When Australian skater Oliver Percovich first visited Afghanistan a few years ago, he was surprised by how excited the children he encountered were by his skateboard. Since then, he has started Skateistan, a skate school in Kabul that draws in nearly 400 students a week. Most thrilling of all is that 40% of these students are girls. Skateistan offers more than just instruction in skating — the school also provides girls with lessons in creative arts and multimedia, as well as special programs meant to integrate child refugees into the Afghan school system. It's all very cool, but nothing beats watching these little girls as they hop on their boards and shred. Could Kabul be the new Dogtown?


For more information on Skateistan, click here!

Afghanistan's First Co-Ed Skateboarding School [The Mary Sue]