The Germaican Skate Tour closed its Kingston leg on a high note Sunday, transforming Water Lane at the Kingston Creative parking lot into a hub of movement, creativity, and youthful possibility.
Over three days, the mobile skate park became a gathering point for children and adults from across the corporate area and neighboring parishes, many experiencing skateboarding for the first time. While newcomers tested their balance and confidence, spectators were treated to high-energy demonstrations by the accomplished Eduskateme team, whose performances showcased the sport’s athleticism and expressive appeal.
Opening doors for inner-city youth
A significant number of participants came from nearby communities including Southside, Waltham Park, Trench Town, Tivoli Gardens, and other inner-city neighborhoods. For many of these young attendees, the tour represented more than recreation, it offered access to a global sport rarely available in their communities.
The initiative was organized by the Jamaica Skate Culture Foundation (JSCF), led by founder Remy Walter, with financial support from the German Embassy. The French Embassy funded the manufacture of the mobile skate park, while the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), home to the only skateboard club in the corporate area, has hosted the mobile facility since August.
Diplomatic support on and off the board
German Ambassador Jan Hendrik van Thiel attended both the opening session on Friday and the closing day on Sunday, and on each occasion, he did not hesitate to step onto a skateboard himself.
“It’s a wonderful project in many respects,” Ambassador van Thiel said. “First of all, because it’s for the kids. It’s kids from areas that don’t have so much opportunity to express themselves and skateboard is something that is international… It’s a universal thing like art is a universal thing. It’s now an Olympic sport so to give a chance to young Jamaicans from areas which are not advantaged, perhaps disadvantaged even, to be part of the big family of skateboarders worldwide.”
Reflecting on his personal experience, he added, “It’s just wonderful. I came on Friday because I wanted to not only have the official speeches and so on, I wanted to be in contact with the kids… I got a teacher who is 50 years younger than me, he showed me a few tricks and it was fantastic… I really loved it, and it really convinced me that we have done the right thing in supporting this project.”
Young skaters share big dreams
Members of the Eduskateme team offered insight into what skateboarding means to them beyond competition.
Twelve-year-old Jiaquan Dillon, who has been skating for four years, described the sport as deeply personal. “Skateboarding, from my perspective is more than a sport, it’s like a hobby,” he said, adding that being on the board meant “feeling the wind blowing on my skin, knowing that I can do the impossible.” He encouraged other children to get involved, saying, “It’s a good sport for young children. You can make it big in life with skateboarding.”
Thirteen-year-old Ramese Wright, a skater for five years, spoke with conviction about his ambitions. “My skateboarding, my skateboarding is about fun, being happy. I promise I will go to the Olympics,” he said. Listing the skills he practices and performed during the tour, Wright cited “an Ollie, kick flip, heel flip, 50-50, 5-0, all of those tricks in the book.”
France, the Olympics, and sustaining momentum
French Ambassador Marianne Ziss highlighted her country’s role in supporting the initiative and its Olympic connection.
“The reason why we support Jamaica’s Skate Culture is that in 2024, Paris hosted the Olympic Games and we decided that skateboard be an Olympic sport,” Ziss explained. “So, we wanted to follow up on that and we wanted to maintain the Olympic spirit… We supported them with the creation of a mobile skate park, and also we funded the training of 15 coaches.”
Looking ahead: A national tour in sight
With Kingston’s leg complete, JSCF is already planning the next phase of the Germaican Skate Tour. According to Walter, future stops are projected for Portmore, Ocho Rios, Mandeville, Montego Bay, and Negril in 2026, pending funding.
“So the Germaican Skate Tour is gonna depend also on the budget that we could get from Germany,” Walter said. “The German ambassador has been a real supporter since day one. He’s also a skateboarder so yeah we’re in good hands.”
Founded in 2020, the Jamaica Skate Culture Foundation is a registered charity that uses skateboarding and urban culture as tools for youth development, education, inclusion, and violence prevention, values vividly on display throughout the downtown Kingston showcase.
