Full report: Eyethu Skate Park blunt bowlriders skate comp March 2022

The first open skate comp held at Eyethu was a resounding success, locals and some special guests ripped the concrete to frikkin’ shreds.

Words by bluntEd.

While the cream of South African contest skateboarders competed for big bucks at the KDC event in Kimberley the previous day, Eyethu Skate Park and blunt magazine quietly held our debut skate comp at our local park. 

We chose a bowl comp to honour this little kidney-shaped gem in our midst and to encourage the locals skaters to bring their best transition skating – and man we were not disappointed.

While we have had a few Christmas parties for the township kids, this was the first proper skate contest in the park, open to all comers, who were mostly locals from Hout Bay and the nearby township Imizamo Yethu and Hangberg community, but also included a couple of other Cape Town skaters and a few special guests.

The vibe was festive and it felt like a real OG underground hesher pit comp, the skaters amping each other on to some burly tricks, but with no egos and plenty of skateboarding family spirit. 

We were stoked to see such a good turn out in the juniors and seniors and everyone hanging out smiling, cheering for each other and enjoying the great weather.

 “The vibe was festive and it felt like a real OG underground hesher pit comp, the skaters amping each other on to some burly tricks, with no egos and plenty of skateboarding family spirit.” 

A big thanks to our Olympian Dallas Oberholzer – who also built the Eyethu Park – and Guinness record holder and Cape Town tech street skating legend Jeanmarc Johannes for coming down to support us and helping with the judging. Also gratitude to our two out of town entrants – Ezra Vosloo from Durban and Josh Beukes from Joburg – for pulling in.

While us organisers faffed with microphones and clipboards, just before the comp started genius talented scooter rider, Mathias Villiers, gave an insane demo in the bowl. 

Say what you will about scooter boys, his flips and slides had everyone frothing like rabies victims and set a great tone for the day (see video at the end of the blog if you don’t believe me, otherwise suck it we all hate scooters I know).

Both the Junior and Open divisions started with 1 minute runs for all entrants, from which the best skaters were chosen for a jam format final.

Highlights included watching the junior runner up 12-year-old Ezra, who has honed his skills in the Ballito Bowl, fly around the bowl with a smooth silky style beyond his years into second place with a frontside rocks, shove it disasters and a 50-50 stall to frontside revert among other sick tricks. 

The local Eyethu kids, faced with their first outside competition in the juniors, were more than up to the challenge though. Junior winner Kwekwe stuck a lightning fast lipslide and a blunt fakie in the deep end, and third place Angalakah ripped the bowl to pieces as well. 

Another local kid, Thomas (reigning Christmas event champ) also skated some solid runs and stuck a flawless backside blunt on the extension to take out the best trick.

The open was predictably a sick shradical shredfest. Notable finalists outside the top three included finalist Chris Nderi, who stuck several backside disaster reverts as clean as your momma’s toilet seat. Fifth place went to local skater Kieran Muller, who is always a serious stand out with his raw style and fast skating. 

Speed demon Khaya ‘K-Bird’ stuck several solid frontside and backside airs, popped a perfect blunt fakie and stuck a fakie shove it fakie rock – rolling away to stoked cheering from the crowd and into fourth place.

 

The local Eyethu kids, faced with their first proper outside competition in the juniors, were more than up to the challenge. 

 

‘K-Bird’ also finally landed a melon grab transfer from the park into the bowl (unfortunately this after his run, but he got the loudest yells from everyone after what seemed like a hundred attempts, but we all knew he was gonna get it).

 

Ben Bing brought the old school DogTown stylee with surf slashes and layback grinds galore, also prompting several more whoops and ‘fuck yeahs’ from the rim of the bowl.

Top three highlights included third place Matt G’s nosegrind on the extension, his frontside grind over the hip and numerous fuck off backside airs, all executed in his gnarly full-bore approach.

Second placed Josh from Joburg impressed his hosts with his flawless frontside airs off the extension, invert tricks and all round refined bowl skills, though maybe just a little too smooth and predictable to take first place. 

But, his performance was not enough to overcome local diamond Philippe Hartgers, who flew around the bowl like a boomerang. 

He unleashed all manner of butter smooth high speed grinds, lip slides, ollies and ollies to tailslide over the hips, and a backside 50-50 over the extension, to top off his victory and fitting sign off to one of Hout Bay’s best skaters, who has since moved to the US.

 

Finally, massive props to Cape Town femme skater Cheyenne who entered the comp to compete against more than a dozen guys, and impressed all – including Dallas – with her fearless approach and high speed whip carves around the bowl, that saw her slam badly and graze her padless knees nicely, but also win the hardest charger award.

A big thanks to the Eyethu team of volunteers for working hard in the lead up and during the event to somehow pull this comp off in support of local skateboarding, Vicky and Hylton, Wonga, Suli, Ziyaad, MJ, Ben Bing and Kola as well as anyone else we forgot and all the spectators, guests and the local skaters for representing IY skateboarding so well. 

We had some hiccups but hopefully – no shit definitely – this will be the just start of something bigger and better! 

Thanks also to all our sponsors: Sealand, Spar Hout Bay, Brand Collective, Baboon Boards, Float, Vans, Rotary Club, Board Hub and HBUFC for the energy drinks.

@ghettoroyalty @sealandgear @brand_collective @my_spar Hout Bay @boardhub @float_apparel @baboonboards @vans_za @bluntmagza @hout_bay_rotary_official @idigsuli @mj_johnson01 @ziyaad_davids99 @eyethu_houtbay_skatepark @kola.cohen @ben.bing @dallasafrica @jeanmarcskate @_cheyennehill @surfboarddriver @kieranmuller @philippemgill @joshbeukes @brodevosloo @k_bird123 @hout_bay_rotary_official

Full Results (sorry first names terms only, this was a real grass roots chaotic OG skate comp!)

Juniors

1. Kwekwe
2. Ezra
3. Angalaka

Best Trick: Thomas (backside blunt on the extension)

Open

1. Philippe
2. Josh
3. Matt
4. K Bird
5. Kieran

blunt mag Old school trick award: Ben (bert lipslide to revert)

blunt mag / Amped Ramps Full Throttle Award for the hardest charger: Cheyenne (the only female entrant in the comp)

Check out Eyethu Hout Bay Skate Park on Instagram.

Video Clips 

Check out our video clips, sorry suckers we didn’t have a pro video guy on hand (they were all at KDC) so not all the runs or tricks are there, but it gives you a great idea of the level skating and good spirit on the day.