Video and words by Jesse Williams.
Photos by Bamlak Tesfa.
This short shines the spotlight on a blossoming skate community in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a country where skating is only about 10-15 years old. The skate community is dependent on foreigners who bring or ship them goods, however the locals have an insatiable desire for skateboarding that can not be tamed.
That is exactly what I wanted to put on display in this film HAYA filmed over a two week span , the following places were visited: Addis skatepark (a park built 2016 and the first in the country), a second semi DIY park built last year that was 100% built by local skaters and an underground indoor spot that doubles as a local shop. Yonas is the main skater featured. It was a beautiful thing to link them and see the youth so stoked to ride a board. It is a reminder that skateboarding is a global addiction!
