We woke up early next day for the contest .We took a boda boda to the skatepark for only 20ksh each. How I wish Kenya was that cheap. We got to the slum and walked to the skatepark using the little knowledge we had from being there the previous night. Miraculously we got there. It was so funnhy and exciting to see all the Ugandan kids I had seen skating on youtube back in Kenya and some I never knew . We started greeting them. Some of them already knew George from his many youtube videos and were hyped to see him. The international skate greeting works in Uganda as well mid handshake and a fistbump hehe. I was so hyped to see Peter Kyomuhendo just chilling there as some kids ripped the scary quarter so casually which I came to learn was called ‘’the Thing’’.
The Uganda skateboard Union guys were running the show all legit, Tents, chairs , an MC, a DJ ,some dudes selling SIM cards and mobiles who I later learned were on of the sponsers for the event K2 telcom all surrounding the skatepark. Most of the town locals were there watching from women with their babies to grannies and village men and kids.I bought one of the K2 SIM cards. As we were warming up chatting and seshing with the guys Halid Razman,Ken Paraza,John Ray thanks for the fun times .suddenly with Halid mid 5-0 grind, Kaly Kidima ,Kiaro Hinz and Jackson Mubiru showed up from inside the HQ house near the park. Happy to see us ,they rushed to greet us, Kaly told me he was gonna film the whole thing and the kids were gonna kill it. Jack told us how we were gonna judge contest.I was honoured .I had never judged anything in my life hehe.. well maybe apart from my friends’ crap trick choices…i kid hehe.
The session was getting seriously crazy now. Big Airs back and forth. The Kitintale Skatepark has crazy good flow it’s amazing what they did with such little space. Drop in from the drop in on the side opposite the HQ house … Transfer or pump the pyramid then hit the big quarter, the ‘thing’.. Fly off it if you are brave enough.. We Weren’t hehe . They on the other Hand.. backside, frontside..they didn’t give a fuck. If the kids that were gonna be competing were warming up with 360s and rock and rolls on the extension on the ‘’thing’’. Crazy stuff. The MC was saying some funny (people giggled) stuff in Luganda all I heard was Kenya and I assumed he was talking about how much we suck at vert. George threw in some bonelesses and big lines. Jack called off the warm up and for the contest to start. Kiaro Hinz was also killing it on the transfer and ledge near transfer, but even his German knowledge of vert he had from skating the skatepark he couldn’t burst airs on the big quarters. Later on, one of my fave Ugandan skaters showed up
The youngins fired it up. And oh my we were shocked.360s 540s….mad speed in their pump I was scared for them.It was even hard to judge. I’d give a 10/10 for a backside air as big as those I saw also considering the kids’ ages. But I later learned that was normal here… The first Heat was done.We made our Judgements kids’ Sirasse and Hamza and some other kid (forgot the name) got 1st 2nd and 3rd .Later on guys from the ‘rival camp’ Uganda skateboard federation (USF) showed up.Tensions were high even cops moved closer to the park.so weird how Ugandan cops are in black uniform ,so hard to spot. Story on how the USF vs USU beef started is so gnarly; Hollywood movie material.We went to say hi to the USF guys Gose and Moutain Kizza.We had had such a great time with this guys in Kenya. Was so happy to see them.There was a call for a break as the old guys did a demo. I was too excited for this I just sat this one out.Im just gonna let this photos speak for me. Douglas and Peter, Gose and mountain and the army guy were killing it. They were crazy.
Later me and George would later Join in.lol…for our country..hahah.. The crowd Cheered when I dropped in on the thing but didn’t roll away for long and bailed. I felt offended hehe, how much did this guys think I sucked..i was able to backside grind a bit with the much needed psyche from Kiaro Hinz who also later joined in. George was killing it as well hitting everything switch …
2nd heat was even more insane transfers, between the drop in mega quarters opposite the HQ house .I don’t remember who won really. But all those kids Killed it.oh there was a tie between two kids and it started raining The Kids requested for a dancing competition in the rain and the Dj played some tracks and they kicked it hard to that Ugandan pop music haha. The kid who was dancing like a total drunk club chic won..i wonder where he got that from .It was so funny.He was received with cheers so were the others who participated.It got Dark the music got louder. The Ugandan chics got more and more.I started talking to Gose and Mountain and Kiaro and all the guys they had so many questions about Kenya hahah and I tried to kearn some Luganda.The language barrier sucked sometimes btw in Uganda sure we can all speak English.but I think something gets lost in the translation and We could never really ‘Chat with the guys’.
I started talking to some Ugandan girls drinikng at the corner there. They were partying later with the skaters..They were like ‘’yeah we partying,you should come later to this club in town’’ .For some reasons probably being broke,not really I guess though because a Ugandan beer is 80ksh (2600ush),hah.i never went…So I went with Kiaro,Kaly and some other guys to the local pub hanged..they had snowboard videos on the screens..Music was all Ugandan and the people were chill..seemed like an old people club though..We later went home back to my uncle’s and slept.looking forward to the next adventure.
I’d later learn that my uncle was not coming back until after 2 days and that in one of the drawers in the kitchen was enough booze to blackout a house party and he was cool with us drinking it all.put two and two together haha…Oh and also that that contest that just blew our minds was not as badass as the rest they’d held ..whaaat!
Author: Samuel Maguta aka Slammy Karugu
