While browsing Opensea for Reggae and Jamaican NFTs, I came across SK876- A portrait of Jamaican skateboarding. Now, one may not know that Jamaica has a skateboarding community and I think that, along with the great shots makes this collection valuable and unique to those who love skateboarding and or the culture of Jamaica and the Caribbean.
A total of 17.6 ETH has been traded of the NFT pictures highlighting the Skate community in Jamaica. That is around $52,000 in trading volume, not too shabby. (screenshots taken Feb 28.2022). What I was surprised to realize was that its a photographer from Germany doing the NFT collection and profiting from it. But don't go get your spliff in a tight knot just yet. He is actually doing it for a good cause and the fact that NFTs live on the blockchain, it is transparent how much he has actually made. The photographer of the collection, GRAYSON LAUFFENBURGER wrote this the OpenSea collection page:
SK876 is a collection of 55 1/1 black and white images celebrating the small yet ever-growing skateboarding community outside of Kingston, Jamaica. Skateboarding is small in Jamaica. The pioneers of the sport on the island, known collectively as SK876 (a mash-up of "skate" and Jamaica's area code 876) have built it up from scratch, skating primarily in "The Gully" - a now defunct water drainage line leading from the mountains to the ocean. They built transitions, obstacles, and flat bars of concrete and used their DIY skatepark as a training ground for the future skaters of Jamaica. This collection is my attempt to honor what they have built. 50% of primary sales will be donated directly upon sell-out to the Freedom Skatepark Foundation, a non-profit organization operating in Bull Bay, Jamaica to encourage the growth of the sport. 20% of secondary royalties will be donated in perpetuity to ensure continued support for the community.
It is really good to see a budding community get the support it needs via an idea and the blockchain. It goes to show what is actually possible with NFTs. At first glance one might just see black and white photos of skateboarders in Jamaica but one has to look deeper and see the real value. It is a true win win for all involved. The skaters get funding and marketing, the photographer earns some income for his work and the NFT purchasers get to share a piece of history, supporting a good cause and their deed is stamped immutably on the blockchain.
But unlike regular "donations", there is no way to recoup your currency/asset if you wanted to. But with NFTs, there is the possibility to resell and maybe even at a higher price. And when that transaction takes place for the Sk876 pictures, the photographer and the foundation are gaining. How cool is that?
This initiative will also help create awareness of the value of blockchain technology to Jamaicans, who will intern want to understand it more and pass on the knowledge to others. It will be interesting to see how the funding helps support the skaters in Jamaica as I have a few acquaintances who also are in the small community.
As the blocks get created we will see more dynamic use cases for NFTs that will help to build communities in the real world, bridging gaps that that system has created. I personally am doing my research and looking at the various use cases taking place in the budding tech, but more specifically geared towards Reggae and Caribbean culture. I see so much potential here and know the space will bring a lot of opportunities for those who take the time to understand it and use it.
Picture sources
OpenSea Link
Photographer's Twitter
ReggaeJAHM.com