Photo exhibit highlights dangerous South African train-surfing sport

Hollie Watson

They’re acts of bravado, tempting fate. “Train surfing is the semi-suicidal practice of climbing on top or underneath a moving train,” explained Ben Pobjoy, a co-founder of the Emporium gallery.

Since the early 1990s, it has been something of an underground sport among the impoverished youth of Soweto, South Africa’s largest ghetto and the former hub of that country’s epic apartheid struggle.

In the Sanza-Hanza exhibition which opens tomorrow, the young surfers are immortalized in a series of poignant photographs which follow them in their quest “for the perfect ride,” Pobjoy said. “Sanza-Hanza is a name taken from the Zulu dialect which means ‘King Surfer.’”

This thought-provoking collection of 12 oversized portraits is a collaborative effort between two critically acclaimed New York photographers.

Jamie James Medina is a London-born, Bangladesh-raised photographer whose work has been featured in every major publication in the United Kingdom. He was also the photographer for the Babyshambles 2007 tour.

New York native Matthew Salacuse has carved out a career shooting for Spin, Blender, and other magazines. “He also holds the record for having shot the most front covers of the Canadian hip hop magazine Pound,” Pobjoy said.

The photos in the upcoming exhibit capture different aspects of the train-surfing phenomenon and its morbid appeal.

There are tricks and maneuvres, for example, which are named after those who pioneered them. In the ‘Baptista,’ the surfer rides on top of the train, and attempts to grab onto the high tension wires that power it. If done properly, a shower of sparks flies out the end of the cable; otherwise, the result is sudden death.

The Emporium gallery was founded last year with the “intent of bringing quality arts programming to Montreal, while giving established and emerging artists from Canada and abroad the opportunity to show their work in a professional, artist-centric environment. The aim is to bolster their careers while enriching the city’s thriving arts scene,” Pobjoy said.

The hours of the show are Oct. 16 from 7 to 11 p.m., and the 17th to the 19th from noon to 6. There will be private viewing by appointment Oct. 20 and 21.

The gallery is located at 3035 St. Antoine St., Studio 74. For more information call 514-510-1547.