Spotter DIY – Barcelona, Spain

 

Spotter Life.

Photos by Roger Ferrero
Article by Marcos Gomez

I was a little kid, probably under ten years old, when I used to spend my after school hours practicing all kind of athletic activities at a court in the public sports area of my small village of Badía City… talking about over thirty years ago now!!! Time flies.

Getting into skating made me forget about anything else and catch the train almost everyday to Barcelona and shred mostly Turó Park and Sants plaza. That happenned for years, that skateboarding meca became our everyday deal and had no secrets for us. My home village was only that, the place to come back every night to rest and wait for the next day fun.

Years went by… I grew up and formed a family while new generations of skaters came up even in Badía. Although the age gap was quite considerable, skateboarding linked me up with my young skate neighbors and caught my attention towards a small local scene developing right there.

Dani working

Cristian Delgado and his brother helped by his father and other young ones like Miguel Gorjón rediscovered that abandoned space, that multi-sport court I used to play at, as a blank canvas to keep themselves busy building a local spot where they could keep skating not far from home and away of the overexposed Barcelona scene. I was kind of busy by then with my second kid just being born so having a place near home to get a one hour sesh without wasting time on the train or the car was my salvation.

It’s funny how it all began… It was just a ledge spot at first… then we added a flatbar, a manual pad, another ledge, nothing crazy. Sergi Arenas, OG guy, great friend and concrete worker decided to contribute with what was the start of a nice quarter pipe… then the tranny madness was just lit. We kind of spread the word of the possibilities the space had and FTC Barcelona decided to help and contributed with some concrete to finish the first carveable tranny corner there.

We have not stopped afterwards thanks to other local crews, crazy tranny lovers, like the Sentfields Boiz, who started getting involved in the building of more transitions and different obstacles putting his money and efforts on it for the love of the game. Build, skate, chill, build, skate, chill… we started to feel there were more possibilities to keep spreading and constructing different stuff and finally got ready for something bigger.

Harun always having fun

Harun always having fun

We got some cash and got to win more space and build a whole long side of the spot using an existing wall there. It took a long and hot month and a half of pouring crete, beer, more beer and family lunch breaks in the local gas station, plus some of the greatest sessions there up to date that kept happening along 2015 summer.

But, concrete has something addictive… like skateboarding… so the mix of both is just unstopable!!! The STFS BOIZ wanted to keep on building and, why not a bowl? The plan for the bowl has been crazy evolving and changing every day. Instead of closing it for the carves it’s been connected with the outside aiming to keep constructing and connecting more trannies along the sides of the spot.

STFS BOYZ

You must come and see how the guys shred the whole place and find the lines between ledges, banks, flatbars… The most beautiful thing about it is that Spotter provides unlimited possibilities, street and tranny wise, and has become a real home for locals and a pilgrimage place for all Barcelona visitors, whether if they are street rats or ramp dogs.

Come visit, have fun, keep it clean and contribute somehow or bring beers for the locals… You will be welcomed, for sure.  – Marcos Gomez

spotterblunt.

Hardwork pays off

Harun taking a shower

Harun taking a shower

Quim Lagunilla. Blunt kickflip.

Concrete guy, Nanaqui

Nanaqui. Alley oop fakie 5-0.

Nanaqui. Alley oop fakie 5-0.

Mitrel rock to fakie

Mitrel rock to fakie

Pali. Kickflip

Pali. Kickflip

Harun. Five 0.

Harun. Five 0.

Ivan Martinez. Sugarcane

Nanaqui. Back smith.

Nanaqui. Back smith.

Backside boneless

Guillem. Backside boneless

Ivan Martínez. Hurricane.

Ivan Martínez. Hurricane.

Photos by Roger Ferrero

As seen in Confusion magazine issue #14

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Thanks Skateboarding // Launch Party & session at SPOTTTER DIY! March 17th.