All set for Donkin Downhill Dash
NEXT weekend's Donkin Downhill Dash, an annual longboarding- meets-public art extravaganza, will this year be "interrogating urban spaces and combining the creative and the urbane", its organisers say.
A minute-long promo video launched this week features "Alley Cat and the Dashing Doves" and reflects both the cycling and longboard skateboarding disciplines of this year's race, to be held on Port Elizabeth's Donkin Reserve next Saturday. This is the third instalment of the annual event hosted by the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) and presented by Downhill Eastern Cape and the n_mb city project, a collective of youth operating in the city.
The Downhilll Dash, to be held on the Voting Line path of the public art-rich reserve, is an exciting festival of longboard skateboarding, alternative sports, music and family fun, framed by the iconic public art meander, Route 67, which was designed and constructed under the guidance of the MBDA.
The video was shot by Christiaan Kritzinger and Scott Kelly and was an interpretation of rising design star Pola Maneli's concept for the poster artwork.
Maneli wanted to create an artwork that would speak to the heart of the inner city. "I love Central. As grimy and uncouth as it is, I love it. There is just so much beauty to it.
"I wanted to portray that juxtaposition, so I chose one of Central's oldest inhabitants – pigeons, and gave them a wreath of roses around their neck. At one stage I considered using rats too, but that felt like overkill, and skulls, because, well ...skulls," Maneli said of his design.
Taking from this, the collective involved with the project collaborated to shoot the video.
"We wanted to reflect the urban spaces we engage with on a daily basis. Skateboarding completely absorbs the urban and makes it a part of a way of being in a space," said Amy Shelver, of n_mb city.
"But art – sporting or otherwise – is also reflection, so we took various urban elements, like pigeons and cats, sharp corners, streets and city views, and combined them into a promo video that showcases the reality of a lived city – gritty and real, but beautiful.
"The result is a chase sequence with a difference. Now we wait to see if life imitates art, when race day comes and we integrate the two races."
The video sees "Alley Cat" waking to the smell of food – or pigeon – who goes on a scamper through the Port Elizabeth inner city. He finds two "Dashing Doves" atop the Donkin Reserve and proceeds to chase them – – watch the video at http://vimeo.com/109573341.
The Donkin Downhill Dash is a free event for spectators and will take place from 9am to 4pm next Saturday. Performers will include singer/songwriter Wandile Mbambeni, Poetic Soul, and bands The Brothers, Umle and Cottonfields, along with various DJs.
Competitors pay R150 to skate the hill in a time trial. The competition will consist of three classes and an "Anything on Wheels" fun run along with an Alley Cat city bike ride.
