I used to own a skateboard. I was 12. They were the all the rage at the time. Possibly it was still the 80s, I can’t remember that far back and my maths is crap, but undoubtedly Back To The Future had a lot to do with it. Anyway the point is I grew up and I put my skateboard down and I became a productive (ahem) member of society.
Imagine my surprise then when I rock up to Barcelona and find that not only is the city full of skateboarders, but half of them are older than me! Or at least in the same age bracket. 14+.
Can you really expect the world to take you seriously if you roll up to meetings (or anything for that matter) on a children’s toy? How much will it cost in laser surgery to remove those ridiculous tattoos when (or perhaps I should say if) you grow up? And before you have another go at landing that frontside board slide can I just ask you if you’re covered for dental treatment in Spain?
Ha ha
Despite the scornful looks I dish out whenever passing MACBA however the craze for skateboarding in Barcelona is still going strong and kids come from all over the world (especially from countries with a high rate of fashion victimitis, such as US and Sweden) to mince around the city. Apparently Barcelona is ‘blessed’ with very flat roads and pavements.
Anyhow, maybe I don’t like skateboarding because I was seriously shit at it, or maybe it’s because it’s fucking dangerous and I’m a pussy, or perhaps it’s simply that everyone who does it is a knob. Whatever the reason, I’m going to continue to look down on the pathetic individuals practicing their skills on Placa Universidad (and punch anyone who sends their board flying at my ankles) – even if they are older than me.
If you have a wildly different opinion on the matter, and are sentient enough to string a sentence together, feel free to add the yang to my ying…
Barcelona Freak Blog 