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InchangaSA’S FIRST FREERIDE EVENT

A2 POSTER INSIDE

WINA RAYNE BOARDOR G-FORM GEAR

ISSUE 01 DEC 2013 / JAN 2014 R 29.95 INCL. VAT

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IntervIeWINg

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BRONWYN VAN JAARSVELD

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photo: jon huey

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cONTEntSBREAKING GROUND10

OPINION[SK]ATEDWHERE’S MY SANDWICH18

CORNERSTONEVIDEO CONTEST22

THINK SKATE24NSCAT THE TOPOF THE HILL

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INCHANGA NATURAL DESCENT38PEG STREET KINGS 201344

THE PILGRIMAGE53GUNSLINGER ORANGE ROUNDS49 -VIEW>RE>

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SAGRAHOT HEELS THEN AND NOW56

THE GRAVITY OF MEANING60 LETTER OF THE MONTH65

Ewald Sadie

EDITO

RIAL

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Wow, where do I start? This is my first time writing an editorial so here it goes...

So... we reach the end of 2013, but the beginning of something big for South African longboarding! It’s been a crazy few months of running around but I think we’ve got something good here guys.

A big ups to the okes who helped us out with articles, photos and ideas. And let’s not forget our advertisers, as without you this magazine wouldn’t have been possible. Putting this together has been an amazing experience – freaking stressful – but amazing. I really hope that Gravity is as much of a blessing to you and the downhill skateboarding scene as it is to me. I so look forward to hearing everybody’s feedback, so please keep it coming.

In this issue we cover an interview with the famous Deҫio Lourenҫo (remember that guy who bombed down that one hill in Cape Town and set off the speed camera going like a brazillion miles an hour? Yeah, that’s him). We also covered a few past events and a bunch of other rad articles. Definitely worth a read!

So, without further ado, I welcome you to the first issue! I hope you guys enjoy this magazine and that it’ll serve as a foothold in the longboarder’s plight to everlasting awesomeness.

Keep on pushing.

Bonni,Co-editor

Are you a retailer looking to stock any of the advertised products?Are you looking to advertise in Gravity Magazine?Want to contribute an article or photos to the magazine?Please contact the Gravity team to submit at csgravitymag@gmail.com

*Publisher’s permission is required before reproducing any part of this magazine. The views and opinions expressed in Cornerstone Gravity Magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

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R150PER YEAR(6 ISSUES)

Since this is the first issue, we are running a promotion for our subscribers with the guys from Rayne Longboards and G-Form! All you need to do is subscribe! The first 50 subscriptions will be entered into a lucky draw that puts you in the running to win your share of R5000 worth of G-Form elbows/knees or the Rayne “Future Killer”.

So how do you subscribe?Email

csgravitymag.subs@gmail.com

SubScrIbeTOday

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BREAKING GROUND

In 2010 we made the long trek from KZN down to Stellenbosch. We were very

excited to start our new surf shop while there were no other surf/skate stores in Stellenbosch yet. Man, were we in for a surprise. Hardly six months passed and our little surf shop was fast heading to being a downhill skateboarding store!

It was obvious that there was a gap. At the time, only one longboarding brand was available. Yes- only one! Finding longboarding gear was mission impossible. It was then when we decided this will be our niche; to grow the sport we were quickly falling in love with.

Soon after, we bumped into Raoul van den Berg, our now defending South African Downhill champion. He was importing some international brands for himself and his friends. We were

still very new to the small scene, so it was decided he could sell the products in the shop. He brought all his downhill wisdom to our store and all of a sudden we actually knew what we were talking about.

So the longboarding bug bit and it bit us hard. You should see the teeth on that beast. So now we are passionate longboarders. The meant-to-be surf shop had now blossomed into an established longboard store, part of the tightly-knit family in the heart of Stellenbosch.

Longboarding is a very social sport and we are all connectors at heart. I guess that’s where the urge for a magazine came to being. The urge to connect to the longboard family across the country.

South Africa’s Downhill scene has grown tremendously since and is still growing.

11Ewald Sadie

MAJORITY OF US ARE NOT RECKLESSLY RACING DOWN HILLS WITH NO MEANS OF STOPPING.

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BREAKING GROUND

You guys are like a plague on wheels – the best kind! The South African scene is finally ready for its own magazine – South Africa’s first Downhill skateboarding magazine.

We aim to be a platform for all skaters where you can make your voice and opinions heard. We want to be part of the growth of our sport. To create exposure for events and upcoming riders to get recognized and encourage sponsors to get involved. More sponsors mean bigger and better events, and so with an increase of exposure for sponsors through riders, more money becomes available to the growth of the sport. It’s our dream to see our top riders making a living from the sport we all love.

We have seen it happen in the surf family, and we see it happening in ours.

There are longboard skateboard riders of all ages, from ultra groms as tiny as 5-years old to the ou toppies of 50-years plus. This sport is for everybody and has become an inherent part of our lifestyle. Soon we will see our riders taking part in Downhill events across the world and the general South African public enjoying the sport.

One of our main goals is to create awareness. Awareness in the sense of the Downhill events that have passed and events that are still going to take place; safety awareness beyond just the importance of using the correct safety gear; educating riders on spot etiquette and respecting other road users; creating and keeping a good image of our sport that so many have worked

hard to protect and some recklessly drag through the mud. We want to educate the general public about our sport, change the perception that has formed. Majority of us are not recklessly racing down hills with no means of stopping. I can promise you we want to live to skate another day.

So, finally, we just want this quickly-expanding network of South African’s to all to be friends by bringing together the community, brands, retailers and riders.

To our growing Downhill family, this is your magazine. Be involved, send us your photographs, letters, stories, concerns, or just tell us what’s on your mind. Let’s keep our family connected.

So starts the birth of cornerstone gravity magazine.

- Jaques

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BREAKING GROUND

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TO OUR GROWING DOWNHILL FAMILY

Ewald Sadie

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OPINION[SK]ATED

WHERE’S MY SANDWICH?

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Over the course of history it has become apparent that men have, for the most part, dominated the sporting realm. This is no different in longboarding. In a sport that encourages the sense of community and inclusion, questions have to be asked about why the ratios of guys to girls has still not levelled out.

What is it that has not magnetised our female counterparts to join in on the fun? Are they scared that they’ll get laughed at, or that their friends would vote them out of the tribe? Or maybe longboarding isn’t hipster enough? Whatever the issue is, it’s an issue. Only in competitions and the odd video clip do we see chicks shredding hard and that doesn’t come nearly as close to the amount of face-time that the guys are getting.

In Stellenbosch, apart from the general explosion of longboarding, the once-every-two-week phenomenon of seeing a chick on a board became more of a regularity. The best part about it, is that every girl you see skating in Stellenbosch isn’t just skating for skating’s sake – she’s skating because she actually yearned it. They have become true believers. Why then, are more girls not joining their comrades in the age-old tradition of converting a male-dominated [something] into something that can be shared by all? Personally, I’m all for it.

What I have come to realise, after speaking to students, business-people, and skaters – guys and girls alike – is that there is this stigma attached to longboarding. So let’s clear this up

WHATEVER THE ISSUE IS, IT’S AN ISSUE

Ewald Sadie

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OPINION[SK]ATED WHERE’S MY SANDWICH

right now – longboarding is not all about travelling at the speed of light or busting out 50m slides. Yeah, pushing your speed and leaving thane lines as long as the queue at Spur on a Monday night is definitely fun (when done while safety geared-up), but that isn’t all longboarding is about.

Longboarding is about finding your “happy place” on whatever your preference of board is, and feeling comfortable to do what you feel inclined and able to do. Whether it be cruising to soak in the sights and sounds; pushing with your all to vent those frustrations on the asphalt; carving the tar off the road like it’s a barrel in J-Bay; or even just using it for commuting to the shops

and back with some schweet tunes in your ears – longboarding is to you what you make it.

So ladies, don’t be so shy about it. If you want to skate then skate – it’s as simple as that. What’s not too love about it though? It’s totally chilled on the environment, has speed, sliding, chilling, carving, let’s you escape from the world for a bit, or allows you to show them what they’ve been missing out on. One thing I can guarantee you, however, is that if you get the slightest modicum of the joy it could bring you, or the amount of stoke it can spread to the people around you, you’ll wish you hadn’t passed up the chance to join this ever-growing longboarding community.

LONGBOARDING IS NOT ALL ABOUT TRAVELLING AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT OR BUSTING OUT 50M SLIDES

- Uncle Evz

Ewald Sadie

D O W N H I L L S E R I E S

VÜGENHAUSEN

Micro Drop / Top Mount / Stiff FlexRider : James Kelly / Photo: Dustin Damron

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Cornerstone

CONTEST

v i d e o

Arno du Toit

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C ornerstone, along with sponsors;

FAT ANT Bushings, Flat Out and

Gunslinger Longboards; hosted the

first annual Cornerstone Video

Contest held at Pulp Cinema in the

Neelsie Student Centre, Stellenbosch.

The rules were simple: create a

1 – 3:30 minute longboarding video,

wherein the Cornerstone logo makes

an appearance at the beginning and

once more at any other place in

the video; pay tribute to the above-

mentioned sponsors at least once

in the video; keep the video PG (this

is a family show); ensure the video

quality was 360 pixels or better;

and last but DEFINITELY not least

– keep the hill your secret ( Hill

Etiquette 101 ).

The competition worked in two

phases that spanned just over

2 months, ultimately drawing to end

on the 24th of August 2013. Phase

one entailed creating and uploading

your video to the Facebook page

and spreading the word about it to

round up Facebook “Likes” – which

counted 20% of the total votes. Once

those votes were tallied, phase two

involved watching the videos at the

Pulp Cinema, and tallying the votes

of the audience which counted 30%.

The final 50% of votes was taken

from the Cornerstone’s judges.

Spurred with the thought of winning

the first prize, a Loaded Tan Tien

deck, the videos submitted by the 12

contestants were of a high quality

of filming and the skill of skating

that was put on show was entirely

unexpected! The man amongst the

boys on the big day however, was

James Park-Ross who, armed with his

video “Mororanges”,, landed first

place, the coveted Tan Tien, as well

as the title of Video Contest Champ

of 2013.

Everyone had videos to be extremely

proud of and they were ultimately

what made the entire event such an

awesome success. The most exciting

bit about it all is that there’s

going to be another one next year,

so the level of stoke can grow

even more ( SWEET!! ).

Watch “Mororanges” on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJxc4bbw8Ww

- Uncle Evz

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SaFTEy FIrST!!Remember you are a “Warrior of the Stoke” and like all good soldiers you need armour. So wear your safety gear! Wearing protection is essential in a sport like ours, where hard tarred roads meet new victims every day.

ShOeSThis one’s simple...Just wear them! Your feet are your most common point of contact with the ground while skating and therefore the most at risk, protecting them is not just a good idea but common sense. Make sure you use a closed pair of shoes that are comfortable and that you don’t mind getting wrecked, as you don’t need to be worrying about scuffing your new kicks.

HeLMETSOne’s head is the most important part of the body, a central computer controlling and monitoring your every move. It just makes sense that you would want to protect something that is so important. If only there was some way of doing this relatively easily… Wait there is: wearing a helmet!

WhaT IS “thInK SKaTE”Think Skate is a community-based non-profit organisation whose main goal is to encourage safe skating and raise motorist awareness to all longboard and skateboard road users. As a campaign our aim is to offer advice and encourage safe skating, rather than trying to enforce it. As members of the longboarding and skating community, we felt that we had a responsibility to help new-comers to the sport, as well as those who are unaware, about the importance of practicing safe and responsible skating. The campaign aims to do this by:

1. Educating first time riders about the importance of proper riding skills and skating to their skill level.

2. Encouraging all skaters to wear appropriate protective gear.

3. Educating all skaters about the importance of safe and responsible road usage and the appropriate way to respond to motorists.

4. Showing that, as riders and members of the longboarding and skating community, we are committed to making the sport safer.

5. Informing and educating all road users to be aware of longboard and skateboard users and how to respond to situations where they are brought into contact.

THINKSKATESKATESAFEBY MARK CYRUS

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When one falls our natural reaction is to try and brace ourselves using our hands. Without gloves, falling on your hands could result in some nasty and seriously awkward roasties. Luckily there is a quick and easy solution to prevent your hands from becoming mince - slide gloves! Besides protection the main purpose of slide gloves are to provide a friction-less surface on which to support your upper body while sliding, and also allow the rider to use their hands to stabilize themselves through corners at high speeds allowing for tighter lines.

No matter how good you are, or get at skating, you are bound to come off your board at some point sooner or later and why not be ahead of the game and be ready! There is nothing uncool about wearing knee and elbow pads… if anything they can provide a rider with more confidence as you are more willing to charge harder as you know you are protected.

gLOvES

ELB

OW & K

NeE Pa

DS

THINK SKATE @THINK_SKATESA

Devin Cyrus

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T he National Skate Collective (NSC), despite sounding really secret-agency like, was not

an organisation developed by the Illuminati or anything like that… It actually began in 2011

over a couple of beers and a discussion amongst a bunch of skaters frustrated with the fact that

the authorities weren’t listening to us.So we formed an organisation, not a company or authority...but rather a collective; a group

of skaters from different backgrounds and disciplines of skateboarding united by a

shared frustration and a common goal to sort sh*t out.

It began with me (Marco Morgan), Justin Boast, Dave Hort, Eebin van

den Bergh and Andrew Nero. As the

collective picked up momentum, Gerhard Nel, skater-mom activist Elise Burns-Hoffman and Mark Cyrus joined the core team.

The idea behind the NSC is that every skater or friend of a skater formed part of the collective as we were all driving the same goal of “growing the culture of skateboarding”. Like every revolution, it needed a manifesto, so we laboured over a couple more beers and discussions and put down the vision and goals and hatched a plan to get there.

The main goal was to create a platform to enable us to speak with one voice on issues affecting us. Like the by-law prohibiting skateboarding, a law which skaters never got the opportunity to challenge, but suffered under it because we just didn’t know how to shout or we were just too divided to shout loud enough.

It was also clear that because of

ATTHE TOP

THE NATIONAL

nsc

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this negative stigma attached to skateboarding with authorities and people thinking of us as “rebels”, “social deviants” or as the by-law puts it “nuisances”, we got excluded from our cities. So our plan was to educate people and authorities on who we are and what skateboarding is about…create some awehness.

Its two years down the line – sh*t loads of meetings later, and we are finally getting somewhere and making a change. With all of the core members in Cape Town and surrounding areas, it made sense for us to test out our thinking and plan in the most conservative city in South Africa. In the process we document our work, then try and replicate what we doing in other cities and towns around South Africa.

It’s been a rad journey so far and we are on route to making history. We are working with the City of Cape Town to

allow skaters on certain roads (sorry you can’t skate on the N1). We are also working on

what would and could be a plan or strategy for skateparks around the city (so expect more and

better parks and skate plazas) and also defining the process to get permission to skate certain

roads. But yeah – it really is a collective effort of things and people within the South African

Gravity Racing Association (SAGRA), National Skateboarding Association (NSA), skate

industry and most importantly the people in the skate community working closely

together to make things happen. Stay tuned. Skate hard. Stay

connected.

SKATE COLLECTIVE

OF THEHILL

- Marco Morgan

Ewald Sadie

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G ravity Magazine got an awesome opportunity to meet up with Deҫio

Lourenҫo, our soon to be South African Champion. While it was challenging getting hold of the man, it was well worth the wait. Leading up to the interview, there were many rumours and stories around this legend; who he is, what he is like, all the “money” he has received. But finally, we got to meet the real man behind it all. This was a really interesting interview for us as we were blown away by the way the truth had been distorted. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for this guy, his character, his way of thinking, the fact that he is so down to earth and genuine. The cliché: “never judge a book by its cover” fits in perfectly with my experience of meeting Deҫio.

Deҫio rocked up to the interview on a scooter using his board as a seat and wearing

his down- hill helmet, ready for action. It was impossible

to miss him.

“SPOOFING THE TRAFFIC CAMERA”

We’ve been dying to find out more about Spoofing the Cam. This is the video clip that, in my opinion, made you famous – “the kloofnek bomber”... One of the rumours going around is that Helen Zille personally contacted you via her secretary or phone call or something along those lines. What’s the real story and were there any repercussions?

I didn’t speak to anyone from the government, not one person. I think they realized they didn’t have a leg to stand on. We didn’t even receive a photo because I think I was standing in front of the number plate. They got hold of André Roux (the driver in the video) and asked for my address but he didn’t give it to them. They never phoned again and no fine was paid. They wanted to prosecute me under the laws as if I were a car but by that virtue, skateboarders would be allowed on the roads. There were too many confusing laws and they dropped it as there wasn’t much to stand on.

Did you expect this Youtube video to explode and go viral the way it did? (1.5 million views)

Not at all! When the views started going up it was crazy – it was so cool. It probably could have been a lot more but somewhere along the lines the video was flagged with an age restriction of 18 years, so you’d have to

DECIO LOURENCO

log in to your account to watch the video and a lot of people are too lazy to do that. We’ve made a few videos before and they didn’t get that type of attention. The main aim was just to make a professional video. After Spoofing the Cam we felt it necessary to make a safety video to encourage safety awareness. With that video we compared skaters to cyclists. Please go check it out.

(You will find links to the videos mentioned at the end of the article). When you hear that Goldfish song: 1 Million views (singing the tune), does it remind you of your 1 million views?

Actually, I don’t really know that song, but I dig Goldfish. You’ll have to play it for me sometime.

Do you feel that “Spoofing the Traffic Camera” contributed to the NCS’s (National Skate Collective) efforts in legalizing skateboarding?

Definitely. In partnership with the NSC’s goals, I refer again to our safety video that was made after Spoofing the Cam. I believe that it did help towards it and also think that

Helen Zille was clever in realizing the need for skating facilities. (Props to you Madam Zille!) Instead of posting the crazy runs we did just before

spoofing the cam (”Camps Bay Drive”, “Car Overtake”, “Geneva Car Overtake”) we posted the safety

video (“Longboarding101- Stopping”) in close contact with NSC and the

government.

MERCEDES BENZ SHORT FILM

When we watched this video for the first time we all got goosebumps. What was the story behind the Mercedes Benz Ad? Did they approach you and how did it all come together?

It wasn’t actually an ad, it was a short film showcasing all our different skills. I was introduced to the idea shortly after Spoofing the Cam. It kinda faded away for a while but later on a bunch of us got together again to talk about the concept and story.

Were these guys you got together with from Mercedes?No, it’s actually pretty complicated to explain...I don’t even know who came up with

the original concept to tell you the truth, but here it goes:Dylan Culhane is from New media and their client is Mercedes Benz. Together with the

help of Luke Apteker and Cale Jansen from Priest productions, they were able to start the project to promote their new production company; Bring Back Choir Boy.

They punted the idea to me as a short film. There wasn’t a lot of budget for it so basically these guys were forking cash out of their own pocket to make it happen and Mercedes pulled strings to get the car.

The word on the street is that you received quite a lump sum of cash monies for this ad... how much truth is there to this rumour? Is our sport at the point where riders are getting paid well for these things?

It was hard work and no, they did not pay me a cent. The whole time I was contemplating whether to ask them to pay me coz they never mentioned a fee. I eventually gathered up the courage to ask them for some form of compensation because I didn’t want to be

exploited, you know, and many of the other people there were being paid... They mentioned that after the shoot if any money came from this idea that they

would compensate me for it. I haven’t seen any money from it as yet though.

There were a few times where I thought “If you put in the energy and the effort,

there will always be good things that come

from it”.

GOODLUCK: TRICKERY (MUSIC VIDEO)

We’re so stoked Goodluck decided to use longboarding as the theme for this video, this is a huge step forward for our scene. When we watched this music video we noticed they only show you with your full face helmet on... Did you feel like “The Stig”?

(Insert hearty chuckle here) When I watched the video for the first time, I did kinda feel like the “Stig”, but in a different way, you know. Ha-ha that’s funny!

What was your overall experience while doing the music video? Did you enjoy it?Skating on shoots is not fun. I’m in my leathers the whole time sweating like a pig,

Ewald Sadie

Promenade Mondays in Sea Point coz that’s where we all get together under a more relaxed atmosphere.

RACES

You’ve won the last 5 consecutive races and you’re most likely to be the next SA Champ. What kind of pressure are you getting from this?

It’s hard balancing college life and skating. It’s my last two weeks of studies and I’ve got to skate and I haven’t been able to get much training in. Usually before comps I want to be heavier; I want to train hard to put more weight on, I’m not too worried in terms of skills. The other thing was that after Spoofing the Cam when I went to the Fair Cape Race, I felt that if I didn’t win I would have been showboating. This put a lot of pressure on me coz I felt like I needed to prove myself, and I just kept the same mentality throughout the rest of the race season.

Do you have any pre-race rituals? Like kissing a lucky egg or doing headstands?

I’ve gotta think about that...I visualize something and then maybe I’ll listen to a song – that’s why I’m so stoked with my Beats by Dré headphones. I really focus on my push so I disappear for a bit just to get the nerves away. The worst thing about the race is the start because that’s when I get all nervous. The push can make or break your performance especially with our short race courses. But ja...there’s nothing that’s really a ritual to me.

Would you say it’s become an addiction to be on the podium?

That’s a very weird thing for me... I’ve skated at a lot of comps before and I never used to get on the podium so I wasn’t worried about that. At downhill comps what I learnt is that you won’t lose the race because you’re not better than that ou – you lose it just because you make the wrong choice in that time. Maybe it’s that second you push-off, or maybe it’s air-braking before the corner. The slightest and smallest thing can change it. It’s not necessarily your skill that always matters: it’s like, at the time, you didn’t react in

the best way possible but you did your best anyway.

Before Spoofing the Cam, Deҫio had spent the whole year working as a waiter to save up for his leathers. On the day of the Hot Heels 2012 race it was his first time wearing his new leathers. It just comes to show that if you really want something bad enough you can and will make a plan to get it.

SPONSORSHIPS

What do sponsorships mean to you?It’s actually hard work and you’ve got

a lot of responsibilities such as social networking and photo shoots. If people think I get money from the sport, I don’t. My sponsors, Baboon Boards pay my entrance fees for races and Puma paid for my flight to Durban when I asked, but otherwise I just get gear. No cash

The only time I see money is when I win races where there are cash prizes involved. It’s all about enjoying the sport and not expecting anything out of it.

What was it like before you were you sponsored?

When I really wanted the things sponsored riders get it wasn’t there, but I feel I’ve worked hard to get where I am now and deserve it. When my sponsors give me things I still always look after it as though I bought it myself. I still even have my first pair of Puma shoes ever given to me.

How long were you skating downhill before you got sponsored?

I only got sponsored this year so, in other words, I’ve been skating 8/9 years before getting sponsored.

Groms pay attention: Don’t be disappointed when you’ve been skating for 3-6 months and don’t have a sponsor yet.

performing like a monkey which is not what I actually wanna do. When i’m in my leathers I wanna bomb hard, go fast and do crazy sh*t you know. But when you see the after-product for the first time, it all becomes worth it. It’s nice to help people and get to know them.

Were you by any chance singing under your helmet?

Ha-ha...no not really. I dig that tune so much and have watched the video so many times to hear that song but no, in my helmet I was just like bleh. If I wasn’t wearing my full face and leathers I might have been singing, but it was just too hot and it was like wooorrking bru.

CELEBRITY STATUS

Did you get a lot more attention after these 3 main videos? I.e. were people stopping you along side of the road, recognizing you etc.

I definitely got more attention, yeah. Some attention was nice but other attention was not so tasty. I just get pissed off when people start asking me the same kinda questions and I don’t know...everyone likes attention but for me it’s strange. Sometimes I don’t wanna be seen or noticed. It’s just that I don’t wanna be looking like I’m cool, or “that dude” – it makes me feel uneasy. When it’s people I know, like my mates, then I dig it. When you’re on top of the world and you’ve got all these people around you, you’ll see who your true friends are when you’re in a bit of a struggle. You know what my worst thing is? When people introduce me as “that dude”. I’d rather let them find out themselves, or if I choose to let them know myself.

Ok so just a question on behalf of all the single ladies... are you single?

No, I have a girlfriend.Sorry ladies.

CHICK SKATERS

We’re busy doing an article on chick skaters in this issue. What is your opinion on girls that skate?

I think it’s $#@!* awesome! Chicks that skate are cool because they like the same thing you like. It’s not that they have to be good at it, as long as they enjoy the freedom of it. That’s why I dig the

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SECTION NAME

RACE SETUPDECIO

BOARD RAYNE NEMESIS

TRUCKS AERA K4’SBUSHINGS RED VENOMS (ELIMINATOR AND BARREL)

WHEELS RAD ADVANTAGE 78A

BEARINGS SEISMIC TEKTON

HELMET BOARDYARD (BY JOHN UPHAM 2013)

PADS G-FORM

GLOVES RAYNE

LEATHERS GAZTETXE

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FREERIDE SETUP

DATE OF BIRTH: 02 NOVEMBER 1988

HEIGHT: 1.88M

WEIGHT: 80KG

BIRTH PLACE: JOHANNESBURG

HOME TOWN: TAMBOERSKLOOF, CAPE TOWN, WESTERN CAPE

FIRST TIME ON A BOARD: 8 YEARS OLD

STARTED LONGBOARDING: 15 YEARS OLD

TOP RECORDED SPEED: 110KM/H

NUMBER OF RACE WINS IN 2013: 5 CONSECUTIVE WINS, 0 LOSSES,

2 RACES TO GO

SPONSORS: BABOON BOARDS, PUMA, G-FORM, RAD, BEATS BY DRE,

BELOW THE LION

LOURENCO

BOARD JET BANSHEE

GLOVES RAYNE

PADS G-FORM

WHEELS PEG INTHANE 87A

BEARINGS SEISMIC TEKTONS

HELMET S-1 ABEC 11

BUSHINGS RED VENOMS (ELIMINATOR AND BARREL)TRUCKS AERA K4’S

Ewald Sadie

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ROLE MODELS

Who’s your role model and why?Um...that’s a good question. I don’t think I’ve really ever had

a role model. The only time I might have had one was in trick skating. My Dad bought me a Powell Peralta video when I was 11, but after that then I thought nah I just wanna beat everyone.

I admire things from all different people but it’s in that moment when I think like, wow, okay that’s cool. I have never looked up to someone specifically.

Do you consider yourself a role model?I don’t like people looking up to other people. I want people to

see the way that I think, and I want them to see it as a good thing. When you’re more in the limelight, it does become a responsibility when you have to be a role model but I haven’t given it much thought. I just live my life the way I normally would. Sometimes I can see myself falling out of line a bit and I get scared at other times, but at the end of the day we’re all human. Skating for me was an outlet to be free. It’s like a personal thing you know. I don’t want anyone to try push themselves to be anything like me, you must enjoy it. It’s not about being buck.

A FEW LAST WORDS FROM DECIO

I’m very happy with all of my sponsors and I just want to send a shout out to them:

Baboon Boards: You guys are legends, you’re my mates. Thanks for kitting me out with gear when I need it and for helping with the race entries.

G-Form: For kitting me out with elbow and knee pads. Glad to join the team. Amped to put pads in my leathers for more comfort during races and push harder when I freeride cause falling will be that little bit more fun, ha-ha.

RAD Wheels: I also just joined the team and this is the first time I’m mentioning it publicly. I’ve been riding the same set of RAD wheels for pretty much the whole race season before I even received their sponsorship. I love their wheels.

Puma: Like I said before, I’ve still got every pair of shoes Puma has ever given me. I really appreciate all the clothing and support that I get from them.

Beats by Dre: Thanks for the good music before the races and whenever I skate. The earphones and headphones are sick. I recently got a little pill which is amazing, it makes so much sound.

Below the Lion: This is a mate of mine’s website, just go check it out. You’ll dig it.

Deҫio’s commitment to RAD before getting sponsored by them is a good example that when looking for sponsors you need to represent them as if you are already part of their team. It might be a good idea to do so before asking them for a sponsorship. You need to actually like the brand enough to want to buy their products yourself.

Deҫio had one last thing to say: I had a project at college which was about unsung heroes and I chose to do mine in loving memory of Lloyd McPherson who passed away at Hot Heels Africa 2004. Check out the photo featured of the graphic on my freeride board.

We really enjoyed this interview and hope you did as well. We learnt a lot about Deҫio and glad we had the opportunity to do so. Good luck with your last two races of the season!

LINKS

Spoofing the cam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt_ZL6rWHLA&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL0PcielZ7WzzEABzvQ-omQamNChuNbr2j

Safety video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGuqsnuVIHA&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL0PcielZ7WzzEABzvQ-omQamNChuNbr2j

Goodluck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj7WG1aL78QMercedes Benz: http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=4O0qM9BVAroBelow the Lion: http://www.belowthelion.co.za/

For more videos check out: http://www.youtube.com/user/aroux88

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o n e of us h a d I f y o u love

putt ing on your leathers you will know the feeling, and have heard the saying whenever you’re on a hill: “imagine racing this hill”. Well, Inchanga was just that for me.

The first time I saw the hill was from a video posted of these guys skating down it wearing suit blazers and beards so long they were touching their belly-buttons all to a song that sounded like death itself (these guys are actually the gunslinger guys from 2 years ago). That same week I was busy driving around the Valley of a Thousand Hills in Durban for the first time with a friend of mine – Stef Snyman – and as we came to the top of this ridge, Stef recognized it from the video. Unknown to me at the time, that’s when my addiction for hill hunting started, and the Inchanga event was born.

So I hadn’t and still haven’t been a part of the downhill community for too long, having only competed in 3 or 4 races, before I decided what I wanted to do. After Faircape 2013, hearing people moaning and whining about waiting around for heats to finish before they could get their next fix of speed, it clicked. South Africa needed an event where there was little admin, but a whole ton of skating, where the small family of skaters can get together on a weekend and share special memories and, in a nutshell, progress the sport.

There was this guy I skated with; people called him “Doyle”. He lives in Jo’burg but is originally from Durban, and I don’t know, he is a bit of a douche. Jokes, welcome to the party Lloyd Clark (First Nature). To me at the time he was this guy with leathers, a Predator helmet and a whole bag of knowledge. I knew him from the races but didn’t really know him very well personally (after the Descent, I am proud to call him one of my good friends!). So anyway, he came down to visit his parents in Durban and we went on a skate, and I took him out to some of the hills we had scouted but Inchanga had sparked a fire inside him. He frothed so much at the bottom after

the f i r s t few runs, ranting about how cool the hill was and that there should be an event here etc. much like everyone else who gets the opportunity to skate it (what a grom). We got to talking and after not too long the idea to have a freeride – much like Maryhill Freeride – came up.

Lloyd was in Jo’burg and I in Durban, so for me organizing an event was a daunting prospect. I needed a home backing, so I turned to my sponsors, Longboarding Warehouse. After about 2.2 seconds of explaining the event, the owner of the shop, Gordon Rich, was in! The shops willingness to get involved was inspiring and gave me some confidence to go forward with the project. Being the first event of its kind in SA, I had no idea what to expect, and nor did Longboarding Warehouse. First Nature had been around the block (organizing King Of The Fort) but it was still a new prospect. So into discussions we went and Inchanga Natural Descent was now a reality.

The hill itself is 2.4km from top to bottom, the tar is great and gradient is pretty relaxed. There are a few sneaky spots with two nice big lefts and a banking right. With the right tuck and a well trained eye for racing lines the hill is incredibly fun reaching speeds up to about 76kph on the day(although with a gps during normal skating and a bit of a tail wind, we have clocked in some pretty decent 80’s). The hill is located along the Old Ma in Road between Maritzburg and Durban and can be

quite busy from t ime to time, so closing the road was going to be a challenge…or so we thought. At first we got bounced around from the South African Police (SAP) to Metro and back again, looking for the right person to talk to. It took a week or two but eventually we got there. One phone call and a letter with public liability insurance later and we were on – just like that. We didn’t need much and the Metro cops were happy as Larry to give us the green light! According to the guys in blue, all we needed was a few letters and documents regarding safety security and the event was a given. This was not as easy as it turned out!

The concept was a freeride; however none of us had really any idea of how to structure it. We weren’t sure if we should have one big heat, work on a bottle neck system, or draw straws. Even on the day we had no idea, and so we kind of just let it fall into place and do as little structuring as possible, merely providing the platform and let the skaters do the rest. We needed to limit it somehow, because we had to abide by some kind of safety due to our agreement to host the event. Anyway,

INCHANGA NATURAL DESCENT 2013

The concept was a freeride; however none of us had really any idea of how to structure it

back on track. The freeride concept to us was a great idea and it promised to deliver buckets full of stoke and foam. One thing we missed was that not everyone was so keen on the idea. Due to the events size there was quite a bit of stuff to sort out, hay bales, shuttles, food and drinks to say the least – all of which this costs money. Bang, straight into problem number one: we needed sponsorships for the event or some way of paying for the expenses. We had the backing from Longboarding Warehouse and First Nature but there was still a big cost left unattended to. Sponsors were keen on the idea but weren’t so sure if they would gain the exposure. The first company to jump on that grenade was Gunslinger’s Keith Hockley. Basically, he loved it and was our first bit of steeze-oil to get the bearings rolling. When we sent out proposals to others they weren’t so

k e e n so I was always in two minds of how successful the event was going to be. In the end, after some convincing and pure luck, we had a good group of sponsors on board who were all willing and keen to help out in any way to make the event the success it was.

About 2 weeks to go until the event, the time was set and places booked – all was done and organized. Phaaa or not! All of a sudden in the last week someone had started a petition to shut down the event. They were wild because the hill is on the same route that other sporting events use, so the residents didn’t want to be closed in for another weekend of the year. After running around after people for a few days, driving around from gate to gate trying to find where

people live to explain that they can still travel through when the skaters are being shuttled, we managed to silence most of the people. Upon silencing most people we woke the dragon and this is where things got interesting. One man was dead keen on shutting us down, however metro was stoked to have the event in their jurisdiction and so were keen to lend a helping hand. So this guy asks for a meeting two days before the event. He had complained so much that he had actually got the event formally cancelled. I was out in the Valley with Major Tom and Stef, when Lloyd eventually got hold of me in a panic and told me that I had an hour to go and get signatures from all the people who

THE INCHANGA NATURAL DESCENT 2013

Amy Crabtree

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INCHANGA NATURAL DESCENT 2013

live on the actual hill. We were given permission to host the event!

The drive from the valley is no easy one: dirt roads with no barriers and 30 meter cliffs generally inhibit a speedy motion to and from the area. That afternoon, the Thursday before the event, I was flying along that road with Stef as my co-pilot and Major Tom in the back. Both of them were quiet and pale, but eventually Tom cracked a sentence asking me to maybe slow down and try to drive with at least one hand. The cell phone was glued to my ear and pedal glued to the floor and a drive that usually takes around 45 min took about 20. I was

jogging up and down the hill frantically and got all the signatures I needed and even more. We were outside SAP waiting for this meeting to start. It was misty and cold, I was waiting outside SAP still in my skating kit, pads and all when metro rocked up, I proudly gave them the list of signatures and began to explain exactly how it was going to run, rambling on about safety and how much I love groms (also a joke). There were 2 ladies and a man and they liked me. One lady wouldn’t say who she was and the man was there to oversee this meeting. Thank goodness he was there.

All of a sudden a SUV came tearing up

the road and came to a skidding halt at our feet, and possibly the most irate man I have ever seen clambered out the car with such anger at the prospect of skaters on his turf. Immediately refusing to shake my hand and literally throwing reams of papers at us and into the dirt at our feet, going on about all these laws etc. that we apparently were breaking, which we actually weren’t. If it’s an event then skating is allowed, its not an open road. That man officer guy stopped him and they allowed me to speak, I gave it my all in about a 5 minute presentation but still he refused. Eventually he had created such a fuss and was so flustered that the cops

The concept was a freeride; however none of us had really any idea of how to structure itsomeone had set fire to our hay bales

Amy Crabtree

no longer wanted to talk to him and adjourned the meeting before he could ramble on anymore. They asked me to get into their car and drive with them along the route, show them exactly what was what and where what went. As we got into the car and closed the door, all three people lit a smoke (of I’m sure who actually didn’t even smoke) and just raged at how rude that man was. They gave me the piece of paper that said the event was cancelled and told me to tear it up. They said I was a lovely young man and we should have as

much fun as we possibly can and possibly not stuff it up so we could run the event again in future years. The foam was exiting my nasal cavity as I was so excited. We had done it!

Then came Friday… That Friday there was a race in Durban after which I had booked a campsite at a dam for all the skaters to come and get involved. At about 10:45PM, after practically a crate

o f quarts, my phone rang. It was Stu Purchase. I slurred upon answering and heard something in his voice that sobered me up pretty quickly, “Cam, Inchanga is on fire”.

The concept was a freeride; however none of us had really any idea of how to structure it

PICKING THE LINES I HAD ALWAYS SEEN BUT NEVER MANAGED TO TAKE

couldn’t have imagined, picking the lines I had always seen but never managed to take. I got to the bottom

the happiest man this side of the sun. As I waited at the bottom for the skaters to come into sight

I could see smiles for miles. Guys got into the shuttle and the noise of chatter was like no other. People were filming the ride up just to try capture the level of stoke and I knew we had done a good thing.

The “heats” generally ran of about 6 to 12 people every 20 to 30 seconds so this meant that we were running super smoothly. I think we had about 10 runs each on day one and 13 runs each on day two, considering it is 2.4km long, that’s 55km of downhill. Not too shabby for our first event. Newcomers, groms, pro’s and even the ballies; everyone got to skate together, learning from each other. This is what made the event for me because finally we achieved what we had set out to do: progress the sport.

The Inchanga Natural Descent went off well and we finished the event with a few

accidents here and there but nothing too bad. Everyone involved felt fulfilled and all the skaters were broken (the best kind of

broken). We ended the event with a mass bomb, everyone in one long line and sent off down the hill. It was epic! It’s going to be difficult to beat or match this event and it’s going to go down in the history books.

To First Nature (Lloyd Clark) and Longboarding Warehouse (Gordon Rich), you guys made this possible. Your backing, hard work and patience with me and my ever constant feed of instructions and orders (Gosh I don’t know how most people put up with me). However, we made it a reality and set the bar right up there, we made our mark on downhill in South Africa and for that I,

personally, am ever grateful. Thank you.

INCHANGA NATURAL DESCENT 2013

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Flabbergasted in my state and locked in a nature reserve there was not much I could do. It ended up that Stu’s mom was coming home along the hill and someone had set fire to our hay bales. They had poured petrol or some type of flammable liquid on them and sparked it. So there went majority of our safety, we called the fire department and Lloyd went to sort it out. Thank goodness that they had a firebreak on the hill the week before otherwise I would have hated to know what could have happened!

I woke up on Saturday morning at about 5am groggy and I’m quite sure still a bit under the influence. Anyway we went up to the hill and to the awaiting horror, but we didn’t really care – the event was on. Greg Parry the owner from Peg had some bales left over from the previous day’s race and very kindly donated them to us. With the about 50 bales we had left, we managed to cover all the danger spots and get things underway. I think in the end it delayed us half an hour, however I’m sure that the arsonist is still not able to sleep with that conscious.

The event itself went off with a bang. The end of winter in Durban is a lovely time because the sun is out but it’s still a bit cold. There were about 78 participants on the day and all were eager to get going. I had skated this hill many times before but never with both lanes and no cars. Standing at the top of the hill, I was fortunate enough to have the first run down all to myself and not a soul in sight. Gliding through those corners like I - Cameron Inggs

Amy Crabtree

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STREET KINGS 2013

T he second annual Peg Street Kings was eagerly anticipated in

Durban, not only because this was the first race in Durban to be sanctioned by the South African Gravity Racing Association (SAGRA), but also because this was the first race to host an amateur division. In the week leading up to Peg Street Kings, there was a nervous excitement in the air. As weather reports started rolling in, predicting inclement weather; Peg could be hosting the first wet race.

The days preceding the race, rain wheels (grooves are cut into the wheels, providing more edges, thus grip) were hastily made or borrowed. Early morning pictures doing the rounds on social media painted a grey and dripping, soaking wet picture. Some of the guys were looking forward to racing in the wet, as this would have made the course – and especially the double chicane – more challenging.

With the early morning start there was a slight drizzle falling after a night of torrential rain. The drizzle however, cleared up by the time registration started, thankfully giving the road a much needed opportunity to dry.

The use of hay bales as obstructions

at Peg Street Kings made racing the relatively straight Danville road quite interesting and technical. The highlight being, the double chicane and the barrier on the inside of the last right hand kink, giving riders the opportunity to slingshot down the final straight. The manipulation of the flow of the hill through the use of hay-bales was thoughtful and well executed. The skaters had to constantly change their approaches in the race conditions. Passing positions were very tight and drafting was made difficult.

We tentatively started our first practise runs on the wet roads, testing out our specially made rain wheels. The runs were getting faster and tighter as the road started to dry, when Peg owner Greg Parry surprised us by announcing the current double chicane setup was for the amateur division race, and that the setup would be tightened up after the race was held. The narrower chicane claimed a few victims but lots of collateral damage, as okes were taken out by riders bailing in front of them. The course dried out completely by lunch time, which made the rain wheels ineffective.

Everybody was stoked on the race-to-qualify/round-robin format that was used, as this meant more runs which equates to more fat-stoke- faces. Riders were assigned allocated points on how they placed in 4-man heats over 4 rounds, and were then seated into heats. The race-to-qualify system got the blood flowing amongst the contestants with the real racing still to come.

The amateur division, which took place first, was fervently supported not only by all the other riders – who for a change had an opportunity to watch some racing – but also by a large section of the crowd who turned up to support their friends in the amateur division. This division was created to make the sport more accessible to those who are still becoming accustomed to the race scene. Entrants do not require leathers, only a full-face helmet, gloves and padding. The amateur racing was tight, even through the chicanes, everybody with race mode switched to engage. Jordy Johson walked away the victor, with free-rider-turned-racer Dylan de Fleuriot taking second. Peter Kohne and Christian Maidman took third and

Kevin Sawyer

PEG STREET KINGS 2013

experienced riders wanting the rain to create a more technical challenge), but the overall stoke of the day made up for the lack of technicality. The amateur division was not only a hit amongst the crowd, but also amongst the amateur riders, who had a taste of the racing scene for the first time, stoking the fire of progression. The true winner of the day however was the creative use of hay bales. Riders were frothing over the possibilities created. Fantasising about how future races may look... a toll gate after the last right at Faircape, or maybe a diverter (like the one off the push at Street Kings) into a double chicane on the flat section at Houwteq? The possibilities are exciting, but doubtful in the near future as they would probably (if ever) only be implemented next season. For now, however, the racers are preparing for the year-end events.

fourth respectively.The Peg team riders, Simon Sturrock

(J2), Kienan Dunn (J1) and David Beare (J1), dominated the junior one and two divisions, winning both divisions through Simon and Kienan, with David Beare placing third in junior one. Henry Muller and Bryce Gardiner finished second and third in junior two. Tyron Coetzee placed second in junior one.

The open class was also hotly contested. The tighter double chicane was proving very sneaky when doing it in full tuck. The open division riders used the obstacles in the course to better effect, especially the slingshot down the final straight. Peg team rider, Nick Coetzee narrowly missed out to First-Nature’s Lloyd Clark in a semi-final heat with it coming down to a photo-finish for a spot in the final. The highlight however was Gunslinger team rider, Ricky Allardice placing third for his first podium finish. Salute! Deҫio Lourenҫo was chased down the final straight by Raoul van den Berg who unluckily ran out of road, placing them in first and second respectively.

It was an entertaining day of racing! There were mixed feelings about the lack of rain (from the more

THERE WERE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THE LACK OF RAIN

- Mercer Potgieter

47Tyler Walker

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SECTION NAME

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RE> -VIEW> GUNSLINGER ORANGE ROUNDS

DURO 74 aCONTACT PATCH 40 mm

Ewald Sadie

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GUNSLINGER ORANGE ROUNDS

gunslinger Rounds; what comes to my mind when I think about the

Gunslinger Orange Rounds? Ok wait wait -where do I start? The toe-sides, the unbelievably long heel sides, the puck-down 360’s (which Sir Fernando Yuppie would be proud of himself) or the incredible grip it maintains around corners? All I know is that the Gunslinger Orange Rounds are definitely a favourite and a wheel to always keep close by for a steezy fast-pace freeride. In terms of bombing, however, they are not ideal. This is because of the small contact patch that bonds the wheel to the tar, but don’t let that fool you! Gunslinger did something different, and made an

extremely low duro of just 74a which makes this a remarkable wheel for high speed sliding. The Gunslinger Orange Rounds gives an icy, but still controllable slide when put at 90 degrees. The only negative I would say is they do tend to flat spot if put at 90 degrees for too long, but what wheel with such a low duro doesn’t?

Overall I am extremely happy with the Gunslinger Orange Rounds and will definitely keep a set close by.

- Dylan Boerstra

Ewald Sadie

-VIEW>RE>

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Arno du Toit

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THE PILGRIMAGETHE PILGRIMAGE

Craig Maxwell Webster

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THE PILGRIMAGE

In early October, Gunslinger team riders and post-grad students, Ricki Allardice

and Rickus Jacobs left Stellenbosch for a skate pilgrimage to Durban. They took a week off from their studies to go freeride and race the finest hills in South Africa, returning enlightened and steezy.

gravITy MagazINe (gM): So what was the reason behind your recent trip to Durban? Was it purely an impulsive thing or was there an event involved?

rIcKuS JacObS (rJ): The two of us are fortunate enough to skate for Gunslinger Longboards and they had organized a race (Urban Descent) up in Durbs. So we flew up primarily for the race, but decided to go up a week earlier and get some exploration done with the local guys.

rIcKI aLLardIcE (ra): Ja it pretty much was a skate pilgrimage, I mean, I need no excuse to drop my varsity responsibilities for a week, and being able to go skating in that week was just a dream come true – especially in Durban. We also both love racing so we were definitely not going to miss an awesome event like Urban Descent, with the added bonus of skating all the spots in and around Durbs.

gM: Durban has shown up on the skating radar recently, what is the scene like up there? Is it as big as Cape Town’s?

rJ: It’s definitely not as big as that in Cape Town, which is kind of separated into different skating “clans”. I mean in

the mother city you’ve got the Fizzers, NHB, HBB, Longboard Stellenbosch, the Capri guys and even a little crew in Somerset West. In Durbs it’s more a core group of about 10 guys that skate together, obviously that’s not the whole scene but these are the guys that really drive the scene. But make no mistake even though the scene is small, the guys really, really shred.

ra: Apparently there used to be a skate gang called the Vista Crew in Westville, I heard that Steve (Hayes) used to be their leader (laughs). They even had stickers made with Steve on them! Haters gonna hate but I’d be pretty stoked to have my face on a sticker… But to answer your question, the scene is way smaller than the CT scene but I feel that it has so much more soul. It’s just some guys doing what they love, just skating every day and having a jol. That seems to me to be missing in the bigger scenes.

gM:What makes the scene so different in Durban?

ra: Well to me it’s just that the scene is so young up there. I mean guys have only been skating up there for two years. Down here you have guys like Kent, Mike Z, Anton and the like who have been skating for like ten years.

rJ: Ja, and because it’s so isolated up there guys tend to do things differently. What I also noticed was how competitive the guys are. That probably stems from the Gunslinger/Peg competition in the area.

gM: Word on the street is that the Durban guys are really shredding these days, what has led to their super-fast progression?

ra: Well it’s difficult to say exactly what it is but it may be due to the competition between Gunslinger and Peg, as Rickus said. I see that as a good thing though, because it means that okes are always pushing their skating and repping their brands. It definitely also had a lot to do with Keith and Ian from Gunslinger really supporting the local scene in the very early days and giving guys opportunities to skate for a brand. I really think that that has paid dividends big time. I mean all of the really good skaters came up through the ranks with Gunslinger. The likes of Troy, Crumpets and Stu were there right from the start and now there are a host of fresh faces with Gunslinger and all of them rip.

rJ: Okes definitely shred up there! I think it also has to do with the fact that it’s a small group of mates who skate together all the time and they are constantly pushing each other. Another contributing factor was that skating only hit Durban quite late and they had a lot of catching up to do with the Cape Town/ Stellies scene. So guys up there just skated hard and skated every day, and now you have some of the best free-riders and racers coming out of Durban.

gM: So are you predicting that Durban is progressing towards becoming the epicenter of skating in SA?

OKES NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT DURBAN IS

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rJ: Well in my mind Durban is to longboarding what Indonesia is to surfing. It’s just so well suited to the sport. The tar is generally amazing and there are hills everywhere. Also the climate is really nice in winter for skating, something that cannot be said for the Cape.

ra: Okes need to understand that Durban is already the epicenter of skating in SA, even though I know many of the old guard won’t agree with that. They have the best hills and the best tar, but most importantly they have two companies that dominate the cruiser market in SA. That means they have the most money, because lets face it, there is no real money in racing decks, it’s a niche market. There are just over 100 people registered with SAGRA (South African Gravity Racing Association) and how much do you think they spend on gear? Not nearly as much as all the “BComm Boytjies” in the country on their campus cruisers. Bottom line: Gunslinger and Peg can support local skaters and local industries and thus drive the local scene.

gM: Does this mean that we are going to be seeing more events coming out of Durban in the near future? At the moment there are only 2 entry-level races (Urban Descent and Peg Street Kings) and a freeride event (Natural Descent).

rJ: I hope so! I would love all the events to be in Durban! (Laughs) No we have some cool races in the Cape but I’m sure we will see more KZN races

soon. Longboarding Warehouse is also driving the scene there in a big way, so I’m sure you will see them involved in their own event at some stage.

ra: Ja for sure, it’s just a matter of time. As the scene grows you will be seeing more gnarly races popping up. They definitely have the hills for it. Cameron Inggs has a map of all of them tattooed on the back of his hand! No I’m joking. But it’s not too implausible.

gM: Are there any names to watch out for coming out of Durban in the near future?

rJ: Sho, too many! On the freeride front there is Dylan de Flouriout, the steeze-meister and Tyler Macdonald, the toeside fiend. Those guys have too much style. Jed Kenny is also a name to watch out for in the racing scene and there is a grom called Bryce Gardiner who literally blew my mind with his skating.

ra: Yes, Bryce is a freak. The kid is the next James Kelly. Then you also have Steve Hayes who is, in my opinion, the most well rounded skater in the country at the moment. He is killing it in his rookie year on the racing circuit, I think he’s currently in the top 5, and he freerides like an absolute demon. Stu Purchase is also an extremely well rounded skater and he definitely has big things ahead of him. Cameron Inggs has speed in his blood and is only happy when he is going very fast. Oh and there is a tiny grom they call Little-J, his real

name is Jason Burgess, that kid will destroy any Cape Town grom with his freeriding. He does toeside standies at a speed that I think of dropping a puck.

gM: What was the most memorable moment for you guys of the trip?

rJ: Well it was my first skate trip to Durban and I’ve been frothing for the Valley of a Thousand Hills for months now ever since the guys came back from Street Kings / Natural Descent. So when we finally made it down into the Valley with Cam and the guys; I was so stoked. What I didn’t expect though was navigating the most gnarly mountain pass made of sand to get there and once you get to the top of the mountain the most beautiful tar ever snakes out in front of you. It’s so surreal and makes no sense at all. But the hills in the valley are literally as good as Switzerland.

ra: For me it was a number of things. Firstly the Durban hospitality was something amazing. The guys literally dropped everything to accommodate us. Ian hooked us up with a flat and Chelsea Villa donated us 3 nights of the most pimp accommodation ever. Then skating the cemetery blew my mind. It is a skate park, not a graveyard. And apparently my great-grandfather is buried there. Finally though, the biggest highlight for me was coming third at Urban Descent. It was really awesome to get my second podium on my rookie year, and both times in Durban! Apparently it’s my lucky city!

ALREADY THE EPICENTER OF SKATING IN SARudi Stadler | Darkwhite Creative

- GRAVITY MAG

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F or ten years Hot Heels Africa was the final leg of the IGSA World Cup Downhill

Championships. The race is held on an access road in the Kogelberg Biosphere reserve and located between Pringle Bay and Rooiels. The Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve is an UNESCO-registered reserve and is home to 1880 plant species, 77 of which are endemic to this biosphere.

The racers exceed speeds of 80kph on this track – the main attractions are sharp, sweeping corners named of Lloyd’s Left and Baboon Bend. Speed freaks from around the globe have gathered in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve near Pringle Bay for a weekend of action-packed gravity racing, chasing each other down the fast, technical course.

Last year, skaters from North America and Europe clubbed together to form the International Downhill Federation or IDF. The result is that there were two international sanctioning bodies, each crowning a World Champion for 2013. SAGRA made the decision to not follow any international sanctioning body for 2013, in order to grow the local scene while the downhill politics calm down a bit.

During 2013 local brands really came to the party with some kick-ass downhill events; both sanctioned races and unsanctioned events drew attention in Western Cape, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal. Hot Heels Africa will be the final leg of the SAGRA Championships for Downhill Skateboarding, Street Luge and Classic Luge. We are currently anticipating 150 entrants from South Africa and abroad. If all goes well, SAGRA is hoping to host Hot Heels Africa 2014 as the final leg of the IDF World Championships.

- gErHard nEL

SAGRAHOT HEELS THEN & NOW

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SAGRA

OPEn 1 DEҫIO LOURENҫO 24002 RAOUL VAN DEN BERG 23763 LLOYD CLARK 23644 JASON BROWN 23535 STEPHEN HAYES 2348 JuNIOr 2 1 HENRY MULLER 23752 SIMON STURROCK 23723 MURRAY DU PREEZ 23704 DAVID SIM 23605 TIM BOWMAN 2355 JuNIOr 1 1 KIENAN DUNN 23962 DAVID BEARE 23893 OSCAR STUBBS 23864 ENEO HOLLENBACH 23575 CALLAN HOLLENBACH 2357

CURRENT SAGRA RANKINGS 2013 LaDIES 1 ANNKATHRIN BUCHWITZ 19992 GABI MURRAY-ROBERTS 19983 LEILA BLOM 1574 CHERI MORRIS 152 STreET LugE 1 GLEN PHILLIPS 20002 SIMON STURROCK 19873 DUAYNE CUMPSTY 1196 cLaSSIc LugE 1 GLEN PHILLIPS 19992 DUAYNE CUMPSTY 11993 FAIZAL SAMSODIEN 1195 MaSTErS 1 JOHN UPHAM 15972 EEBIN VAN DEN BERGH 15963 ANTON PRATT 1200

Pierre van der Spuy

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The Gravity of Meaning

Since the Renaissance, painters, sculptors, architects and philosophers have tried to embody the meaning of life by capturing it in their art, sculptures, buildings and knowledge. But one man has already discovered the true art of life through a strange piece of art called: “The longboard ”. The man who bore no surname and had no parents was only referred to as Vitruvian “The Man”. His writings about this “Longboarding” was in such a manner that none of the highest intellectuals of the time could understand the meaning of the words used. Some said the words resulted from a series of injuries, others speculated it was spontaniously created from the powerful deep feelings experienced due to this controversial art form called “Longboarding”.

We’ve recently discovered a secret log held by Vitruvian “The Man” that explain these words and their respective meanings. We here at gravity shall share them with the passing of every two full moons so the powerfull language of “Longboarding” lives on for centuries to come. It shall be known as the articles of

“The gravity of meaning.”

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Faff (verb) [faffing] [to faff]For a skater to muck about doing unnecessary, time-wasting activities such as changing your barely-ridden, perfectly scrubbed wheels pre-freeride session.* Also referred to as “delaying the skate”

Grom (noun) [gromming (verb)]Shortened version of grommet. An under 18-year old. Refers to the attitude or character of an individual.{There is nothing wrong with this state-of-being. Embrace it. Enjoy it.}E.g. of a grom statement: “Am I a grom?”“I want sliding wheels that last long and leave lots of thane lines”“Do you have extra wheels?”

Magpie (noun)A state-of-being involving the obsession to obtain the freshest skate-related products. These individuals never ride/make use of a product for longer than a few weeks before pawning it off to buy the next, freshest product.E.g. of a response to a Magpie: Michael, you Magpie!

Road tax (noun) [ Paying Road tax (verb)]To bail/wipe-out/re-acquaint oneself with gravity, resulting in you getting a roastie1.Note! Paying taxes is part of the law. Sometimes you’ll pay it off bit-by-bit, and other times the Taxman will collect a lump-sum. Either way – you’re gonna pay.roastie1: to have left behind piece(s) of skin on the tarmac.

Steeze (noun) [Similar to stylish]Used to describe a rider’s style and epic flair. More than only skill. Contains a particular je ne sais quoi/element that spreads fat-stoke-face. E.g. of usage: He has major steeze!Note! Steezy (adverb) is used to describe a state of steezeE.g. of usage: That slide was so steezy!!* It’s absolutely normal for one’s voice to accidentally break into falsetto while yelling this. Just go with it.

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LETTER OF THE MONTH

This here could be your letter of the month. Your letter that points out how

amazing this magazine is and how excited it gets you to go out and longboard.

Your letter that shares your awesome longboard experiences together with

photo’s and video links, whether you were on your board or carrying it in your

hand. As long as it’s part of the story.

A letter that, after you’ve written your best letter, realise that you have to

go out on an amazing skate adventure to top the current letter you’ve just

written, because it might just not be as amazing as your high standards.

A letter that impresses the Gravity team here so much that you win both a

G-Form cell phone cover (allowing you to type letter of the month while

skating) and a Kingdom Longboards deck (since your previous board imploded

from over-exposure to steeze).

And of course a letter of such magnitute will be seen nation-wide by your

obviously jealous friends that did not feature in the Gravity Magazine under

Letter of the Month.

Skate. Write. Share.

We can’t wait.

csgravitymag.letters@gmail.com

MR. MOUSTACHIO (:{)

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