The Kimberley Diamond Cup World Skateboarding Championships are due to take place from October 1 to 5 and will see the world's best compete for the largest prize purse in the sport, more than $500,000 (£300,000/€370,000), as well as the title of world champion.

Presented by Kumba Iron Ore, it is hoped it will continue the success seen at last year's event, where 150 professional and local skateboarders competed at a competition broadcast in South Africa and webcast world wide to viewers in 120 countries.

The Championships will include both vert and street style contests that are held on the permanent state-of-the-art skatepark built specifically for the Championships and donated to the community, afterwards.

Participants competing on the purpose-built skatepark at the 2013 Kimberley Diamond Cup ©Twitter



It is hoped the facility will help foster youth development and cultivate the next generation of skateboarders.

"We have been working all year to develop our member countries and this year's event is poised to be the biggest international contest in skateboarding history with close to 250 athletes participating," said Tim McFerran, President of the World Skateboarding Grand Prix.

"It's something that we have been doing for a few years now and we believe that more international sporting events should have legacy projects and sustainability.

"We have already seen some countries pull out of bidding for major events because they don't leave any lasting legacy; it's a few days of events and then it's gone.

"We believe the future of sporting events, including Rio in 2016, lies in social responsibility and in creating long lasting benefits for host communities."

The five-day event will also be a further opportunity to showcase the sport of skateboarding as the sport continues to position itself for a possible appearance at an Olympic Games of the future.

The sport will be showcased at an exhibition-style event during the Summer Youth Olympics in Nanjing next month, and it is hoped it will continue to take advantage of the current desire within Olympic circles to promote sports which appeal to youth populations. 

More information on the World Skateboarding Grand Prix and the Kimberley Diamond Cup can be found by emailing [email protected] or visiting the Federation's website here. 

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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