“A skateboard park and school surrounded by war makes perfect sense in a senseless world, doesn’t it?” – C.R. Stecyk III

After years of interviews, documentation, and hard work by many people, we're stoked to announce the release of Skateistan's very first book!

Skateistan: The Tale of Skateboarding in Afghanistan shares the strange and beautiful intersection of traditional Afghan society and a new generation of Afghan skateboarders and artists. Through a balanced mix of words and photographs, the book tells the tale of Skateistan, which since 2007 has taught skateboarding and creative arts to girls and boys in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Skateistan would like to extend a HUGE thank you to the New York Morelia Marathon Team (NYMMT) for their continued support of our project.  NYMMT was founded in 2006 by a group of students from Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Since their 2006 beginnings the team has raised the enormous amount of 80,000 Euros in charity pledges for running marathons, which has gone towards supporting various charities. Skateistan was lucky enough to be chosen as the recipient of their efforts in 2011.  The NYMMT donated a staggering €14,000 ($18,514), an extremely significant donation that will go directly towards helping fund operations on the ground at Skateistan project sites.  As an NGO operating with a very modest budget, a contribution of this amount can really make a substantial difference for our students and organization.  Everyone involved with Skateistan is tremendously appreciative of the support provided by the NYMMT and look forward to working with the team in the future.

A couple days ago we sent out a special e-mail update to our core supporters asking if they could help us win a Beyond Sport award this year by posting a comment in support of our efforts to create positive social change through skateboarding. The response was overwhelming! We set a goal of 100 comments and so far we've already had almost 150 amazing and personal comments from people around the world.

We'd like to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone that took some time to say a few kind words and share their love for skateboarding, peace, respect, education, creativity, and sport. Regardless of whether we end up winning any awards this summer, seeing such an outpouring of support from like-minded people means much more.

There were so many insightful, thoughtful postings but we picked out a few excerpts to share:

Nancy Hatch Dupree (Afghanistan Historian): Afghanistan has passed through over thirty years of turmoil during which children grew up in exile surrounded by negative attitudes towards compatriots of different ethnic and secular groups. Suspicions abounded, tolerance, a hallmark, was undermined; trust faded. These children returned to a war-torn city without spaces for play or city-wide interchanges. Skateistan offers them much more than a spacious outlet for healthy sporting activity. Here children of all backgrounds meet, compete, and learn to play and work merrily and respectfully with one another thus setting the patterns for future harmonious interactions through life. Only with such positive attitudes can the nation move forward to take its place with dignity among the comity of nations."

Kerri Hankin: "Are you kidding me? What could be better than seeing Afghan girls on a skateboard? Liberated, courageous and strong girls becomes liberated, courageous and strong women who will ultimately have the power to change a society for the better. Keep it up, Skateistan- your work has more impact than a million diplomats could ever hope for."

Jen O’Brien (pro skater): "Skateboarding gives these kids a sense of freedom, self worth, and happiness. These are the things that are important for the future leaders of one of the most war torn places on the planet. Out of all the chaos, Skateistan is there giving these kids something they might never have had... Hope."

We've been getting back to our roots at Skateistan and reaching out to children in different areas of Kabul. We recently were lucky enough to collaborate with the Afghan Mobile Mini Circus for Children (MMCC) and hold skate sessions for both girls and boys. We're looking forward to continuing outdoor sessions with the kids at MMCC here in Kabul. Here's the clip!