Their Paraguian Home Of Their Own

Back in 1999 I took a year out of university and spent some time backpacking in Brazil before I found myself living for almost six months in Asunción, the capital city of Paraguay. Not long after arriving someone mentioned they had seen a skater at a little plaza tucked away behind some trees so I took the bus across the city hoping to find some (rare) smooth ground and maybe some skaters to skate with.

One thing about skateboarding that makes it special is that no matter where you are or what your race, culture, sex or religion, skateboarders will always welcome fellow skateboarders. It really is an unspoken brotherhood, as cliché as that sounds. Within a couple of hours I had made some real friends that I spent all my spare time with skating right through to when I left the country to return to the UK. The little plaza (Plaza Del Las Americas) was a place where in a country that at the time had no skateshops, no skate magazines and videos skaters could make their own, come together and just enjoy skateboarding and friendship. Despite the country’s huge divide between the rich and poor these guys really made the most of everything, be it fixing up the benches and banks at the plaza and welding their own flat bars to skate, making old boards last for years, repairing shoes beyond repair…truly appreciating everything they had.

I occasionally think back to that time and fondly remember it’s simplicity, remember being friends with people a few of which I could barely share two words of Spanish or English with, yet it was always encouragement and smiles. It’s good to see there are way more skaters in the city these days and the scene is growing and Alé is still an incredibly naturally talented skateboarder and still always smiling.

Although I have more to post up of skating and the city from my time spent in Paraguay, I do wish I took more photos back then. I do miss the place, the people.