From Cape Town to Uganda: Jason's 5 900 km skateboarding journey for youth
American skateboarder Jason Vanporppal arriving in Cape Town in his skateboard journey across Africa to raise funds for Uganda's first permanent public skatepark.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Newspapers
After skating nearly 5 900km across Africa, Los Angeles-born skateboarder Jason Vanpoppal rolled into Cape Town on Monday, alongside Ugandan skaters Isaac Jojinah and Ephraim Ssekiziyiv as part of a journey to help build Uganda’s first permanent skatepark.
The trio began their expedition in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, travelling south through multiple African countries to raise awareness and funds for Uganda’s growing skateboarding community, where many young skaters still lack access to dedicated facilities and safe public spaces to practise the sport.
Their final stop was the Company's Garden, where local skaters and supporters welcomed the trio following months on the road.
The campaign is aimed at helping establish Uganda’s first permanent public skatepark - a project the skaters say could create opportunities for youth development, creative expression, and safer recreational spaces in their communities.
Jason Vanporppal and his friends in South Africa, after he skateboarded across Africa, so they could build a skatepark in Uganda.
Image: Supplied
Along the way, the group relied on support from local communities, fellow skateboarders, and supporters across the continent, documenting their experiences and encounters during the cross-country journey.
The skaters say the initiative is about more than just sport.
Through skateboarding, they hope to inspire young Africans to pursue alternative creative cultures while building connections between communities across borders.
In a video shared on TikTok by VanPoppal, he was welcomed by scores of children and adults as he passed through Laingsburg last Wednesday, with residents running alongside him and cheering from the roadside.
Passing motorists hooted in support as the Ugandan skater continued his 5 900km journey to Cape Town.
“This is so beautiful, I’m speechless,” he said.
“This is the most I’ve ever seen so many people coming out to support me. It represented more than me pushing through the town- it represented South Africa, love and what people can do to support.”
Cape Town, home to one of Africa’s most visible skateboarding scenes, marks the final destination of the expedition. Their arrival is expected to bring together members of the local skating community in solidarity with the Ugandan initiative.