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Skateboarding in Chile

Jose in Calama, Chile, talks about skateboarding in his country:
Skateboarding in Chile Map

Chilean Skateboarding

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  • What's it like to skate in Chile?
    Well, i think is really fun, there aren´t a lot of skateparks, but if there´s a place that can be skated, skaters bring their own stuff, and make a new skatepark, in the city. In fact in all Chile There´s only 1 real skatepark, and you have to pay like 1 dollar to get in. But Skateboarding here is very fun, like in most places I believe. But one good thing is that skaters don´t have a bad reputation with the law. Here you can skateboard anywhere, even in the police station plaza. We don´t have restrictions anywhere.

  • What kinds of skateboarding do people do?
    Street Skating, only few people skate miniramps or vert ramps.

  • What does it feel like to be known as a "skateboarder" in Chile?
    It´s very cool, I mean. The fact that someone can actually ride a skateboard and ollie, you already feel like a total rockstar. You get attention anywhere for just riding. And when you start skating parks, in 2 weeks you know the name of almost all the skaters in your city, and you´re known by almost every skater.

  • What kinds of places do you skate at?
    I like skating near my house, downtown plaza, a plaza skatepark, and parking lots.

  • What is it like to shop for skateboarding gear in Chile?
    It can be frustrating, boards are ok, but almost all boards are the same size (7.6). For me it's very frustrating when I buy new bearings, because I know that they won´t last long. I don´t know of a single skateshop that sells lubricant for bearings, or a single shop that sells Tri-Flow. I´ve asked everywhere for Tri-Flow or something similar, and nothing. With trucks, griptape and wheels, there´s no problem.

  • What does the future of skateboarding look like in Chile?
    Well, I´ll say it's on the right track. Here there are two Chilean skateboard Brands: Gangsta and Semilla, good decks and good clothing. These brands also sponsor skateboarders. They make demos all over Chile (but the most in Santiago), they make skate commercials, they have their own signature decks. And the most important, they are REALLY GOOD.

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