US skateboarder Jason Vanporppal completes African trek in Cape Town
Jason Vanporppal is on a mission to build the biggest skatepark in Uganda, embracing South African culture along the way.
Image: Facebook
The hype is real as American skateboarder Jason Vanporppal is expected to roll into the Mother City after his inspiring African odyssey.
Over 100 days ago, the skateboarder from Paramount, California, set out on a mission to travel from Kampala, Uganda, to Cape Town to raise funds to build the “biggest skatepark in Uganda”.
His great trek began in February and has taken him through Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
During his travels through Mzansi, Vanporppal has passed through several towns and cities including Johannesburg, Kroonstad, Bloemfontein, Beaufort West, Richmond and Laingsburg.
As he pushed his way through the countryside, fans streamed to the roadsides to cheer him on.
Along the way, he has embraced South African culture, even experiencing his very first braai.
Speaking to Independent Media Travel, Vanporppal explained that the inspiration behind the cross-continent skateboarding journey came from friendships he formed with Ugandan skaters Isaac and Ephraim.
He said: “I was inspired to do this project because the guys that I originally started pushing with, Isaac and Ephraim, they’re from Uganda and they shared a lot about it with me.
“When I went there and saw it with my own eyes, I realised the skate community lacks resources.”
According to Vanporppal, many young skaters in Uganda are forced to practice on dirt roads and in public spaces where they are often chased away because of the noise.
He added: “These kids are skating on dirt. Sometimes they get kicked out by locals because they’re too loud.
“So we decided - let’s build a really big skatepark, not just for those kids, but for all of Africa.”
After covering more than 6 400 kilometres across seven African countries, Vanporppal left Worcester on Sunday morning, before his final push from Paarl on Monday.
And he is edging closer to his target too, having raised over $30 000 of his $35 000 (R590 000) GoFundMe initiative.
Along the way, he has shared his heartfelt appreciation for the support he has received in Mzansi in daily social media posts, with his Facebook account boasting over 200 000 following.
Vanporppal is expected to arrive in the Mother City on Monday, which also coincides with Africa Day.
Before leaving Worcester, he said: “Thank you all. I’m in a blessed position, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
“You guys have shown what Africa is all about. We are changing the world little by little.”
WALK IN THE SKATEPARK: Doing it for Ugandan kids
Image: Facebook