Gallery: Spreading Joy in Afghanistan and Cambodia, One Skateboard at a Time
Rick Valenzuela01rv-20110328-luc-360p-047
*'Peter' Khim Rattanak does a kickflip at the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Skateistan recently opened a chapter in the city.* *Photo: Rick Valenzuela*
02img-1098-2
*Pheakna, a Skateistan instructor, teaches a young Khmer girl how to ride a skateboard. The program has drawn some 200 kids.*
03ftp-1
*Khmer girls line up on the quarter pipe at Skateistan's new digs in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.*
04ftp-5
*A crowd celebrates the opening of Skateistan’s first facility in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The facility officially opened Oct. 1.*
05img-1080
*One of the first young Khmer skateboarders tries his skills on the new ramps.*
06bibmaru-pool-jake-simkin-for-skateistan
*Wais throws a big ollie into an abandoned Russian swimming pool atop Bibimaru Hill in Kabul. The Taliban used the pool to hold public executions; Skateistan co-opted it for skating.*
Joel Sames07bilal-handicappedteacher-joel-sames-for-skateistan
*Bilal, an instructor for disabled classes, does a kick-turn on the quarter pipe at the Skateistan park in Kabul.*
Joel Sames08fazilla-skatedemo-joel-sames-for-skateistan
*Fazila is one of Afghanistan's first female skateboarers. Here she's seen in her traditional Afghan dress, dropping in from the quarter pipe.*
09rocket-ramp-jake-simkin-for-skateistan
*One of the most eye-catching ramps at the skatepark in Afghanistan – the Rocket Ramp. It’s a steep 6-foot wallride and quite a challenge for most kids.*
10goskateboardingday-skateistan
*Afghan girls in traditional dress, ready to skate the streets of Kabul for Go Skateboarding Day, 2011. The skating holiday is celebrated worldwide each year on June 21.*
Joel Sames11noorzai-massoudroundabout-skateistan
*Noorzai, a Skateistan instructor and one of Afghanistan's first skateboarders, pulls in a rock to fakie at the famous Massoud Roundabout in Kabul.*
12streetskating-skateistan
*Noorzai doing a big ollie from an empty fountain in the heart of one of Kabul’s busiest traffic roundabouts.*
