Andrés Rodes

Photography by Alberto Garcia Siles @skateboze
Words by Martin Saavedra and Andrés Rodés

As seen in Confusion Magazine issue #21

Caribu diy is located in Mataró the capital city of the Maresme, a region just 40 minutes by train from Barcelona city center. It all started after our local skatepark in Premia de Dalt, a small town in the Maresme, got demolished by the council, leaving us with no skateparks with good transition in the entire region.

By the time the council had destroyed the skatepark, a new prívate one had been built. Obviously you don’t want to pay to skate so we started our first project some weeks later when we had found a perfect place for building.<

It was an old factory squatted by the local community where they offered free activities and lots of services for whoever needed them. They give us a giant space with a roof, electricity and water, everything you could ask for.. We started building but in less than six months the council kicked everybody out of the factory. Luckily for us at the time they closed the factory, we had already built our first ramp in Caribu. Fortunately, we knew some weeks before that they wanted to kick us out, so we had started looking for good places to build.

Caribu was perfect for us, it’s a demolished factory so we have lots of bricks and rubble and there is a perfect sand spot, the only problem was geting the water to mix the concrete, so we made a mini pool which fills when it rains and we store the water in barrels and bottles.

It’s an abandoned private space so we have no problems with the council or the owner. What is more, the neighborhood is really happy and interested in the project. Since Caribu has been active, all skaters in the region are united and working together. Caribu has turned into the place to be for a lot of local youth and anybody who has a project or idea and needs space like painters, musicians, etc.

We haven’t been building a lot for the last few months as some of us have started working in skatepark companies and haven’t been home much. We are anxious to keep building.

Right from the start of the Project, it has been the skaters and people who help to build who have paid for all tools and material. We have also raised money from holding small events and selling t-shirts that we had made ourselves and other donated stuff. At the moment we are still working on making clothes and other products for sale in the little free time we have.

We have created a perfect place to spend your day skating and hanging out. A place where you can find steep ramps, concrete copings, wallrides, fun ledges and other interesting spots. Everybody is welcome to come and have a good time. Enjoy some juicy burgers from the barbecue and chill at the treehouse after eating. See you there! – Martin Saavedra & Andrés Rodés