WHEN he was growing up in Mitchells Plain in Cape Town, Bradley Bourne would never miss an episode of his favourite superhero cartoon, Spider-Man.

The Redhill resident loved how the comic-book character of Peter Parker (Spider-Man) would swing from building to building performing acrobatics while fighting off villains and saving his city.

It was a chance TV interview that would change his life forever to the point where now, for the past 20 years, he has performed many roles, skating, coaching and mentoring.

The 33-year-old, who still skates, helped form the Skate Vision Durban Skate Club (SVD Skate Club), which is an inclusive space for boys and girls, aimed at helping them reach their potential in the sport of skateboarding.

“I loved watching Spider-Man, the way he would flip and stick on the wall and the way he would fly from one building to another. At the time there was nothing in the real world that I could compare that sense of freedom and expressiveness to, until one day on YoTV they interviewed Alan Morola, a professional skateboarder. He did this jump and grind down the stairs and I was amazed by what I saw.

“Here was a person in real life doing incredible tricks like a super-hero and that inspired me to take up skateboarding. I begged my mom for a board and she worked so hard for months on end and even sacrificed a washing machine to get me my first board. I wanted that feeling of flying through the air, no matter how badly I got hurt. I was self-taught because there was no one in my community that could mentor me. I would go to the library and page through Tony Hawk magazines and books on skateboarding to learn new techniques and how not to fall,” he said.

Bourne also shared why skateboarding holds so much meaning to him after more than two decades.

“It sounds impossible to skate for 20 years but for me the novelty and feeling of freedom always feels new. Every time I get on the skateboard it feels different, I learn something new everyday. That is one of the most important elements that kept me skateboarding, the evolution of the sport. It is also why I spend so much of my time helping the younger generation.

“When I started there were no events or skate meets to keep me motivated. People who skated with me in my youth eventually dropped off because there’s no potential for them. When I started working I decided to take some of my money to keep young kids on skateboards. Skating changed my life so phenomenally that all I wanted was to give every other child that same chance to change their lives through skateboarding. It doesn’t happen for everyone but here’s a chance,” he said.

Once a month the Skate Vision club hosts open sessions which are for skaters on all levels and is built on inclusivity.

To find out more visit Skate Vision Durban on Facebook or via Instagram @skate.vision_za.

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