The Headmaster of Skating

The South African skate scene has gone through good times and bad, more so than even the international scene. Popular through the eighties and early nineties, then taking a large dip in popularity in the late nineties, to find itself on the way up again in 2010. One element that has stayed constant over all this time is, Dallas Oberholzer.

Dallas Oberholzer (Photo: Barry Tuck)

Dallas has long dominated skating in SA, holding titles and wins in Vert, street, Bowl and even Downhill racing. He recently won the Quiksilver Bowlriders again, fighting off the valiant efforts of the young whipper snappers to solidify his reputation as South Africa's head master of skating.

Taking the Bowlriders (Photo: Barry Tuck)

But, there is another side to this guy, the role of developer and giver. A couple of years back, Dallas started the Indigo Skate Camp, in the very rural Valley of a Thousand Hills, about an hour outside Durban. His goal was quite simple, to bring the joy and ease of skating to the poor and underprivileged kids of South Africa. You can check out the camp at - Indigo Skate Camp

Indigo Grom charging hard! (Photo: Indigo)

So, I thought to myself, what better way to start a new year, than getting the low down from the grand master of SA Skating on where we at and where we going in SA:

Kai - First off congrats on the Bowlriders win - how many is that now?
Dallas - A couple.

Kai - Would you say Bowl Skating is where it is at right now?
Dallas - It seems to be catching on here in SA, good thing is that concrete disciples are into DIY parks, they are very cohesive, willing to get dirty, broken and mostly keep shit underground.

Kai - You have pretty much done well at all aspects of skating, from bowl, to vert ramp, street and even Downhill. Do you think skaters should be able to do it all?
Dallas - I feel Its good to do it all if you just out to enjoy, but if think you're a young gun and acknowledge that a certain aspect of skating is your strength then focus on that until you raise the bar, get recognized, create your reality and then when you feel like you're hitting a plateau return to doing it all and you will discover a lot in everything.

Kai - What is your favorite skate?
Dallas - The one I recently lost to a canal in the N.Cape, it was 8.5 inches, with Indy's, park formula wheels..I just about risked my life wading in the depths looking for it and I swear to return to look for it again, that boards got soul.

Kai - Many people see skaters as a pretty loner group of guys, what are your thoughts on this?
Dallas - We do our own thing down in the drainage ditches of society

Kai - Not many skaters are putting back what you do, tell us about Indigo Skate Camp and the development of black rural skaters?
Dallas - Skaters thrive in adversity. Indigo is rooted in a harsh community in the Zulu hills, there is now work for skaters there, hope and pride in what we co-create. It's a bubble of happiness. Trying to get the rest of society to understand this would have been too large an undertaking

Zulu Kids frothing on skating. (Photo: Indigo)

Kai - Who are the top young guys coming through - are any of these from your development program?
Dallas - There are many young rippers from the Indigo Skate Camp, come visit if you wanna choose your favorite!

Kai - What advice can you give the younger generation, if they want to travel and skate?
Dallas - Look after your body, easy on the booze, connect with a guiding force, find peace and the rest will find you.

Kai - Excited about the Maloof Cup being in SA next year?
Dallas - Yeah I'm optimistic, its what we need to let skateboarding rise again, even if it is for a short while.

Kai - Do you think there will be any Saffers in the competition?
Dallas - Sure we'll be on the grandstands, sometimes its just better to be humbled, to watch and learn.

Kai - What are your plans for 2011?
Dallas - Indigo Skate Camp turns 10! The skaters I have connected with in the valley are to take our program to new destinations.

Kai - What is theGoodLife to you?
Dallas -  Create and destroy!

Do yourself a favor and check out Indigo and get involved! Check out this clip to see how committed Dallas is: