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Article by: Cherif Herrawi

Sand, Pyramids and...Skateboards!
Almost everyone's got the instinct to roll on wheels. Skateboarding began in the 1950s when California Surfers got the idea to "surf on the streets." Have you seen those kids on TV “playing” with the four-wheeled piece of wood they call “skateboard,” going up and down on this U-shaped wooden ramp doing “moves” that drop your jaws off? Have you seen those other guys rolling on skateboards, jumping stairs, going down handrails flipping their board underneath them?
Well… they're not actually “playing,” it's not actually “moves,” they’re not necessarily “kids,” it’s not only on “TV” and it's definitely not only “foreigners living abroad.”
Egypt did not hear about the skateboarding evolution till the early 90s and a lot of us owned skateboards as children. Yeah, you've read it right; there is a big community of skateboarders in Egypt, who seek fine spots to exercise their sport.

So, what's the story of that sport in Egypt? Since the start of the new millennium, skateboarding in Egypt has evolved dramatically. It went from the point of obscurity to the point of actual popularity by holding international Go Skateboarding Days (GSD).*

Thanks to the internet, Egyptian skaters were able to find each other and build a growing community. It started with an online forum, where players, from Cairo and Alexandria planned upcoming events, and traveled to compete against each other.

“This big step was a clean head start for an independent skate culture here”


In 2005, skaters decided to take the sport to the next level by establishing Skateimpact.com, the first Egyptian skateboarding business.

Skateimpact.com was founded in Alexandria for developing and supporting Egyptian skateboarding. “This big step was a clean head start for an independent skate culture here,” says Yehia Ossama, one of the skateboarding pioneers in Egypt. “Before, one had to buy gear from abroad or to get to start somewhere else, but now… that's been taken care of. . . As for the gear, well… skateimpact.com has covered that point too; the online shop provides skaters with all the necessary and luxurious needs and accessories related to skateboarding. They offer guaranteed investment for a well reputed and high performance skateboard,” Yehia resumes.

And in order to help beginners, some dedicated skateboarders decided to film trick tips or instructional videos which show people how to perform the basic tricks of skateboarding, which also, happened to be the first ever trick tips to be presented in Arabic. Besides, Skateimpact.com has just released its first 45 minute DVD, titled First impression, featuring the high level of skating that has been filmed in the past 2 years, and offers it free with any purchase.



Skateboarding is growing more and more. Come and join us, it's worth a try.