When I met Rich, he was into a sport called mountainboarding. Picture snowboarding... without the snow... and with industrial-strength monster wheels to navigate the terrain. I didn't quite grasp its significance in his life, until I asked him, "Hey, what's that say on your hoodie? I don't recognize the brand." Ever modest, Rich replied, "Oh, it's stands for Dangerous Brothers. They're my sponsors." WTH?!? Despite his protests that the sport was quite safe, I saw - not one, not two, but THREE, ladies and gentlemen! - dislocated shoulders in the first competition I watched.Nevertheless, we spent much of his first year in the States driving up and down the East Coast so he could ride with the Americans. Over time, as other responsibilities grew, much to our disappointment, Rich's participation in his first love dwindled... what better way to remind him that turning 30 didn't mean he was an old fart than to get a brand spankin' new board!?! On a brief trip to Oregon this summer, I was able to pull off the stunning feat of finding a skate shop in the small town I was staying in that happened to have in stock(!) exactly the board that he wanted, for an excellent price, and pick up a last season snowboard bag to ship it in, to boot! Now it seems only fair that Rich offers his perspective on his mountainboarding adventures in Spain, so without further ado...
There seems to be a fairly healthy mountain sports vibe in Catalunya, especially since the Pyrenees mountains are just a few hours away, and there are smaller mountains lining the coast. Upon moving to Barcelona and finding out that there is a small mountainboarding scene close by, it seemed like the perfect time to get a new board. This time I've gone for a more freestyle-friendly MBS Comp 95 The odd bit of freeriding is still on the table, of course.
One example of a nice freeride spot is Parc de Collserola. Just behind Tibidabo (the large church-topped mountain that pins Barcelona up against the sea) is a huge, unexpected, protected wilderness. Just half an hour on the commuter train gets you from the city centre to the entrance of the park, which is a popular spot for mountainbikers, dog walkers, and families at the weekend. It also contains some long downhill stretches, ideal for a bit of high-speed boarding. Unfortunately, the aforementioned popularity of the park means that some dog-dodging is sometimes in order, and powerslide dust clouds are not too popular...
In a small village called Sant Pere de Vilamajor about 1.5 hours away, El SoT is really where it's at, as far as freestyle mountainboarding goes. It's a bit of a trek to get there (plus I have to ask nicely for a lift once I'm close), but well-worth it to ride with some like-minded mountainboarders on some purpose-made terrain. Recently, El SoT celebrated its 3rd anniversary, and I was lucky enough to join them for the weekend. Unfortunately, the rain in Spain had skipped the plain that week, and had fallen mostly on Catalunya. So the conditions weren't ideal. However, we made the most of it and did our best to shred up the new terrain that had been carefully manicured in the preceding weeks. Among the new attractions were a beautifully-shaped tabletop and an amazing drop-off, which does a good job of scaring the bejesus out of you since you can't spot the landing until you're in the air! The wet prevented any big tricks, but it did give us the opportunity to work on our technique. A few photographers were also in attendance, so we could review our style (or lack thereof)! Judging from the photos I've seen, all of us need to work on our facial expressions: I look like I'm constipated...
I'm already looking forward to returning to El SoT. Wet, sticky landings took their toll on my joints after a day of riding, and I want to work on a few things that require a bit more air time. With winter on its way, things should dry up quite nicely so I'll soon be making that phone call to beg for a lift from the train station to the park. Can't wait!
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