Skateboarding
Madrid, Night and Day
The Spanish capital is making a comeback in skateboarding.
5 min
Greetings from Madrid
The Spanish capital is back on top form.
Madrid is the city that never sleeps, there are always people on the streets and you can find shops open at any time. Similarly with skateboarding: the scene is in constant movement, and never stops.
In the ’90s, Madrid was the hub for Spanish skateboarding, where all the skaters wanted to go. Its Plaza Colon was the Mecca for street skating and many big names that are now legends came out if it – the Fernandez brothers, Dani Lebron, Ruben Garcia, Alex Castañeda.
Madrid
© Sergio Alvarez
Those days are long gone, and after a period when the authorities decided to ban skateboarding from the infamous plaza, the scene dissipated. The streets of the city have never been easy to skate, and it is said that Madrid lost a generation due to the limited remaining terrain around, and emigration.
Diego Cano - Frontside bluntslide
© Sergio Alvarez
After a few years, the scene came back to life due in part to a change in urban planning which gave birth to new spots, smooth ground and plazas that scattered throughout different neighborhoods. New skateshops founded by skaters such as Welcome Skateshop started to relight the scene, investing their time and money into events, indoor skateparks and teams. The locals also put their backs into it through DIY and fixing spots; even city hall helped out by adding a few skateparks to the ones that already existed.
Adrian del Campo - Nollie heelflip
© Sergio Alvarez
Today Madrid is a must-stop for every team that tours Europe. Even though everything developed very fast, nothing has been done without thought and the Madrilean scene still holds a very familial vibe where everybody knows each other and the sessions are always with friends.
That is the good thing about Madrid – if you visit you will be welcomed by locals with open arms and you will end up meeting everybody and having a great time.