KDC.

The event will be live from tomorrow the 26th of March, when the premier, Dr Zamani Saul will officially open the Skateboarding for Hope event at 10am.

All these proceedings will be live on our YouTube channel, https://youtu.be/eHm0AT-xWr0  …  with the finals event broadcast live at 1700 on Saturday the 27th of March.

You can follow these hashtags for more updates – #TheRealKDC #ExperienceNorthernCape

The city has been battered by torrential rains this week, that has left the skatepark waterlogged and organizing the event a bit harder, but it’s all systems go for this weekend.

Heavy downpours and electric storms caused much damage across the Northern Cape, but the outlook for the weekend is mostly sunny.

South Africa’s top skateboarders will judge and mentor, the best young talent from the Northern Cape for the competition with an overall purse of R100 000.

The Northern Cape is the definitive home of extreme sport in South Africa and has the proven credentials and events that can attest to that status.

Skateboarding for Hope will bring a new broadcast format too, with content going directly to its communities on a variety of platforms and formats.

The event will showcase the best the Northern Cape has to offer.

Please watch our online channels for updates and how to best follow and engage with this innovative event. 

Northern Cape Tourism

KDC

For more information about the Northern Cape, please visit www.experiencenortherncape.com

Kevin Peraza Bmx Gold Medalist – The Lockdown Ep3

The Podcast

Kevin Peraza is the happiest athlete on earth!

Big call you may say, but if you have watched top Bmx competition for the last few years, you will agree with me. Known as much for his huge, tweaked out tricks, as for that infectious smile always plastered on his dial. For the podcast we took a look at why he has such a happy outlook on life and why Bmx makes him so happy. A big reason he is on the Monster Energy, Mongoose and Vans A teams.

Lockdown Mind Games

Going from riding Bmx every day, which he still does, albeit in the parking garage, whether park or street – the lockdown has seriously impacted on Kevin‘s life. While surfers can still go ride the waves in California, all skate and bmx parks are closed. Good time to be Pat Casey with the most epic backyard setup, but KP in lockdown at his apartment.

Kevin Peraza loves South Africa

Well he does, he was about to board a plane to SA for Ultimate X, then the lockdown was initiated and he still has the tickets. His first few trips were to Cape Town and the last 2 have been to Sun City. (KP makes a very good Game Drive guide btw) Check out the seal diving trip we chat about below. He reckons as soon as travel allowed, he is coming back to SA!

X Games Minneapolis 2019 Live Stream Links

Thats right action fans, X games is back, in fact the prelims have already started. The bad news – our pedantic, boring, SA tv channels are not showing it anymore. The good news – You can watch every event on Youtube for free. Below I have put together a list of some of the major broadcasts coming up and I will update this post as new ones become available.

Skateboard Live

Here are the skate events:

BMX Live

Here are the BMX events:

Thats Day 1 – More to come

So there you have the opening action from X Games 2019. Be sure to subscribe to my page and the X Games Youtube page for more. Big shout out to Monster Energy for their support of all action sports, including X Games.

Week in Action Episode 1

After I finished my radio show, many people asked for more and its taken a while to get myself around what I wanted to do next. Starting this week a new series of web shows will start hitting the blog and my timelines, starting with episode one of, Week in Action.

What is the new show?

Essentially I am going to give you guys a weekly show that covers my favorite web videos of the week in the world of action sports. Covering all the sports and from documentaries to plain, old full tilt action videos

What else can you expect?

Joining the weekly video show, will be live interviews with some of the biggest names in action sports on a separate show, called “Between two blocks of sex wax” and bend the scenes looks at some of South Africa and the World’s biggest X events.

This week’s Video

Here is Episode one of “Week In Action”.

Check out the Featured Videos

Three Ride – A summer day where 3 of the baddest Action Sport athletes, Pat Casey (BMX), Axell Hodges (Moto) and Trey Wood (Skate) meet up to make a southern Cali backyard masterpiece entitled #ThreeRide – By Dirt Shark and Monster Energy

Wind – This is the First of the Element Series: WIND
We are looking to create 5 short films filmed throughout the year that would showcase South Africa, the coffee culture, bodyboarding and what we have to offer. Why we called it “The Elements” is due to the harshness of the environment in SA and Namibia. Desert like areas, warm weather, hot winds, strong off shores as well as the impending danger of sharks along the coast. – By: Iain Campbell and We Bodyboard

Monster Mentality – Josh Sheehan
Humble beginnings have never harnessed FMX legend Josh Sheehan. The Aussie simply doesn’t set barriers within his motocross challenges, allowing him to pull off one of the biggest tricks in action sports history – the world’s first triple backflip on a motorcycle. With his mental and physical toughness, Sheeny is able to overcome his fears while partaking in one of the world’s most dangerous sports and stay competition-ready at all times. – By: Monster Energy

The Dock 2 – Four of the world’s best surfers and one two-ton floating platform that “whips like a fu**ng viper.” This is The Dock 2.0
With Chippa Wilson, Eithan Osborne, Dion Agius and Noa Deane.
In Salina Cruz, Mexico. – By: Stab Magazine & Monster Energy

TESORO ENTERRADO – Torren Martyn
The waves we had down there were absolutely incredible, sort of mind boggling at times. It’s humbling the energy in the ocean and the way the sand and currents dictated where and what waves we surfed. They were there one day and gone the next. I think that was the beauty of it too, we didn’t really have any expectations or too much of a plan, things just fell in to place and I wouldn’t change a thing.
By: needEssentials & Torren Martyn

Torren Martyn – TESORO ENTERRADO – Full Film from needESSENTIALS on Vimeo.

Support the Show

I hope you enjoyed the first episode and if you liked it please subscribe to my youtube channel and blog! The more subscriptions, the better I can make the show.

Between the Lines – a cinematic portrait of an oceanic love affair

Sacha Specker contemplating his domain.

This is one incredible short film

First off you need to know that, yes, I am friends with both parties here. I have known the cinematographer, Jason Hearn, for more long than either of us care to mention, as it gives our ages away. I have also known Sacha for an incredibly long time. That does not change how I feel about this film, In between the lines, which even if I did not know them, I would be raving about. Its simply glorious.

Sacha Specker is a waterman and a genius

What most of the world knows about Sacha Specker “Spex” is that he is a 2 time bodyboard world champion. So yes, he absolutely kills it on a bodyboard. What most don’t know, is that he pretty much kills it on any surf craft. In fact he probably could have been a professional surfer if he chose so. Its not unheard of to see him out charging on his bodyboard, ruling the lineup, then switching to a tiny fish surfboard and still ruling the lineup. On top of that, he is probably the most proficient when he picks up his camera gear and heads into the ocean. His images are simply mind blowing effigies to a love of the salty brine.

Jason Hearn has captured the sole of Spex

In this film, Between the Lines, Jason Hearn has managed to capture the sole of his subject. It encapsulates and portrays Sacha’s love for the ocean and his drive to capture all its moods. His drive is to capture waves in their most divine and random form, that which makes them waves. The film captures this, nay it celebrates it and this is why you should watch it right now! I guarantee it will make an impact on you.

Watch Between the Lines

Between the Lines from Jason Hearn on Vimeo.

Rolling Retro 2019 Official Video

A huge keg won Josh Brodie the wave of the day award.

Rolling Retro must be the best day of the year!

Every year I say it and this year is no different. Rolling Retro is simply the best day of the year. Where else can one come to the beach without any boards, ride pieces of SA surf history, hang out on the most beautiful beach, see some of the hottest humans alive and drink cold beer and party your socks off?

This year we were celebrating a decade of this amazing event and it really was an exceptional day!

The video will blow your mind

I have warned you! If you were not at the Rolling Retro this year, this may make you feel very, very sad! Perhaps even a little green.

Incredible job by Michael Veltman on the production, the track from the Dinosaurs is amazing and you are going to love the official 2019, Rolling Retro video.

Darkfest Cometh – The Freeride Mega Line

Darkfest Warm Up – Photo: Eric Palmer, Monster Energy

The biggest dirt jump line in the World

It is pretty amazing that the world’s biggest dirt jump run, is right here in South Africa. For the last few year’s the Darkfest team, supported by Monster Energy and led by Sam Reynolds and Nico Vink have been creating ridiculous runs, first in Knysna and now Franshoek. Now the world’s best free ride mountain bike, hell men, return!

Sam, Clemens & Nico have been working hard creating magic at the DarkFEST site just outside Stellenbosch in the beautiful Helshoogte Valley. Two new features are being added to the end of the line this year, so the focus has been at the bottom of the course this week. The gigantic step up has had an overhaul and is slightly hipped to the right now to lead into a flat drop into the road below and then into a chute down to a big stepped up trick jump. This will make the world’s top free ride mountain bike guys very happy indeed.

The massive Jumps getting built. Photo: Eric Palmer, Monster Energy

Darkfest will have a 100ft Jump

The main new feature, the massive trick jump at the bottom is the only thing that needs more serious tweaking as the guys were getting so much speed on the run in they decided to raise the landing a few meters and dig the lip deeper to make it taller and steeper! So Clemens is giving his rocket launcher a complete makeover. The rest of the course has had a few minor tweaks. It is looking burnished and so smooth & glossy with the trademark Nico & Clemens perfection.

Nico also spent some quality time with the twisty wizard, between the big 100 footer and the hip and made it even more twisty with the landing more finned out almost into a wall ride that aims you straight at the hip with tonnes of speed. The step up is also a bit taller and the landing is slightly hipped to the right to set up for the drop, which has also been made steeper a bit after testing which now sets you up for the trick jump perfectly.

The World’s Best/Craziest Freeride Mountain Bike stars coming to Darkfest

All the biggest names in freeride Mountain Bike will be arriving next week to take on this incredible course.

Confirmed Riders:
Sam Reynolds
Clemens Kaudela
Nico Vink
Tom van Steenbergen
Adolf Silva
Brendan Fairclough
Ethan Nell
DJ Brand
Nicholi Rogatkin
Jordie Lunn
Graham Agassis
Matt Macduff
Tom Reynolds
Darryl Brown
Theo Erlangsen
Kurt Sorge
Makken
I will be joining legend, death loop star, Matt Macduff, on the mic on the open day, so come join me for a day you will never forget!

Get your tickets to the Darkfest!

You can come and join us to witness the most mental mountain biking on the the planet. Get your tickets HERE

PS: If you get a VIP, you will get to meet and hang with the world’s best 😉

Check out the Build Videos so far…

Axell Hodges – Deserted with Monster Energy

Happy New Year with Axell Hodges

What better way to start 2019 than with the latest dirt fest with Axell Hodges. Slay Hodges and friends head to Ocotillo Wells during a brutal winter storm and tear it up on their desert toys – aka DESERTED.

Monster Energy take Axell and his team of nutters deep into the dirt, where he charges as per usual.

Massive Jumps

In a place where most are sticking to the small jumps, Axell goes large. One particular jump is over 90ft and he manages to smash both his rims. Twitch cant believe this as he broke his leg at Ocotillo the last time he rode there. Axell just laughs it off. There are also a couple of great whips by the king of the move.

Enjoy the video!

Monster Energy always bring the MX heat, so here is your first video of 2019, Deserted with Axell Hodges. I hope you enjoy it!

African Dirt Jump Adventures with Nick Clarke

Nick falls in love with African Dirt

When Nick Clarke arrived in South Africa for the Mega Loop build three years ago, he did not know what to expect. The ultimate Dirt Jump was the goal. Turns out he fell in love with the Southern Tip of Africa. Maybe it was the awesome people, the really good riding or simply the laid back lifestyle. Whatever you choose, he chose to come back for Darkfest and two consecutive Night Harvests and would have stayed for ever, if not for a visa problem.

He loves a Dirt Jump

Nick loves dirt jumping and lucky for him, he made friends with the gents at The Trails Crew who quickly adopted him and took him to all the top spots. From Potato trails in Cape Town to the Garden Route trail park, he got a taste of all that SA had to offer. Oh and he took out back to back Night Harvest titles…

Not just riding!

He did not just ride either! Nick worked with myself as the co-commentator for Bmx at the 2017 Ultimate X event, did some work with Monster Energy and was a barmen at Aces n Spades, one of CT’s best bars. He really embraced the Cape Town lifestyle.

Check out the Video

Lucky for Nick, he got some serious video shot of the entire trip, thanks to Thomas Sandell, and now you get to watch the highlights from his African Dirt Jump trip! So sit back, pour some maple syrup over your biltong and enjoy the video, eyyyy!

Support Captain Pugwash

If you want to follow Nick Clarke’s adventures back home in Canada, he won’t be back here for a while sadly, then head over to his Facebook Page and Instagram and show him some love. I am sure he will appreciate it and you will be entertained!

VANS Surf Pro Classic at Lamberts Bay

The VANS Surf Pro Classic at Lamberts Bay went down in epic surf up the Weskus of South Africa. With the best local and a few quality international drop-ins, the surfing on display was of the highest quality imaginable!

The Standouts

The first standout was undoubtably the waves at Yoyos at Lamberts Bay. The South African Trestles as its affectionately called by myself and others delivered highly contestable surf. The other standout was Michael February, Mfeb to his friends, who has been on a tear in the City Surf Series. Mfeb never looked like losing and eventually took out his best mate, David Van Zyl, in the incredible final.

Vans Surf Pro Classic

The Event grows every year and is fast proving popular with even international surfers. This is great news for both local surfers and the local community as it brings much needed tourism revenue to the very poor area. I hope this event grows into a bigger event and perhaps even a WSL 10000 one day.