Cuba isn’t known for its non-conformists, so skateboarding, with its counter-cultural roots, is not a sport that has been encouraged on the Caribbean island. But a group of young individuals are still ollie-ing and grinding through the streets of Havana.

The below video (created for Cuba Skate by Humanity’s Gaston Blanchet) focuses on Cuban skater Yojani Pérez Rivera and he and his friends’ journey to live life their own way: with a skateboard beneath their feet and doing as much as they can with the little they have.

Hoping to facilitate the sport’s progress in Cuba, Cuba Skate is an American NGO created by skater Miles Jackson. They work with skaters in Cuba to upgrade gear, renovate the only skate park in Havana, and establish a cross-cultural communication between Cuban and American skaters.

While Cuba remains a fairly closed country and one not easily visited by American tourists, the times they are a-changin’, and non-conformists like Rivera and his pals are at the forefront of a mini cultural-revolution.

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