Skateboarding in Afghanistan

This blog post pertains to the article titled “Skateboarding in Afghanistan Provides a Diversion From Desolation” from The New York Times.

First of all, let’s dedicate this blog to all the people who oppose skateboarding areas in their community.

After a car bombing in Kabul, a large group of kids were not startled enough to let the board leave their feet. They kept skating in an empty fountain that was just 20 yards away from the bombing. The fact that these skaters feel safer skating no matter how close they are to possible fatality rather than in an enclose home shelter is very surprising. If such a bombing occurred here in LoCo, schools would be closed, roads would be blocked off, and people would be forced to stay inside their homes. Skateboarding has given them a sense of protection and strength.

It is truly remarkable how the situation is in Afghanistan. For several years, possibly their whole lives, their homeland has been under attack. Until now, youth have been limited to activities in the Kabul community by playing pick-up soccer and other sports. Skateboarding, however, has recently been introduced to kids and is making a remarkable difference in their self-esteem compared to any other activity has given them.

“It gives me courage, and once I start skating, I completely forget about my fears,” said 9-year-old Maro. With youth living in such extreme conditions, opportunities for them to feel freedom and gain confidence in themselves have been very limited until the first skateboard dropped on a dusty abandoned fountain.

This story can easily be compared to youth life here in America, however maybe not as extreme. People of all ages engage in skateboarding recreation for its high level of enjoyment. But some of these people may have first jumped into skateboarding with an expectation to get away from negative situations with family or friends. They soon noticed that skateboarding puts them in a totally different atmosphere where confidence and courage thrive in every direction.

Oliver Percovich, a 34-year-old from Australia, is working towards building the country’s very first skateboarding school called Skateistan. Skateistan would be similar to a youth recreation center dedicated to helping residents through personal issues by putting a skateboard under their feet. This effort is quite outstanding considering the current warfare conditions in the nearby area.

Let’s pray for skateboarding success in Kabul and a new life of happiness to it’s residents. You can read more about Oliver’s project by clicking the link posted below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/26/sports/othersports/26skate.html?_r=3&hp