In October 2016, Surf Ghana first popped up as an instagram account. Earlier that year, Martinican strategist Sandy Alibo had been assigned to work in the action sports department of a telecom company in Paris. This marked her entry into an industry she would soon expand on the other side of the atlantic.
Image Courtesy of Dominique Petit-Frère
Although she later visited Ghana for the first time as a tourist, the country felt like an old friend - reminiscent of her home, Martinique. She explains: “ I think sometimes in Africa, people don't consider the Caribbean so for me it was important to reconnect with Africa..looking around, we live the same way I live in the village in Martinique and we even eat the same food. I'm so impressed about the fact that our ancestors can travel 400 years ago and can keep everything intact. We need to support each other.”
Interested in the growing board sports culture, Alibo started to document the surfers and skateboarders she was getting to know. After receiving positive feedback online and on the ground, Surf Ghana began to transform. Together with co-directors Joshua Odamtten, skateboarding teacher and photographer, and Justice Kwofie, a surf instructor, Surf Ghana has changed from a social media blog to an ecosystem. The organization has distributed equipment, held classes, and made way for Skate Girl Club, national skate tours, a digital afrobeats skateboarding competition, and brand partnerships.
“There are about 25 Active members based in Accra, Busua, Krokrobite, Kwahu, and Kumasi. They all practice skateboarding or surfing and they also contribute as instructors, filmmakers, photographers, writers, artists, journalists, carpenters, mixologists, agriculturists and much more.” Alibo says. “When I started the project five years ago, I felt really alone. I was working in the action sport industry not only as a woman, but as a Black woman, and that's why I decided to do more than just highlight us.”
Image courtesy of Limbo Accra
Image courtesy of Limbo Accra
Helmed by Petit-Frère, Emil Grip, and Anthony Badu, Limbo Accra is an architectural studio invested in furthering ‘design as a social practice’. Previously, the studio has curated spatial art shows bringing contemporary Ghanaian artists together. With an extensive background in exploring possibilities in the not-yet-here, Petit-Frère is a skilled creative.
Approximately 56% of Ghana’s population is under 25, yet a 2020 World Bank report helps to contextualize some of the challenges of this age group. Ghana is faced with 12% youth unemployment rate and more than 50% underemployment. Housing a wi-fi cafe, skate shop, gallery, and community farm, Petit-Frère and Alibo hope that the creation of the park will give young people of varied socioeconomic backgrounds some leverage to shape Ghana’s creative economy and encourage budding experimenters to take up space.
Image courtesy of Limbo Accra
How does one go about building a skatepark in Accra?
With a sizable team all over the world, this process of building Freedom Skate Park is the epitome of ‘think globally, act locally’. Both geographical proximity and virtual connection sustained these opportune relationships.
“It was really, really natural in the sense that, you know, we're also based in Copenhagen and randomly Copenhagen and Denmark are like literally the Mecca for architecture and design and have a huge skate culture and so, two of the largest skatepark builder companies around the world are also in Denmark,” Petit-Frère notes.
The long-list of partners involved in this multi-scalar initiative include Vans, Space Accra, Alaska Alaska, Tony’s Chocolonely, and Wonders Around The World. In a testament to the reach of diaspora, African-owned Dutch fashion brand, Daily Paper, and Ghanaian-American designer Virgil Abloh’s luxury label,Off White, have been pivotal to the initial fundraising efforts.
“When I started the project five years ago, I felt really alone. I was working in the action sport industry not only as a woman, but as a Black woman, and that's why I decided to do more than just highlight us.”
“Everybody I connect with is from social media. I didn't have any network. I started from scratch.” Alibo points out. A 2017 feature in Vogue brought an influx of attention and curious followers - one of whom was Abloh. Keen to support, he reached out and three years later, this Instagram DM led to a sold-out Off White and Daily Paper capsule collection released in December 2020. The proceeds managed to raise 40% of the project’s total budget in fifteen minutes.
On an architectural level, Petit-Frère is drawing inspiration from existing frameworks such as using clay and dirt for rammed earth (popularized by Ghanaian construction artists, Hive Earth) and researching new territory with local artisans by exploring the sculptural potential of upcycled metal. Limbo Accra’s ecologically conscious practice is part of a growing shift towards considering indigenous design and materials that can contribute to a more sustainable future.
Image courtesy of Surf Ghana
What’s next?
In July 2021, 80 athletes will have a chance to compete in either the ‘street’ or ‘park’ categories during Skateboarding’s debut at the Tokyo Olympic Games. An African country has not yet announced a team, although Alibo hopes that Ghanian skateboarders can soon qualify. By increasing sports infrastructure, Freedom Skatepark will be 11th of its kind on the continent.
A recent study at USC’s Rossier School of Education surveyed 13-25 year-olds skateboarders in the United States to understand the impact of the sport on youth development. Led by Dr.Zoe Zerwin, the data, which had over 5,000 responses, suggests that skateboarding improves mental health, facilitates a sense of community, and encourages resilience. While this research is American-focused, it raises a case for positive long-term societal shifts that can come from providing outlets for play and leisure.
“What comes to mind when you think of skateboarding?” Petit-Frère asks me. Taking a second to think, I respond, “Tony Hawk. Just any white guy who doesn't cut his hair and drinks Arizona,” both a joke and a sincere description of the representation of boardsports that has long existed.
Sarah Nyarko, 23, has been part of the collective ‘Skate Nation’ since stumbling into one of their performances at a festival in 2018. An organic offshoot of Surf Ghana, this group of skaters, roller bladers, and scooter riders, soon began meeting in their own time to roam the city. “Now with the skate park we can have a safe space to skate,a place we call our own because before we would mostly skate at National Theatre, Mile 7 and Trade Fair because we don’t have a real skatepark so it's always been DIY,” Nyarko shares.
Using wood,metal, and bricks, the collective would source resources and create makeshift obstacles around Accra to meet-up and skate with. Building on Petit-Frère and Alibo’s vision, I asked Nyarko what she imagines Accra’s skate culture will look like in 10 years.
“You’ll see us, all of Africa. We’ll take over the world.”
AMAKA disclaimer: We’re not affiliated with Freedom Skatepark but if you’d like to contribute to the construction of Freedom Skatepark, you can visit their website here.