03 June | Norlington School | London

Here are the images from the session at Norlington School, June 3rd. There are a few more images that we have not uploaded so if you do not see yourself in the images do not hesitate to contact us. We hope you enjoy!

Action Sports in American Schools

While ASIS is slowly but steadily growing in the UK, across the
Atlantic in New York professional skateboarder Billy
Rohan is also making waves on the grassroots skate scene.

Billy has been named New Yorker of the week by cable TV channel NY1,
thanks to his work generating a new-found interest amongst youths in skateboarding. He’s also been building skateparks around the city so as to host his skate sessions, and using skate equipment donated by his sponsors. and furthermore creating places to do it.

We are happy to see that similar programs are happening in the US where
the situation amongst youths is similar to that in the UK. The need for change is becoming more and more obvious and action sports can provide a solution. Check the video and full story  here.  (seen in NY1.com)

One day something like this might land in the UK

Check out the latest indoor Action Sports play centre to be built at Copper Mountain in America. The UK is calling out for something like this.

http://snowboarding.transworld.net/2009/03/05/woodward-at-copper-mtn-video/

Oakley Independant Vert Series, Mount Hawke

UK Pro snowboarder and long time skateboarder Dan Wakeham took time out of his busy winter schedule to head back to the Westcountry and check out the Oakley Vert Skate Comp. Watch his film where Reece Douglas checks out the Oakley UK Independent Vert series at Mount Hawke in Cornwall. Sunday 1st March saw the the first in the series of the 4 vert comps for the season.

http://video.mpora.com/watch/EjUVztGrt/

Action Sports in Afghanistan

Running a skateboarding program with no support from the government is difficult enough in the UK, so to be able to do something similar in a part of the world that is still on the front line of a major armed conflict is pretty incredible. However that is exactly what one 34 year old man from Melbourne, Australia is doing in Afghanistan.

Oliver Percovich is taking Action sports onto the front line. Afghan youth have learned to recover almost instantly from routine violence. Percovich is determined to inject some normalcy into their lives. His not-for-profit skate academy, Skateistan, is opening this spring. He sees sport as a way to woo students into after-school activities like English and computer classes, which are otherwise reserved for the elite.

Percovich has raised the money needed to build an 8,600-square-foot bubble to house the Skateistan complex, and the Kabul Parks Authority has tentatively donated land. He is still waiting for official permission to begin the project. And since a spate of kidnappings and the car bombing in late November, he has reduced his daily sessions at his current location to once or twice a week.

Despite the obvious military and economic problems in the country that face the organisation, deep social rifts along religious and gender and class lines divide the population and present even more problems for Skateistan. Here at ASIS we wish them the best of luck!