There was nothing official planned for the BMX side of
things but they had a mini ramp and some other small rails and ledges. Isard
invited us to come join them for the weekend and see what the scene was like in
Maputo. It didn’t take much convincing to get the mission on track.
We left early Saturday morning and trekked across country
until we met up with Isard around midday just outside of Maputo. Quick
greetings and off we went to the stadium… except this time I was out the car
and on the back of Isard’s bike. The ride was interesting to say the least, and
was the highlight of my trip.
The scene at the stadium was kicking off! All the riders
and skaters from Maputo were around and they were pumped to have some visitors.
The day ended off with a parking lot session… hopping over people, bikes,
beers… anything we could. The vibe was chilled and everyone was having a good
time.
That night we all shared some smooth Black Label Whiskey
before heading out to see what the Maputo night life had to offer… a lot of
walking and even more shit talking in between glugs of 2M beer.
Sunday morning in the Marshall house was all about
replenishing what we had destroyed in our bodies the day and night before. A
delicious breakfast sent us out into the Mozambican heat to check out some of
the street spots around. Straight out the house we were already riding a
slippery in out ledge. The day was relaxed and the spots were good. Tim spied a
pretty scary ledge hop to roof ride line at the Church… he got it done first
try like a boss.
The street in Maputo is promising with a lot of run down
and abandoned buildings and very modest security. The people are friendly and
intrigued when they see us around. It’s such a different world yet so
close to home. For a a short and scenic 6 hour drive from Joburg it’s a wonder
why more people don’t visit Maputo. The BMX scene is alive in Mozambique and
I’m super stoked to have gone up there to have a look.
A massive shout out to all the local riders who made our
trip a RIOT! A special thanks to Isard and the rest of the Marshall family for
being so hospitable towards a bunch of dirty bmx riders from Joburg.
Words by Greg Illingworth, published on October 4, 2011 at 8:22 am at www.theriot.co.za
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