Who's Who!
Sal Masekela is quite possibly the most matchless talent of his kind.
Currently, Sal is most well known for his is best known for his unique and
witty hosting E! Networks: The Daily Ten. He also is very well known for
hosting ESPN's X-Games and participating in a season as one of NBA's Friday
night sideline commentators on ABC. Continuing to emerge as action sports & entertainment's most sought after and engaging talent, Sal Masekela is the
consummate voice of action sports; and as a result the voice of Gen Y. In
addition, Sal is emerging into the film and television world with projects
such as lending his voice as an animated penguin announcer in Sony Pictures
Feature Animation's feature Surf's Up and is currently producing two
documentary films, one loosely based on his life. Sal is also currently
promoting his film BRA BOYS, the winner of Best Documentary at the 2008
X-Dance Film Festival, narrated by Russell Crowe.
The highest grossing Australian documentary and winner of the 2008 X-Dance
Film Festival, Bra Boys, will soon be released in select US theaters on
April 11, 2008, directly following it's April 7th LA premiere. World-class
surfing and archival footage, along with an against-all-odds story, Bra Boys
depicts the history of surfers from inner-Sydney suburb Maroubra Beach and
the extreme hardship they endure from childhood. Directed by Sunny Abberton
(also one of the stars of the film) and narrated by Academy Award Winner(r)
Russell Crowe, Bra Boys became an instant smash hit breaking a 17-year-old
record for the most successful Australian, non-IMAX documentary-style film
after its release in Australia in March 2007. Bra Boys quickly got the
attention of Brian Grazer who will produce a fact-based drama based on the
documentary.
A native of New York, Salema "Sal" Masekela honed his love of showmanship
from an early age while touring the world with his father, South African
jazz great Hugh Masekela. Becoming an avid surfer, snowboarder and skater
himself, Sal began his career answering phones at Transworld Media; the
bible of action sports culture, and it was there that he soon found his
voice and his niche. At Transworld, Sal not only rose to become the
Assistant Producer of Transworld's Snowboarding Video Magazine series, but
also the MC for Board Aid; a music and action sports based AIDS education
youth program.
Sal then went on to become the marketing director of Planet Earth, a
clothing and skateboard company, and in 1998 helped launch the lifestyle
apparel brand "Alphanumeric". Alphanumeric quickly became the industry's
leading street and sports apparel line.
It wasn't long before FOX Sports executives discovered Sal's ability to draw
a crowd, and in 1997 hired him to co-host the FOX Sports half-hour action
lifestyle show "Board Wild". MTV soon recognized Sal's potential to connect
sports, music and youth lifestyle culture together, and he quickly became
the MTV action sports "go-to" guy. From 1998-2000 he co-hosted the
ever-popular MTV Sports and Music Festival as well as MTV's Board Blast. It
was Sal's debut in the 1998 snowboarding documentary Snow Taxi that
attracted ESPN.
Sal was initially hired as a snowboarding sideline reporter for the 1998 and
1999 ESPN Winter X Games, and quickly became known for his ability to make
action sports accessible to a more modern audience. He has since then gone
on to host both the Winter and Summer X Games for the last two consecutive
years, and has also appeared as commentator of such ESPN lifestyle programs
as "The Life", "X Today", "X In Concert" and "Tony Hawk's Giant Skatepark
Tour 2000/2001."
In addition to his reoccurring appearances, Sal has been a presenter and
host for the following awards shows: Transworld Snowboarding Magazine's
Rider Poll Awards (1998-2001), The Surfrider Foundation's Waterman's Ball
(2001), Surfer Magazine's Surfing Video Awards (2001) and ESPN's Action
Sports and Music Awards (2001-2002).
Sal also brings his charisma and talent to the Silver Screen. Besides his
voice over role in Surfs Up, he recently appeared in Disney's Ultimate X, an
IMAX film about the Summer X Games released in May 2002. He is also a
contributing writer for ESPN's bi-weekly online lifestyle column EXPN.com,
which follows trends in fashion, film and music related to action sports
culture. Sal also served as executive producer and host of his own
bi-monthly action sports and culture television show, "X 2Day", for ESPN and
ESPN 2. In addition, Sal has hosted such shows as
E!'s Live Countdown to the Golden
Globes, Import Racers,
Ballbreakers, and is no stranger to
red carpet corresponding.
Sal, along with his partner Jason Bergh, is owner of Berkela Films, a
full-service boutique distribution and production studio focused on action
sports, music, and pop culture. Berkela's mission is to bring stories on
the action sports lifestyle to light, focusing on its characters and
history. The most recent releases from Berkela are Bra Boys and Disposable
Hero - The Brian Deegan Story, which was awarded Best Biography at X-Dance
in 2007 and appeared on Spike TV later that year.
Through an understanding of alternative cultures and lifestyles, Sal is able
to capitalize on his experiences and truly bring a unique perspective to the
projects he is involved with. It is his widespread popularity with young
audiences, as well as the immense respect from the athletes of action
sports, that will allow Sal to continue breaking new ground within this
culture and demographic for years to come. Currently, In addition to his
hosting, producing, acting, and voice over work, Sal lends his name and time
to his charity's Stoked Mentoring, a non profit action sports organization
for "at risk" youth with the mission of developing Successful Teens with
Opportunity, Knowledge, Experience, and Determination through the use of
action sports, mentoring, and coaching (www.stokedmentoring.org
GAWARDS\www.stokedmentoring.org> ). Sal's passion for sport culture, the
same passion that propelling Sal into the film and TV world has made him a
leading expert/host, and he continues to be one of the most sought after in
his market. Sal currently resides in Venice, CA where he is close to the
street, beach, and snow.
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