
The art of longboarding —
The faces of both Mahatma Gandhi and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have graced the longboards built by South African Kent Lingeveldt.

The art of longboarding —
Lingeveldt is an award-winning photographer and the owner of Alpha Longboards, a Cape Town-based brand that produces customized decks.

The art of longboarding —
The company prides itself on customization as no two boards are the same. The decks are first hand-shaped by Lingeveldt according to the specific requirements of each client. When they're ready, illustrators step in and add their eye-catching artwork on the boards.

The art of longboarding —
Two years ago, Alpha Longboards launched "Local Legends," a series of boards designed to honor figures such as Nelson Mandela.

The art of longboarding —
Lingeveldt first started skateboarding while growing up in Cape Flats, an area designated to people of mixed race during apartheid in South Africa. "It's like one of those natural things where skateboarding chooses you -- you don't choose it," he says.

The art of longboarding —
Lingeveldt has also managed to find success through his other passion, photography.

The art of longboarding —
He first started taking images when he was 18 but in recent years he's started working professionally. His work has been exhibited both at home and abroad.

The art of longboarding —
"When I skateboard I see the world differently," he says. "Like you see the small finer details of the streets, of the city and I'm like, 'wow.' I see so many different things that other people don't necessarily see."

The art of longboarding —
Lingeveldt carries his camera with him wherever he goes.

The art of longboarding —
"I'm looking for the small things that we see every day, but shedding new light on it so that people can almost look at it differently," says Lingeveldt.