I just got back to Johannesburg after spending a fun long weekend in the town of Kimberley, South Africa.  It’s a strange little town with a very diverse population, including 1 lone American…  “Mike”, or as most people would call him, “Chinner”.  Mike has been living out there since early last year and runs the Maloof Money Cup skate park while seeking shade from that African sun.  If you ever get the time to head out there, you’ll find Mike at the Maloof Skate Plaza, towering over all the kids, and their parents for that matter!  If he’s not busy with some contest or hanging out with the kids, he’s probably on his board, his uber wide board, perfect for the 7 foot tall man.  Here are some photos I shot with Chinner enjoying his board.

I got to meet Tommy at the first Maloof Money Cup that was held in South Africa  in 2011 and where he took second place.  The crowd loved him cause he is originally from South Africa and now living in Australia.  Tommy has one of the raddest styles and he’s a seriously nice guy.  I got to shoot this portrait of him at the most recent Maloof Money Cup in Kimberley, South Africa.  This was the last night of the event before everyone headed home.  Keep it up Tommy!

I shot some photos of these 2 having fun on the Mini Mega Ramp while at the Maloof Money Cup in Kimberley South Africa this year.  Fun watching the guys step away from the seriousness of the contest to have some fun and laughs and mess around on the stuff they actually wouldn’t be skating on during the contest.

Being a photographer at the Maloof Money Cup is definitely a great experience, watching the pros skate and getting to shoot photos with them is such a pleasure!  I spent more time this year hanging out with the guys and gettin to know them a little better.  It seriously helps for the photography side of things and you are no longer just some random guy shooting photos.  I took Braydon and Garrett to see the Lions at a sanctuary just outside of Kimberley…  All the animals on this farm were pretty much rescued from being hunted.  There are many ‘canned’ Lion Hunting farms around Kimberley, it’s absolutely disgusting on every level.  I was really stoked to take these guys to this farm and see that there are still people trying to do some kind of good out there.  Braydon was definitely not too sure about being in the cage with the Lions, as you can see…  Garrett didn’t mind it too much!  Braydon did teach a small Bat Eared Fox about Ozzy Osbourne though…

I shot this photo of Anthony a while back when we decided it was time to get creative in my warehouse.  We put the grind box up on the forklift and made a jump ramp out of pallets and random pieces of wood.  A fun evening shooting photos with one of Johannesburg’s top skate boarders.

It was definitely a privelage to meet and hang out with Braydon at the recent Maloof Money Cup here in South Africa.  Nice to see a pro-skater that get’s involved with everything that’s goin on with the locals.  I think my favorite memory was walking across from our hotel to the campsite late one night to see what was goin on.  There were kids everywhere, just goin crazy!  We walked to the back of the campsite where some locals had formed a huge cirlce around some burning tyres!  The scene was insaen and I’m sorry now that I never took my camera with me.  Kids were standing around the tyres as the smoke bellowed into the skies above and some other brave dudes started jumping over the tyres, through the flames!  Once the locals realised that Braydon was there, they went comepletely nuts!  Once again, so cool to see a famous guy just hangin out and getting the locals stoked!  Braydon even joined the craziness and jumped through the towering flames and thick black smoke which got the locals goin even more!  Here are a couple portraits I shot with Braydon during some “free time” away from the skating and all the craziness.

Life is the strangest thing known to man.  No one knows why it exists or why we have it, for centuries and centuries cultures have come up with ideas to settle our minds with all kinds of religions and reasons for everything,  giving us meaning here on earth and places to go after we die.  My truth is is that no one has ever died and come back to us to tell a story and validate any religion or after-life place.  I like to think that good things happen to good people.  JP was a great guy and you didn’t even have to know him all that well to see it.  People loved this guy and he radiated energy in a way that I can only dream of.  My heart goes out to those that have lost a dear friend and the families that have lost a brother, son, cousin, nephew or whatever he might have been.  Rest in peace JP, I know your memory shall be cherrished by all and your life an example to those who wish to live as freely as you did.

I recently shot photos for the Maloof Money Cup which was held in Kimberley, South Africa.  It’s a huge event with skateboarders from all over the wolrd.  These are a few of the shots I took while up on the Mini Mega Ramp which, trust me, is not mini at all!  Witnessing the guys flying through the air blows my mind, no matter how many times I see it!

I actually hadn’t planned on goin to this event on Saturday as I was scheduled to shoot photos with Maanda Mulaudzi for some article.  We had made plans to meet at Stoneridge Skatepark where this was goin on when I arrived.  It was difficult to get some shots amongst the chaos but I did manage to capture Adam Woolf doing a monster kickflip and Tian Van Rensburg doing a huge blunt to fakie on the over-vert wall.

I shot this photo as part of a little article on Johannesburg for the guys over at COLOR Magazine in Canada.  It’s really an awesome magazine and covers not only skateboarding but  music and art as well.  I know we don’t get the magazine down here in South Africa but  if you’re abroad you should go ahead and pick up a copy, you’ll be happy with your purchase!