On Sunday the 20th 2021, skateboarders, BMX bikers and spectators alike were gearing up for one of the most anticipated skate events of the summer–the WAF GO Skate Day, which was a meeting of some of the best (and the “I’m still working on my Olly”) skaters West Africa has to offer.
From the moment WAF (that’s WAFFLESNCREAM for the uninitiated) put out the first announcement poster on their Instagram page on June 7th, anticipation was building for the event. Even more so when they revealed the cash prizes that would be awarded to competitors, most notably N500,000 for Grand Skater of The Day.
On the morning of the 20th, both boarders and spectators woke up, probably shaking with anticipation for the day, and were greeted with the sights and sounds of Lagos during the rainy season. As the 10 AM start time of the event came and went, with no signs of clear skies, the WAF page went quiet. Maybe they thought this was just a quick Sunday shower…but by the time noon hit, it was clear this was not the case.
The rain presented an obvious problem: the intended venue for the event was National Stadium, which is an outdoor space. It was beginning to look like Go Skate Day was going to be postponed, or worse, canceled. Thankfully a new venue was announced on WAF’s Instagram and Skate Day would be moved to Mobolaji Johnson Avenue, Ikeja. at 4 PM.
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You would think that all this chaos would mean a general loss of interest in the whole event, but before even entering the brick and mortar building where the event took place you could hear the sounds of an engaged crowd: cheering, chanting and assorted hollering as the boarders and bladers showed off their tricks.
The event drew in skate fans from all over Lagos, and competitors from other African countries like Botswana, South Africa and Zambia, showing how skate culture is growing in popularity all over the continent despite how it challenges traditional African values of conformity and respectability. Just the fact that WAF could pack a room in Ikeja with fans of skate culture, and could do so with the backing of sponsors like DSTV and Power Horse, is notable and shows how far the brand has come since its inception.
WAF- a recent rebrand, though it is also informally known as WNC- was founded by Jomi Bello. Originally started by Bello in Leeds in 2008, WAF moved to Lagos in 2015 and has only grown in popularity since then, attracting both seasoned skaters and skaters-in-training alike with their selection of boards and apparel.
WAF works more like a creative collective along the lines of Supreme and Tyler The Creator’s Odd Future by bringing together skaters, filmmakers, graphic designers and like-minded individuals with the same goal: to make Nigeria just a little bit cooler. If the success of Skate Day is any indication, they seem to be on track with that goal.
There’s an obvious interest in Nigerian skate culture and in non-mainstream subcultures in a country that is notorious for conservative politics, casually taking away people’s freedom of speech, and running on pure vibes. With the inclusion of skaters from other countries, it’s clear that WAF is looking to build connections with people from varied cultural backgrounds (and maybe even take over the world a little bit).
It is interesting to note, however, that while there was a diverse group of skaters competing country-wise, the competition was still overwhelmingly male. That is, with the exception of up-and-coming skater (and FEMME MAG Fam Favorite) Blessing Ewona, the only woman competing. This speaks to an issue of representation in the skate scene: a lot of girls still don’t really see themselves in skate culture, even if they have a desire to hop on a board.
This is changing, obviously, if Blessing’s involvement is any indication. All over the world, there are more women interested in learning to skate, and the scene is becoming more open to their involvement. We still have a long way to go until skateboarding goes from being considered a straight boys club to a more open space to women and LGBTQ people, but women like Blessing present us with a glimmer of hope: young girls can see themselves in her, can see her shred and think “I can do that too”. And that’s definitely a future worth working towards.
