What is your name? 

Josh.

Where are you from?

Planet Earth. 

How long have you been skateboarding?

20 years. 

What inspires you on a daily basis?

Life.

Can you explain what “Wonders around the World” is?

First and foremost WAW is for the children.

We are an international and independent non-profit organisation. We are a group of skateboarders, workers, architects, engineers, contractors, and entrepreneurs who have joined forces to manifest safe and free places to skate worldwide. 

What led you to embarking on this mission?

Nothing makes more sense to us then doing this. We should not underestimate the power of skateboarding.

Where has “WAW” built skateparks?

We founded WAW the 1st of January 2019. Before that as individuals we have financed and carried out builds in places such as Syria, Iraq, The Maldives, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Morocco, Bolivia and Nepal. 

A lot of the places “WAW” has worked are pretty rough and maybe only have a small skateboard scene, if at all. Where does “WAW” aim to build skateparks?

We aim to build in places where it’s highly needed and appreciated. Places where it otherwise would not happen. 

How does “WAW” differ from a more localized skatepark building company that most people are familiar with?

We have some of the most skilled people in the world of skatepark building, who volunteer to make these things happen. We have a clear mission that goes beyond any kind of personal or business interest. We aim to be building strong partnerships with everyone else on this mission.

“WAW” is like an international collective, can you name some of the key players that help keep the gears turning?   

As individuals we represent companies like Grindline (Ryan “Peabody” McWhirter), Glifberg/Lykke (Rune Glifberg), 5th Pocket (Sloan Palder), Dreamland (Joey Martin), Alis (Albert Hatchwell), Vans India (Atita Verghese). Just to name a few.

Is there a specific project that sticks out to you as a great success over others? Maybe the construction went smoothly, or the appreciation from the locals was overwhelming?

Every one.

Being a not for profit group, what motivates “WAW” to keep going?

We do not need motivation in that sense to keep going. There is nothing that we love to do more than this. Right now only half of the worlds skateboarders have access to safe and free places to skate. Our mission is quite simple, to make skateboarding accessible to everyone in the world. We are not going to stop for decades to come. 

I’ve worked with you a few times, in a few countries and what goes down on our job sites is something indescribable to many people back home. Is there a specific pour or night of work that left you thinking, How did we pull that off? 

I mean it is incredible to see what humans are capable of when you join forces and work together for a common goal. So again, every time I do this, I am impressed to see what we can pull off together.

There are a lot of nonprofits that provide different things/services for places in need internationally. What is it about skatepark construction that led you to using it as a platform to promote positive change?

Again, we should not underestimate the power of skateboarding and every single aspect of us. 

It seems like one of the driving forces of “WAW” is involvement. Whether it is women, locals, children etc. “WAW” strives to create a diverse group of individuals that take part in every aspect of each project. Why is this important to you as a group?

The thing we need to do as human beings is work together, progression cannot be made if we separate. Skateboarding has the power of bringing people together. We would like to show that no aspect of skateboarding is for a chosen few. Everyone has the force – Yoda approves.

How do you get approached for a specific project? Do you often reach out to people in a place you might want to work? Or do people/places wanting a skatepark generally reach out to you?

Both.

Aside from creating a totally unique concrete skatepark to ride, what else do you think “WAW” provides for the people in the places you’ve worked? 

We aim to give the locals the feeling that they are just as big apart as us in making these things happen. We aim to build strong partnerships with locals and organisations who can provide healthy systems for the children and the future of the skateparks.

What’s next for “WAW”? What projects do you have coming up in the future?

Right now we are constructing Syria’s first skatepark with SOS children villages and Skate-Aid. After that we will go to Iraq (Kurdistan) to extend the Suli skatepark we built  with Make Life Skate Life a year ago. After that Peru, Hungary, and then Jamaica. We got a large amount of projects coming up with a lot of beautiful people. 

Whether it’s making a donation or wanting to come work, how can people get involved with “WAW”?

There are many ways people can get involved. Everybody is welcome to contact us. 

5 year goal for “WAW?

Waw is for the children, so we are all in. The more we can manifest and the stronger bonds we can build, the better.

If people would like to find out more or get involved with Wonders Around the World, check out www.wondersaroundtheworld.org @wondersaroundtheworld on instagram or email info@wondersaroundtheworld.org