Saturday. October 30. Day 92. LAST DAY!!!!!!

THE DAY WE HAVE BEEN WAIITNG FOR AND MORE......

There was so much excitement the last two days that I only got round to the blog this morning. And boy was it all worth it. Every km on the way from Joburg to Cape Town paid off.

Waking up on Saturday all grinning with smiles of excitement as there was only about 5 k’s left and not a gruelling 1800 anymore we quickly got dressed and started the day.

Making our way to the marker rigging the safety sign for the last time and surrounded by journalists of every degree we felt a little bummed that it was all over now but at the same time being super excited and proud that we have made it to the end.

Puddy’s family joined in and formed a convoy for us which were led by the metro police to ensure our safety on the busy roads off Cape Town. The skating went smooth and fast with only 4.5 k’s to skate we made it to the Village safely and speedily.

On our arrival we were overwhelmed by the response. The kids went crazy. The supporters went crazy. Every one cheering so loud that we thought Puddy had skated around the world. Some people were overcome with emotion shedding some tears for this amazing feat that Puddy has done for the kids of the SOS Children’s Villages.

Looking at Puddy from a distance we could see that this man was proud off himself and he had all the reason in the world to be. He had just conquered 1800km’s on his skateboard all for charity.

The kids prepared a special welcoming dance for Puddy, on which he even joined in on. A real special moment for the crew. Knowing that these were the kids that the cause was directed to and that they were just as overcome by emotions as we were felt amazingly humane. Knowing that one can still make a difference in the lives of the youth.

Speeches were made and thank you’s were said while a sea of flashes from camera’s filled the air. After handing out skateboards to the kids – which they appreciated tremendously, we were supprised to learn that another convoy had been arranged for us at Mad world and they were taking us out to Amadoda Shebeen were we where to have lunch and relax.

We got to Mad world and were stumped. A convoy of about 30 cars all branded with Skate for Change banners was waiting for us at Mad World. Lead by a huge truck donning speakers and sound equipment with a MC talking to the whole of Cape Town we made our way through the city streets. Puddy was a rock star and the whole Cape Town heard of it. What a great moment to see so much support directed to our cause. Truly mind blowing

We had a lovely lunch and some drinks and watched the rugby. After this we made our way to the Final Frontier Party at Hectic on hope were all the proceeds went to charity.

THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN SKATE FOR CHANGE 2010.

ALL THE SPONSORS. ALL THE FANS. ALL THE KIDS AT THE VILLIAGES. ALL THE MEDIA COVERAGE. ALL THE PARENTS AND FAMILIES THAT TOOK US IN ON THE ROAD. EVERY SINGLE ONE WHO GAVE US A CHEER AND A HOOT ON THE ROAD. THE SUPPORT YOU GAVE US HAS BEEN BEYOND OUR EXPECTATIONS .

THIS HAS TRULY BEEN AN AMAZING TRIP AND WILL GO DOWN IN THE HISTORY BOOKS. THANKS YOU. WITHOUT ANY OF YOU NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

Friday. October 29. Day 91

Today is Friday and we used this last day before the grand finale to prep and get our heads straight. Tomorrow is that day we all have been waiting for. After not seeing friends and family for three months Puddy spent some quality time catching up with his loved ones. Human spent some time with his lady and the rest of us explored Cape Town.

To all the readers remember to SMS PUDDY to 38665 as the lines are not closed yet.

A huge thanks to all the people involved. All the sponsors and all the places that gave us accommodation. Great thanks to Fire and ice that have cared for us like royalty. Thanks to all the news hounds and news papers who covered our story and gave us much needed publicity.

Friday. October 22. Day 84.

We shared our breakfast table with a journalist from The Somerset Journal who interviewed the crew. Ailsa and Mark from the Caledon Hotel met up with us a bit later, they stocked up with some Skate for Change T-shirts, which the whole crew signed. they want to frame one, and put it up for displayin the hotel.

While waiting for the team to finish up, so the day’s session could get under way, Human though it a good idea to pop into the casino for a moment or two. Well, a moment or two later he stepped out a bit richer. It was time to get the show on the road.

The road was anything but easy and Puddy’s luck was against him (unlike Human’s) as he faced a 5km climb off about 300m. Puddy on the other and gave the uphill the finger and pushed like a monster. 84 Days on the road has turned Puddy into a skateboarding machine. The team just looked on in awe from within the van as he climbed the mountain. Reaching the top Puddy was not rewarded with a downhill; however that is said to come. The Sir Lauwries Pass which awaits us in the next day or two is apparently a monster of a downhill, long and steep.

After the 23km skate for the day and the killer uphill which was conquered we made way for our new base camp. The Protea Hotel in Stellenbosch gave us accommodation for four evenings, massages for each member. They even made us a “welcome” sign which was just great. Definitely looking forward staying here this week.

Tomorrow is our day off and we look forward to exploring the beautiful town of Stellenbosch.

Monday. October 11. Day 73

A slight rain and strong wind made the session somewhat difficult today. Puddy pulled in behind the van to catch the slip stream and tried to avoid the weather. The conditions were a bit rough on the Pud man, but he kept pushing hard and managed a total of 25km’s for the day.

Some surprises on the road kept him motivated. Gerhard, the mate we met while staying in PE drove past us again and stopped to say hi. A while later another old friend from CT stopped him in his tracks to say hi and give some encouragement.

When we finally made it to Mosselbay we ducked out of the rain into the local skate/surf shop. And to our surprise we found a stunning little wood indoor mini ramp providing us with some great fun and skating.