We teamed up with Sailor Jerry for a new series that explores the relationship between local skateboarders and tattoos.
In episode 1 we spend the day with Shaun Dean from Emerald Fox Tattoo and get under his skin. Shaun is a skateboarder and tattoo artist who grew up in Durban, but he’s now at home in Muizenberg, on the edge of the cape peninsula.
In episode 2 we spend the day with Charl Steyn in Pretoria. Charl is well known as one of the best skateboarders in Gauteng, but he’s also a very talented tattoo artist. He recently started working out of a space at the iconic Thrashers skate park, so we headed there to hang out.
In episode 3 we spend the day with Kent Lingeveldt in Cape Town. Kent is a legendary South African downhill skateboarder who also has his own board company called Alpha Longboards. We met up with Kent at his studio in Woodstock to learn more about what he does, and then we went to bomb some hills.
In episode 4 of ‘Under My Skin’ presented by Sailor Jerry we head to Somerset West to hang out with Wian Jacobs. Wian owns his own shop called Valkyrie Tattoos, and he plays some serious music with his band. Wian is also a life-long skateboarder and he’s somewhat of a magician on any transition. The secret weapon from Somerset West!
In episode 5 of ‘Under My Skin’ presented by Sailor Jerry we meet up with Brett Shaw, one of the OGs of the South African skate scene. Brett is an extremely passionate skateboarder, skilled lens man and a great tattoo enthusiast as well. He’s also a personal friend of local tattoo icon Manuela Gray from Wildfire Tattoos, so we tagged along with Brett as he went to get some new work done.
Episode 6 – Mel is South Africa’s OG female skateboarder, and was recently crowned the VPS Africa Champion. She’s come a long from working for Blunt Magazine as a teenager to playing drums for Black Lung and Bilderberg Motel. From snake runs to mosh pits, Mel has seen it all!
Episode 7 – Pieter Retief is a stalwart of the South African skate scene. He’s always busy conjuring up some sort of plan or adventure and creating new content. From 6 years at the helm of adidas Skateboarding and now with his own company, he’s always one to watch. We sat down with Pieter to learn about his adventures and how they’ve inspired his tattoos.