Episode 046: Oliver Percovich - Skateistan

Full episode info and Show Notes: www.wearelookingsideways.com Like most people, I got my first introduction to Skateistan back in 2010 following the release of To Live And Die in Kabul, Orlando von Eisendel’s documentary about the early years of the charity. So what is Skateistan? Set up by Aussie skater Oliver Percovich, Skateistan is an international non-profit organisation providing programmes that use skateboarding to provide education and safe spaces for kids from low-income backgrounds in Afghanistan, Cambodia and South Africa. When Ollie first established the charity back in 2008, it was a true outlier, an eccentric idea dreamed up by a diehard skater keen to explore just how, as he puts it, ‘skateboarding could be more broadly utilised’. Today, Skateistan is one of the most high-profile action sports charities in the world. It counts legends like Tony Hawk and Jamie Thomas as supporters, and has pioneered the idea of using activities like skateboarding as a transformative force, and a metaphor through which to engage with at-risk communities. So how exactly did Ollie do it? How did he use skateboarding to create such a visionary, positive organisation? That exactly what I wanted to find out when I sat down with him at the recent Pushing Boarders event in London, and our conversation covers all this, and plenty more. Sure, we dig into the history of Skateistan. But we also explore big themes, about finding a sense of purpose, the importance of community in an increasingly globalised world, how individuals can find their own place in the world with meaning, and the universality of human experience. It is inspiring stuff, and the other thing that becomes clear is that Ollie Percovich is a man of action, somebody who dreams big and has channelled his own ‘nervous energy’ and desire to make a difference into one of the most positive movements in skateboarding. Dig in for an essential conversation with one of the most inspirational figures in modern action sports. Thanks as usual to Matt Ward (www.linguistine.com) for the theme tune.