Professional skateboarder stages a skate revolution in Budapest with help from Vodafone Firsts
Vodafone has helped professional skateboarder Balázs Jassek achieve his dream to recruit hundreds of skaters and revive skateboarding in Budapest as part of the Vodafone Firsts series.
With skaters in Jassek’s home city of Budapest in decline due to a lack of investment, coupled with skateboarding being outlawed in many public parts of the city and teens favouring video games and consoles Vodafone has stepped in to help Jessek stage a skate revolution.
Using mobile technology to crowd source hundreds of skaters to appear in his Vodafone First movie, which was filmed using a drone camera, hundreds of skateboarders took to the streets of Budapest to skate over monuments and landmarks, putting the sport back on the map.
Once he had united his fellow skaters Jessek embarked on a plan to refurbish Görzenál, Europe’s largest outdoor skate and leisure park which has lain derelict for many years.
“Skateboarding is about fun and freedom. For too long in Budapest, skateboarders have struggled as city officials neglected our facilities or even tried to ban us,” said Jessek. “With our film, we hope to kick-start skateboarding in Budapest, as well as remind people around the world what a force for good skating can be.”
Barbara Hasse, Vodafone Group’s brand director, added: “As well as the creation of an inspiring film, the refurbishment of the skate park means this is a First which will be enjoyed by future generations. This First is an example of how our technology can help people mobilise communities and celebrate their passions.”
The short docu-film will now be shared via Vodafone’s social media channels, as part of the ongoing Firsts series the brand is asking people what they want to do for the first time and is calling on the public to ‘Pitch Your First’ online.
The film follows Vodafone’s last First where it took two grandmothers from the Netherlands on their first flight.