Cape Town's Skateboarding Phenom Jean-marc Johannes Achieves Global Recognition

Jean-marc Johannes, a skateboarder hailing from Athlone, Cape Town, has skidded his way into the hearts of sports enthusiasts and into the pages of the Guinness World Book of Records 2024. This recent recognition, alongside his 10th international title captured at the FISE Street Open Championships in Tignes, France, heralds a new era for South African skateboarding.

At the FISE Street Open, Johannes snagged the silver medal, continuing to set a stellar track record in the international skateboarding scene. His journey on the skateboard began two decades ago when at just 11, he participated in a local Claremont competition and emerged victorious. By age 15, Johannes was already rated as one of South Africa's top skateboarders and has since maintained a steady climb up the ranks of the sport.

The year 2015 marked his arrival on the international stage with a win at the FISE/Shrick Video Series Contest. Showing no signs of slowing down, Johannes' ambitions carried him even further when, in 2019, he astonishingly broke the Guinness World Record by performing 18 nollie heelflips within a mere 50 seconds—outdoing Ivan Sebastian Cordova's previous record.

A nollie heelflip, one of the many skateboard tricks Johannes has mastered, involves flipping the board with the non-dominant foot and landing back on it — a trick that requires exceptional skill and precision. Following his groundbreaking 18 flips in 2019, he continued to raise the bar, achieving 21 nollies in 30 seconds in 2020, surpassing his own previous record and ensuring his name would not easily be forgotten in the skateboarding world.

Johannes' accomplishments have been duly recorded in the latest Guinness World Book of Records, not only applauding his individual records but also celebrating his cumulative contribution to the sport over the years. Upon reflection of his achievement in France, Johannes highlighted the significance of his feat for South African Skateboarding, noting that it marked the most international skateboarding medals won in the nation's history.

Far from being solely driven by his passion for the sport, Johannes has also excelled academically, obtaining a diploma in sports science and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. On the personal front, Johannes recently entered a new chapter by marrying his high school sweetheart, Roxanne.

Though still fresh to marital life, Johannes is not ready to embrace fatherhood too soon, prioritizing his long-held aspiration of professional skateboarding. For Johannes, placing South African skateboarders on the global map is paramount, and his eyes are now firmly set on representing his country at the next Olympics.

His story is not just one of personal determination and talent but also of a lifelong dedication that serves to inspire budding skateboarders across South Africa and beyond.