Free Skate Jam Barcelona
On December 16th 2017 the Free Skate Jam Barcelona took place at the Centre Esportiu Municipal Ciutadella.
Seeing a skateboard in Barcelona is not a rare thing, especially if you stop near the MACBA, the museum of contemporary art. A multitude of young and “experienced” people who try to perform jumps and acrobatics of all kinds. If you take a stroll around the city’s waterfront, you will also hear the typical sound of skate wheels here. We do not talk about Raval, day and night the streets are crossed by young people on tables. In short, Barcelona is a city full of skaters.
Just last Saturday a free Skate jam Barcelona competition took place. A competition organized by alcarrerskateshop, a shop dedicated to this sport that became Olympic. The race is simple: there are obstacles, acrobatics are performed on them and the participants themselves will gradually decree the winner of several prizes to be won.
Free Skate jam, Barcelona: how it went
It’s the first time for me that I photograph a skateboard competition. Before you set a foot inside the game field, you’ll hear the tipycal sound: Clak! The boards slamming against the ground mixed with the typical sound of wheels spinning at high speed. I’m little impressed and frightened I’m looking my friend Felipe. He is the one who invited me. A nice, kind guy (skaters are not bad guys!).
Two words, a greeting and everyone resumes doing what he has to do. He keep running on the table, I get busy with the photos. There is a lot to do and the participants follow each other to jump over the various obstacles in the field. Only at the end of the day I will realize that I will have more than 600 shots in less than an hour and that very few will be acceptable. In part due to my mistakes others cause imperfect acrobatics, falls, mistakes to the last jump by the athletes. The participants do not pay much attention to me nor to other photographers and videomakers in the area. The general mood is relaxed, friendly and full of respect.
Now I do not know much about grind, ollie, Front Side, etc etc. so I do not realize who wins or why. I’m new in this field but I like it. I like people, I like the colors they wear and I like to see what a human being can do with a board and four small wheels attached underneath. This is why I believe they deserve to be immortalized during their performances. They are not always successful but nevertheless surprising.
My gallery below:
As always if you like it, you can share it, for free!
Marco Pachiega.