Skateboarding Scene in Mexico City Grows as Parks for the Sport Emerge

The skateboarding scene in Mexico is gathering popularity with the locals, with Mexico City becoming the center of the sport as it provides a haven for skateboarders.

Carolina Altamiro was one living proof that skateboarding's popularity in Mexico City is surging, as she shared in an interview with The New York Times that there are a lot of skate parks in the city.

"There's a lot of skate parks, and they're building more... The skateboarding community is strong here. If you come across someone you don't know who is carrying a skateboard, they will greet you and talk to you," Altamiro shared.

The rise of skate parks in Mexico City also prompted Altamiro to move there instead of moving to Los Angeles, New York, or Barcelona in Spain in pursuit of furthering her skateboarding career.

Mexico City Becomes Center of Skateboarding in the Country

According to reports, the Mexican government started building skate parks in the 1980s. The said move was part of the government's effort to restore public spaces.

Olga Aguilar, an individual recording the skateboarding scene in Mexico since the 1980s, said that in the early times of skateboarding in Mexico, skate parks are not available.

"There was not a skate park at that time. In the late 1970s, there were no places to go and learn. It had to be on the street," Aguilar noted.

According to Oscar Meza, a Mexican skater who moved to Los Angeles, the architecture and building styles in Mexico City make a thrilling skateboarding terrain. However, police and security guards sometimes intervene with the skateboarders.

Meza also lauded Mexico City's growth when it comes to skateboarding,

"This city is providing a real raw new generation of people enjoying skateboarding. I felt like I was losing that in a way," Meza said, recalling that they were looked at as "weirdos" when they skated before.

Meza also shared that he saw skateboarding being embraced in the community to the point that people don't see someone "cool" if they do not skate.

Mexico City also became the center of the skateboarding scene in the country, as numerous brands, sponsors, tourists, and athletes made Mexico City a travel destination.

In 2014, Nike Skateboarding built an Aztec-inspired skate park to promote the sport to the young skateboarders of the city.

In 2020, Vans also erected the House of Vans in Mexico City, which is a community hub located in the Mixocoac neighborhood. The said building features a skatepark and a bowl that is set up for the skateboarders and BMX riders. The said facility covers the first floor of the building.

On its second floor, spaces for workshops and other activities are erected.

Mexico Women Skateboarding

Aside from the skate parks, the skateboarding scene in the country also became more diverse.

Aguilar noted that in the early times, skateboarding carried a stigma that the sport was only for males, explaining that it was frowned upon when women tried to participate in the sport.

"We had to hide our skateboards because our mom didn't want us to skate," Aguilar noted.

In a separate interview with Olga Aguilar, she said that groups focusing on women skateboarding also exists in Mexico.

"We are seeing new groups focused on girl skateboarding to promote, motivate, and create activities such as expos, lessons, contests, and discussion groups," Aguilar said.

Reports also noted that women-led skateboarding schools are now existing in Mexico City, just like the Mujeres en Patineta. The said school offers classes to women of all ages from low-income families.

One of the women who is making her name in Mexico's skateboarding is Itzel Granados. The 20-year-old placed second at the Junior Pan American Games women's street competition. Granados is also hoping to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after she lost her chance to compete in Tokyo Olympics when she hit her head while doing the sport.

"I love it... It [Mexico City] has parks for beginners to skate and intermediate and advanced levels," Granados said about the skateboarding parks in Mexico City.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

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