25/05/2026
US skateboarder Jason Vanporppal has been pushing his board thousands of kilometres from Uganda down to Cape Town. He’s grinding through Africa not for glory or likes, but to raise cash for what could be Uganda’s biggest skatepark a proper spot for kids who right now are ripping it up on dirt patches with no real ramps or safety. Joined at the start by two Ugandan skaters from the Kampala Skateboard Initiative, he’s covered over 6200km through tough roads and borders, showing what real commitment looks like while the rest of us scroll past problems.
It’s the kind of story that hits different in these times one guy from LA seeing kids with nothing and deciding to do something about it instead of just talking. No big sponsors or easy wins, just pure sweat and belief that skateboarding can give young people a place to grow, create, and stay out of trouble. In a world full of empty promises from leaders, this quiet grind feels like the real deal.