Freedom Skatepark: Ghana’s first stakepark opens in Accra

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw the introduction of new sports like Skateboarding, 3x3 basketball, surfing etc. and it has become imperative for ambitious sports nations to take a cue.

These urban sports, just like many others, need infrastructure before talents can be honed to see athletes reach their full potential. South Africa has a plethora of skate parks; Kenya has one for East Africa and Ghana has just joined in on the “Sports Revolution Club”.

Ghana’s most loved sports has always been football and, while there is no denying of this fact, the new generation is redefining that monopoly.

Freedom Skatepark- Shiashie (Accra) Pulse Ghana

Surf Ghana have been radical in the development and evolvement of the skate culture in Ghana. The late Virgil Abloh also played a major role in realizing this dream and he went all the way to support them with skate items, and promote them on his social media pages as well.

Opening this Skatepark has always been the lifelong dream of Sandra Alibo, who started this journey way back in 2016. She arrived in Ghana after her stint with Orange as a sports event organizer before she left in search of a new challenge.

The design blueprint for phase 2 of the project Pulse Ghana

She saw the disparity in the Ghanaian sports scene and decided to carve a niche for Skateboarding and Surfing. This led to the creation of SurfGhana.

Surf Ghana has been amazing in providing a community for Ghanaian youth who dare to defy the odds and just be themselves while exploring urban sporting disciplines like Skating and Surfing. This community has offered the needed support for the youth and provided health and education insurances to its members.

Sandra and the collective Surf Ghana team after three years, managed to make history by building Ghana’s first ever skate park at Shiashie in Accra.

They named it Freedom Skatepark, which reemphasises their freedom to be themselves at a location which recognized them for who they were. The need for this skatepark increased because most of the skateboarders normally faced restrictions whenever they went out to skate.

The design blueprint for phase 2 of the project Pulse Ghana

It was launched on a sunny day – the sun ironically appeared after the rain briefly announced its presence. Most of the skaters shared their ecstasy over the opening of this historic skatepark which will serve thousands of Ghanaian skaters and write a new chapter for sports in the country.

Pulse.com.gh interacted with the architects who designed the park. Emil Grip, Dominique and Petit-Frere designed the park into what it is today.

Emil walked us through the design templates they used and how they are planning to build a recreational center on the same land. He called it the “Re-adaptive” architecture and this is the process where architects try to save the best of a building and renovate it into a modern and new structure.

He added that the park stood at 500square kilometers. “We want to build recreational center that will be filled with lots of greens, where skaters can relax and cool down anytime they come around,” he said.

He pointed to a building they plan on renovating into a certified internet café and skate-shop which will be managed by the Skategal club, a subsidiary under the SurfGhana team.

“This building will be an internet café which will provide learning opportunities for all skaters and the aesthetics and ergonomics will fit the nature of a skater’s mind and likes.

“We also plan on extending the building to have a terrace where fans can sit upstairs and enjoy an amazing view of Skaters skating on the park. When there are tournaments organized this terrace will give room for many fans who attend,” Emil added.

The engineers who actualized the vision of the architects for the skate park were the collective group of Wonders around the world. Emil also noted that the park will be closed temporarily to finish Phase two of the project.

The skaters enjoyed themselves and displayed their skills. There were smiles everywhere with such a great feat pulled off by a woman.

The woman of the moment, Sandra Alibo, took to the stage and gave a touching speech, recounting the turgid and tumultuous journey she had to go through to actualize the dream.

A moment of silence was observed for the late Virgil Abloh for his immense support to the SurfGhana team. Alibo acknowledged all who sponsored the dream and supported it.

She added: “This is didn’t happen through donors, it actually an investment from a wide range of investors who plan on developing Skateboarding as a professional sport in Ghana.”

She dedicated the Skateboard to all West Africans who wish to find a destination for skating. Freedom Skatepark is also the first skate park in West Africa.

It only gets better from here and the only way is up. Skateboard is here to stay in Ghana and the Freedom Skate Park is proof of that assertion.