If Harmonie Bataka had been told that she would meet the Vice-President of the United States one day, she would not have believed it. “Never, never, never,” laughs the young Ghanaian. Even less if it had been suggested to her that she owed it to the passion of her life, cultivated against and against the prejudices of those around her: skateboarding.
On a visit to Ghana at the end of March, Kamala Harris did indeed interrupt her political program for a moment to make a detour to the Freedom skatepark in Accra, headquarters of an increasingly active scene, at the crossroads of sport, urban cultures and entrepreneurship. An environment where women, like Harmonie, have found their place despite norms and prejudices.
“It’s not natural to be a skater girl in Ghana. And, originally, my parents would rather have dreamed of me becoming a doctor or a lawyer. But today, they see that this is how I come to realize myself and live amazing experiences,” explains the 28-year-old young woman who has been teaching lessons at the skatepark since it opened at the end of 2021. C It was also here that she was able to meet the African-American rapper Kendrick Lamar, who came to spend some time with the Accra “riders” during a trip to 2022.
Bring a feminine touch
The first of its kind in West Africa – two others should soon open in Senegal and Nigeria – this 500 m2 space located in the heart of the Ghanaian capital was built by the NGO Wonders Around the World and supported by Virgil Abloh, the former men’s artistic director of Louis Vuitton, who died in 2021. The Ghanaian-born designer, pioneer of high-end streetwear with his Off-White collection, contributed funding and designed the logo. The walls of the skatepark continue to pay homage to him by displaying in black letters on a yellow background the inscription “Virgil was here”.
If the skate park exists today, it is also and above all thanks to the pugnacity of the Surf Ghana collective, founded by the Frenchwoman of Martinican origin Sandy Alibo. This former head of sports sponsorship at Sosh, who has been living in the country for six years, is struggling to develop the culture of board sports there, while striving to bring it a feminine touch. Globally, just 24% of skateboarders are women, according to statistics from research firm Grand View Research. The imbalance is even more visible in West Africa where skateboarding remains a niche sport.
“When I started here, it was a universe that only had men,” she confirms. I told women they were welcome, but we had to find ways for them to overcome their shyness and try it themselves. One of these initiatives was the creation, in 2019, of the Skate Gal club – Gal for “girl” (“girl”) as we say in Ghanaian pidgin. Since the inauguration of the skatepark, a weekly day – Thursday – has been reserved for them.
Take care of bodies and strengthen ties
This April morning, while a sound system broadcasts Afrobeat continuously, there are ten of them to attack the ramps. These newcomers, students in a center dedicated to street youth, the Catholic Action for Street Children (CAS), were offered a training session a bit like a personal development course. After listening carefully to the coach’s instructions, some attempt a few awkward tricks. The “tricks” – stylish maneuvers of the riders – are only at the draft stage, but the fun is there.
“I feel so free, I wish I could come back every week,” says Cynthia Gidisu, her face streaming under her hard hat. The sun is beating down, but this does not deter this pastry apprentice from trying her hand at “ollie” (jumping with the board). “I would never have dared in front of boys,” she blurts out in front of her classmates.
“The other days the pitch is saturated. It’s hard to get started if you’re not comfortable. But between women, it’s different, there’s no competition,” says Harmonie from the local skatepark, converted that day into a hair salon for a “hair therapy” program. Various workshops are thus organized every Thursday, to take care of the body and strengthen ties.
“Confidence in me as a woman”
Sarah Niarko, 25, surrenders to the hands of the hairdresser. This other kingpin of the skatepark contemplates her reflection in the mirror with caution, but she doesn’t hesitate for a second when asked what the practice of the “deck” has given her: “Confidence in myself as a woman. And professional opportunities. The philosophy of skateboarding is “do it yourself”. Before, she worked without pleasure in a restaurant. Today, she teaches skateboarding and dreams of being an entrepreneur in construction and furniture.
How about Olympic champion? At the Paris Games in 2024, skateboarding will make its debut as an official sport alongside rock climbing, surfing and breakdancing, after being inducted as an additional sport in Tokyo in 2021. A discipline in which Africa n is only weakly represented. Only three of the eighty skaters who participated in the Tokyo Olympics came from the mainland. Could Accra’s Freedom Skatepark Help Grow the Stars of Tomorrow? “It won’t be for us and not for this time,” Harmony says, “but some of our students are already dreaming about it. »