Maloof magic returns to South Africa

Photo: Johnny Leiton in action during the 2011 Maloof Money Cup qualifying rounds on the state-of-the-art street course at the Maloof Skate Plaza in Kimberley. Photo credit: Neftalie. The Maloof Money Cup will return to Kimberley in the Northern Cape Province for its second edition from 28 - 30 September 2012. Considered to be the world's premier showcase for professional and amateur skateboarding, the Maloof Money Cup SA world skateboarding championships is also tagged as the richest event of its kind with a prize purse of over 500,000 US dollars. Following the unprecedented success of the inaugural event, Maloof Skateboarding this week announced that they have extended their contract with the Northern Cape as hosts of this exhilarating event to five years. The three-day event will be hosted at the Kimberley Maloof Skate Plaza in Kimberly and will feature some of the top skateboarders from around the world on the magnificent street and vert sections of the world class state-of-the-art course. Top professional contenders as well as South African amateurs will battle it out for the world champion titles in the various disciplines. According to Joe Maloof, founder of Maloof Skateboarding and owner of The Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, they are delighted to return to South Africa. We were absolutely overwhelmed by the positive reaction from the South African public during the first event in 2011. The government and people of the Northern Cape Province embraced the concept and we were amazed by the incredible hospitality. We were especially proud of the reception we received from the local skateboarding community and the wonderful natural talent and enthusiasm expressed by skateboarders across the country. This year's world championships, the biggest skateboarding contest in the world, promises to be bigger and better than ever and we can't wait to return to sunny South Africa, mentioned Joe Maloof. The 2011 Maloof Money Cup was the first time that the event left American shores and proved to be the biggest sporting event ever to be hosted in the Northern Cape. The capital of Kimberley was literally invaded as thousands of spectators and skateboarding enthusiasts descended on the town for the contest. The event made a significant economic impact on the regional economy as accommodation facilities, restaurants and tourism attractions were filled to capacity. Hosting the Maloof Money Cup formed a crucial part in the repositioning of the Northern Cape Province as the prime destination for adventure and extreme sports in the country, but also gave the provincial government the opportunity to engage with the youth of the province. The 2011 Maloof Money Cup was undoubtedly a huge success in terms of global media exposure and economic benefit to the province, but the impact we had on the youth of our province was unbelievable. The Maloof Money Cup presented to them a lifestyle alternative that is accessible and affordable and could be the catalyst for huge socio-economic changes, stated John Block, Northern Cape MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism. During the run-up to the event, the provincial government will continue to take the message of skateboarding to the streets with the Skateboarding for Hope community outreach programme. In addition, skateboarding road tours and public qualifier events will be hosted across the country to identify budding skateboarding talent. Three Pro Tours will feature some of the top riders in the world and will help in creating awareness of skateboarding as one of the fastest growing sports in the world amongst local communities. For more information, visit www.maloofmoneycup.com or www.experiencenortherncape.com.