RED BULL STREET STYLE AMBASSADORS TAKE EASTERN CAPE BY STORM (PART 1)
The Red Bull Street Style crew is on the road again. This time, the roadshow is hitting the Eastern Cape, putting on up to seven shows a day to eager crowds at schools, transport hubs, malls and on the street. We caught up with Red Bull Street Style 2009 ambassadors, Chris Njokwana and Mzu, who are right at the centre of the action. "Sho," said Chris, "The people are loving it!"
The Red Bull Street Style crew is on the road again. This time, the roadshow is hitting the Eastern Cape, putting on up to seven shows a day to eager crowds at schools, transport hubs, malls and on the street. We caught up with Red Bull Street Style 2009 ambassadors, Chris Njokwana and Mzu, who are right at the centre of the action. "Sho," said Chris, "The people are loving it!"
"The crowds are much bigger than last year. The people stay and watch. It does not matter how long the shows are, the crowds are there supporting us for the whole time - the stay for much longer than they did in Cape Town.” Chris also tells us that the skills are looking better and more varied than last year; freestyle soccer is definitely a growing sport in the Eastern Cape.
Chris has also noticed that it isn’t just the same old faces showing an interest. "There are lots of girls taking part, which I’m really happy about. It shows the sport is growing,” says the 2008 Red Bull Street Style ZA champ. Also - some of the girls are showing the guys how it’s done! “At lots of the shows, it’s the girls who are keeping the ball up for longer than the guys.”
It makes us wonder - will Chris have to watch his back in the finals in Soweto on 25 October?
With Chris on the roadshow is Mzu Madela - a Cape Town Red Bull Street Style finalist for a 2009, and a fellow ambassador. They are working hard - they're doing seven shows a day - and it's not just the organised shows. "Wherever we go we have a ball with us, even at night when we go to buy food, if there’s a light we’re working on our tricks or doing a show on the street."
Chris and Mzu are enjoying the roadshow, the time away from home hasn’t been easy. Especially for Mzu, who has not been away from his home in Langa for this long before. "It’s great," he says, and you can hear that he is tired but happy. "I love meeting so many people and having the opportunity to showcase my skills, but I do really miss my special lady and my little daughter.” Hopefully it will all be worth it for Mzu when he steps on stage at the final with the confidence of all these weeks of practice behind him.
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Check back for Part Two on Friday.
