GO SKATZ BOARDING - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Senior Researcher at ATHENA RC 's Sustainable Development Unit

Dr. Ebun Akinsete is a senior researcher at ATHENA RC's Sustainable Development Unit and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Greece, as well as a founding partner of Nigerian-based consultancy GEN Sustainable Solutions. With a background in architecture, Ebun holds a PhD in Urban Regeneration and Sustainable Communities. Her work focuses on the implementation of sustainable development in various contexts, and she has several years of both industrial and academic experience in Europe, Asia, and Africa. She is particularly interested in exploring participatory approaches towards engaging stakeholders and often works in collaboration with governmental agencies, NGOs, multilateral development banks, academic institutions, the private sector, and local communities. As a skater, she sees the role that skating, along with its related physical and social infrastructure can play in the wider context of building sustainable and resilient communities; particularly in developing nations. The subject of this intersectionality is a recent research interest and drives her work to develop the local skate scene in her native Nigeria.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture

Iain Borden is Professor of Architecture & Urban Culture, and Vice-Dean Education, at The Bartlett, University College London. His wide-ranging research includes explorations of architecture in relation to cities & public space, film & photography, and critical theory & philosophy. Authored and co-edited books include Skateboarding and the City: a Complete History (Bloomsbury, 2019), Forty Ways to Think About Architecture (Wiley, 2014), Drive: Journeys through Film, Cities and Landscapes (Reaktion, 2012), Bartlett Designs: Speculating With Architecture (Wiley, 2009), The Unknown City: Contesting Architecture and Social Space (MIT, 2001) and InterSections: Architectural Histories and Critical Theories (Routledge, 2000). Iain frequently advises on skateboarding culture and skateparks, and has worked on skatepark projects from £50K to £17 million. He has also been an active skateboarder for 40 years.

Job Titles:

• Professor of Political Science at Duke Kunshan University

Dr. Jason Gainous is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies and a Professor of Political Science at Duke Kunshan University in China. While he is an active scholar having published multiple books and research articles on topics related to information technology and politics, he will tell you that first and foremost he is a skateboarder. He has been skateboarding since the early 80s when he learned to ride vert ramps. Dr. Gainous never quit skateboarding but moved away from vert skating until he decided to get back into it in his late 30s. He hasn't look back since, now into his 50s. Dr. Gainous credits much of his career success to skateboarding. It there, as a kid, where he learned the discipline and commitment it takes to be successful at anything. After practicing hour after hour, day after day, year after year, he reached a level of skill at vert skating where he had a nice bag of tricks. He says that this accomplishment gave him both the understanding of the kind of work it takes to master something and the confidence to do so. It was armed with this knowledge about himself that Dr. Gainous decided to start volunteering with his local skatepark in Louisville, KY. To begin, he and several of his friends adopted the park through the city's adopt-a-park program. He organized cleanups, and ultimately started helping the city raise money to repair some of the park. In this effort, he came in touch with a not-for-profit (Parks Alliance Foundation), and they contributed to his fundraising efforts. It was not long after that, the Parks Alliance Foundation asked Dr. Gainous to serve on their Board of Directors, where he did so for several years. In this time, he continued to work with the city on helping them manage the skatepark. He helped raise money, helped work on the design of a rebuild, organized cleanups including involving school kids in service projects, and did quite a bit of local media promoting the skatepark. Dr. Gainous is thrilled to serve as an advisor for the ISCP & SKATZ Program. He is bringing his dedication, discipline, and commitment to this organization in the hopes that he can pass on to another generation his love for skateboarding.

Paul is a Lecturer in Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Exeter, UK, and is Adjunct Assistant Professor in Sociology at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. He has been skateboarding for over 35 years and considers skateboarding as one of the most salient aspects of his identity. Paul has been involved in community skateboard work since his late teens and helped fundraise and campaign for a skatepark for his home city in 2001. In the years since he received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Queensland in Australia, and has held teaching positions at two Hong Kong universities, and Charles University Prague. While essentially a Sociologist of religion, Paul has published several pieces of research on skateboarding, most notably his book Skateboarding and Religion (2020). Paul is particularly passionate about the overlooked aspects of skateboarding and has championed the recognition of skateboarding in Asia. He continues to skateboard regularly and collaborate in both academic and community-based projects.

I attended University of Hawaii, Banff School of Fine Arts and Santa Monica College. I grew up skiing, riding horses, motorcycles, sailing, snowboarding, flying small planes, photography and later skateboarding. I have 3 children who all skateboard, snowboard, surf and are involved in music and the arts. I live in Venice CA. I founded the movement for public skateparks with Tim Payne and a handful or skatepark builders in 1996. I am on the F.08 committee for ASTM International and we set construction standards for skateparks. I am a worker bee behind the scene; event producer, photographer & organizer. I also founded the SkatePark Association in 1996 and SPAI Skate Park association International in 2002. Back in 1996, there were only 3 small public parks in the USA and a handful globally. As of 2021 we have over 4,000 skateparks in the USA and over 10,000 globally. The skateboard/skatepark community had been without insurance for almost 20 years when I founded the Skate Park Association. By forming and organization we were able to bring affordable insurance back to the industry which opened up events and contest again. We produced events with city skateparks, allowing for free entry since 1996. Partnered with LAUSD to open afterschool skateparks and currently trying to re-open Le Conte Middle School in Hollywood. Events include the OG Jam Series, Venice Ladies Jam, City of Santa Monica, City of Los Angeles, City of Inglewood and more. Our focus is to provide free assistance to developing countries and assist with athlete visas and organization. I also help produce series and championships such as Venice Ladies Jams, LA Inner City Games, Inglewood Games, Gromfest Canada, Los Angeles Rec & Parks Championship Series 2002, and OG Jam series. In 2006, we opened Venice Boarding School, the first high school for disenfranchised skateboarders under LAUSD. Accredited the 1st year. USC master's film program produced a documentary about the school featuring 3 of our students called "Lines" directed by Joselito Seldera. I am Currently on the board of Bangladesh Street Kids Aid, a 501 c3 nonprofit that takes in street kids, teaches skateboarding and school classes. They are currently working on setting up a home for street kids. I constantly aim to empower the skateboard/skatepark community.

Job Titles:

• Director of Woodward Riviera Maya

Growing up in the high desert northern Sierra mountain range, outdoor and thrill-seeking we're second nature to Shelby. Skateboarding found him around the age of 8, watching a group of older kids play in the parking lot of a grocery store. Once he locked his eyes on the ever so fascinating wheeled apparatus, he was instantly hooked. Fast-forwarding into the future; with even more eagerness to pursue anything outside of the norm. Shelby facilitated getting an education in professional snowboard coaching, biomechanics, and Motorcycles. For him, fun is the utmost priority. Taking from someone who has owned every single Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game. Inspiration & motivation have always come from the basic necessities of playing in front of the convenience store parking lot in the evening with friends and snacks….

I have been skateboarding since the late '80s, starting in London, U.K. and upon my return to Hong Kong, I was part of the first skateboarding scene here. In 1991, I opened the first skater-owned and run skateboard shop in Hong Kong, BFD skates. This shop became legendary and the real beginning of the skateboarding movement in Hong Kong. Since then I have been an advocate for skateboarding, petitioning the Hong Kong Government to build skateparks and after 30 + years, we have now 14+ skateparks, from fun little parks to SLS certified plazas. I was co-founder of the Hong Kong Federation of Extreme Sports (HKXFED), part of the Asian Extreme Sports Association (AXF), less known in the west as we were the first federations to get skateboarding under the Olympic umbrella, back in 2005 when skateboarding was first included in the Asian Indoor Games, an event under the Olympic Council Asia. I have judged numerous events in Asia, including events under World Skate, which includes the Asian Games in 2018 and the South East Asian Games in the Philippines in 2019 as well as the 5 STAR World Skate ISO of Street Skateboarding in Quingfeng, Henan China in 2019. Since 2005, I have designed training programs for Hong Kong XFED, AXF as well as the Hong Kong Federation of Roller Sports (the NSA in Hong Kong) to train and accredit Coaches and Judges. Skateboarding is my passion, my other passion is Training. I have worked professionally for 30+ years in the Hospitality, Aviation and Security Industries in the capacity as a Trainer and Training Manager and I have developed various training courses for all levels from induction courses to management development training. As a specialist in training and a lifelong skateboarder, I hope I can help skateboard coaches develop their coaching and training skills, and hope to learn more along the way, as we all never stop learning.