Scooters Rule the Turia Skate Park
I just had to go to the local skate park to check it out. I used to do inline roller-blading when I was younger, and have made friends with many talented riders of all sorts over the years. This definitely won’t be my last time here.
One other student and I ventured off to this hooligan hideout in the middle of the nine kilometer long Turia park.
When we arrived it was around 7:30 p.m, with the sun disappearing behind towering rows of apartment complexes.
Most of the groups were sitting around chatting in the humidity and not doing too much riding. It was interesting to see the bikers huddled in their own corner, the scooters in another, and a few skateboarders doing their own thing in the open bowl.
As a group of scooter riders noticed us taking pictures of the more active people, they began to drop into the bowl.
I fluttered around the outskirts of the arena searching for the best spot to not be in their way and also get a good shot, while trying to make eye contact to let them know I was specifically taking their picture. They didn’t understand too much English, but knew enough to tell my friend “Hey bro you’re in the way.” when he got too close.
I posted up in a corner of the bowl where there would be no wheel traffic and started shooting as best I could.
The longer we stayed the more comfortable they became, and they started getting more and more audacious with their tricks. Before I knew it they were doing back flips off the sides of the bowl, occasionally actually landing them and having their friends go wild with support.
The best two riders had long beautiful hair hidden up in snap-back hats, as most boys who loiter in skate parks do. When one of them attempted his flip, his hat flew within arms reach of me.
Tossing it back I called out “Mira”, which is look in Spanish, while holding out my camera to show the freshly taken shots of him. I quickly scrolled through the last few I had taken and he looked very pleased.
When asked if I knew Spanish, I simply had laughed and said only very little. His response was the same when I had asked if he knew English.
I managed to get his and his friends Instagram accounts instead so I could send them the photos. They both are signed up with a professional scooter and skate label, which explains why they were so good.
My friend stayed and continued shooting for a little longer, but because I am a small woman I hate being out past dark alone. At around 9 p.m I said thanks for the photos and walked back in the setting sun to my apartment to go through my new photo collection.
