Kushineta Skateboard Manufacturing was established in Ethiopia in 2019 by a group of young dedicated skateboarders. Their vision is to produce boards, apparel and give skate lessons, all contributing to the rapidly growing skateboard scene in Africa. The New Originals got the opportunity to have a chat with one of the founders, Yared, about Kushineta's vision, story and future 🔑


WHAT IS KUSHINETA?
"Our brand is a glimpse into our own unique skate culture in Addis Ababa. Kushineta is a word that’s been integrated into languages across Ethiopia in reference to skateboards, originating from the Italian word for “bearing”, cuscinetto. Our focus is on bringing quality skateboards to the local market and introducing street wear styles with our apparel line. We established in 2019 and opened our first skate shop in January 2022. We started by making a skate press and pressing boards here in Addis Ababa, then started making apparel and now have a large array of products. We started in 2019 and opened our first shop in January 2022."
Where is Kushineta based?
"We’re based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia."
 
How did Kushineta came about?
“Kushineta grew out of necessity and will continue growing and adapting. The four of us, Henock, Yeabkal, Ruel, and myself have been skating together for almost a decade now so naturally we came together to build something lasting that will create more acceptance and understanding of skateboarding in Ethiopia.”
 
 
What is the main goal of Kushineta?
"As we are Setting the precedent for affordable, locally made boards in Addis Ababa, Kushineta will eventually become the main distributor of professional, quality skate decks in Ethiopia and east Africa at large”
 
Can you tell me about the Kushineta shop?
“So many people have had visions and dreams of what a skate shop in Ethiopia would be like, so it means a lot to make this place a reality. We are located in a central area which makes it convenient for people to access us whether they’re stopping by to purchase merchandise, take a skate lesson, or just to hang out and skate"
What are the future plans for Kushineta?
Since opening our indoor skate shop we are creating a strong lesson program to train more youth skaters in Addis Ababa. As we continue to grow, we plan to employ other skaters from our communities so their lifestyles can pay them the way we are setting up ours to do the same. One of our main goals is cultivating the best talent in the country, creating a team for our brand, and sponsoring them to Olympic levels.

Thanks TNO we have mad respect for y’all and hope that we can keep the collaboration going.”
Yared @ Kushineta