The BBC has a slideshow of some images from the Uganda Skateboard Union. People have been donating boards to the cause. The Tony Hawk Foundation has made some sizable material donations. Someone else even went to the trouble of donating a Mountain Dew shirt so the locals could get extreme! At this point in the post I’d like to point out that Uganda Skateboard Union first came to the attention of S&A back in 2007! If you’re in the mood for a good natured giggle, check out their awesome video, Boardmaster, from 2008. – Thanks to Paul Fujita for the tip.

It’s old news, but it’s good news. Tony Hawk was in South Africa skating with the locals, and I mean the Zulu locals, which was coincidentally an early name for the Ramp Locals in a working version of the Thrashin’ script. Tony was there in conjunction with Laureus World Sports Academy in order to attend a launch for an Indigo Youth Movement project, whose goal is to “to help young people in rural communities develop life skills and confidence through skateboarding.” Who started the IYM? Why, our old friend Dallas Oberholzer. This isn’t Tony’s first involvement with youth skateboarding in Africa. Birdhouse and the Tony Hawk Foundation have sent boxes of product to the Uganda Skateboard Union, including skateboards and shoes. It’s true. I’ve seen the pictures on the Interwebs™. I just can’t find them. [Photo: Patrick Royal for Laureus]