Author Topic: Cuban Skate Scene Documentary (Read 2137 times)

CNieratko · « **on:** January 02, 2009, 10:39:43 AM »

I'm not sure if this has ever been posted before
but there's a heavy documentary on how rough it is
for Cuban Skaters to get product because of the U.S. embargo.
I posted it at
chrisnieratko.com
with an article that was meant for The Skateboard Mag.

In the next few months DLX, S.P.O.T, NJ, Acapulco Gold, Vans, Red Bull and hopefully
a bunch of other brands are going to lend a hand to run a mission down to Havana and try and get these kids some boards and sneakers.

In the meantime, if you have any old, usable wheels, bearings, bolts, whatever, please pull them together.
We'll keep you posted where to send stuff to help out.
Thanks and happy new year,
cn

danker peaches · « **Reply #1 on:** January 02, 2009, 10:45:08 AM »

My parents were just there and one of things they commented on was that there was no one skating around. Hopefully this works out because i am sure kids there will have just as good of a time skating as we do here

paraquat · « **Reply #2 on:** January 02, 2009, 11:52:20 AM »

chris-

post the info.

your awesome

The Mess · « **Reply #3 on:** January 02, 2009, 12:59:24 PM »

there was a super good article in sidewalk or document a while back about
the scene there. seemed really rad. heartfelt. like the dudes had absolutely
nothing else to live for and loved skateboarding in the religious sense. they
fix snapped boards together with splints and make shoes last like four years...
crazy dedication. the documentary should be sick.

aleksander · « **Reply #4 on:** January 02, 2009, 02:42:16 PM »

i was lucky enough to spend a few months in Havana about 5 years ago and the skate scene is really tight, but getting product is next to impossible. kids had homemade boards, broken boards with another sheet of ply nailed underneath to hold it together, everything. the part in the documentary about breaking boards is no joke. imagine you break a board and you can't skate for months just because there are no more boards on the whole fucking island?

the dude from the documentary, Che, has really done a lot for the scene. I was doing a report on tattoos and him and his buddy Alexander were really cool. we watched the union wheels video and some local shit they had filmed somehow.

anyways, please, please send whatever product you can. old decks, wheels, bushings, anything. and thanks to chris too for posting this up.

Mevs · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2009, 03:43:31 PM »

I really really want to see this. I've heard about the skate scene in Cuba and its hardships, it reminds me of when you were little and getting a new board or pair of shoes was something you could expect twice a year at Christmas or on birthdays, the rest of the time you had to make your stuff go as far as possible. I have a box full of unused wheels and a load of trucks and used decks that I'd be happy to send their way, post up some contact details and let's hook Cuba up

biggums mcgee · « **Reply #6 on:** January 02, 2009, 05:29:15 PM »

What I want to know is, how are these companies planning on doing this? I'd love to give some old stuff, but sending stuff to Cuba doesn't work because everyone is so desperate and poor that stuff gets stolen at their post offices.

Another thing I've heard is that everything you bring into the country gets taxed...I heard of a man bringing an old bike for a family member in cuba and he was taxed something like 200$!

Mevs · « **Reply #7 on:** January 02, 2009, 06:20:15 PM »

Anybody know anyone in Miami with a pilots license?

Nanda Zinger · « **Reply #8 on:** January 02, 2009, 11:04:44 PM »

such a wack situation.... makes me feel bad for ever deading warped/chipped/or de-lammed boards. i normally leave em at the shop for under-priviledged kids to get, but nonetheless, these cuban kids need em way more.

Dr Newton · « **Reply #9 on:** January 03, 2009, 12:58:22 AM »

The Cuban embargo is absolute bullshit. Fuck the Democratic politicians who have instituted, strengthened, and maintained these fucked up policies, and the neo-conservatives who have allowed them to do it. I don't care where I am at in my life.... the first day that fucking thing gets lifted, I'm going to have my bags packed and a plane ticket to Havana in my hand. I cannot wait to get out there.... staying in the finest hotels, sipping on amazing rum, smoking the best cigars, and abusing Cuban hotel staff... probably all for less than $100. Hopefully I'll even get lucky enough to piss on Fidel Castro's grave.... or on Fidel Castro himself.

Dr Newton · « **Reply #10 on:** January 03, 2009, 01:07:28 AM »

http://havanajournal.com/culture/entry/skateboarding-and-breaking-the-rules-in-havana-cuba/

You thought your spots sucked?

Get fucked.

Matze · « **Reply #11 on:** January 03, 2009, 01:49:37 AM »

that was really heart warming. i got no old stuff, because i always give it to younger homies without money, but i fully back this thing. and i even back red bull this time.

S.H.E. · « **Reply #12 on:** January 03, 2009, 03:01:29 AM »

Quote from: Dr Newton on January 03, 2009, 01:07:28 AM

http://havanajournal.com/culture/entry/skateboarding-and-breaking-the-rules-in-havana-cuba/

You thought your spots sucked?

Get fucked.

it's like the gift of the magi with the US and Cuba. in the US, you can easily get any skate supplies you need no matter where you live, whether it be from a local shop, a zumiez or the like, or an online distributor like SPoT. however, the majority of skateable spots are a bust. in Cuba, you can skate practically anywhere you want, yet you can't get the supplies you need to do so easily. obviously, the former is a lot less of a problem than the latter, but still, it's a pretty weird coincidence. i'd try to contribute to the cause, but as it is i really can't afford boards myself. i usually bum used ones off friends and i skate boards till they snap everytime as a result.

Dr Newton · « **Reply #13 on:** January 04, 2009, 04:50:43 PM »

We need to setup a PayPal account, and then send the kids over there bulk eBay blanks, or find a hookup in the industry that would give them to us wholesale.

biggums mcgee · « **Reply #14 on:** January 04, 2009, 05:44:10 PM »

Quote from: Dr Newton on January 03, 2009, 12:58:22 AM

The Cuban embargo is absolute bullshit. Fuck the Democratic politicians who have instituted, strengthened, and maintained these fucked up policies, and the neo-conservatives who have allowed them to do it. I don't care where I am at in my life.... the first day that fucking thing gets lifted, I'm going to have my bags packed and a plane ticket to Havana in my hand. I cannot wait to get out there.... staying in the finest hotels, sipping on amazing rum, smoking the best cigars, and abusing Cuban hotel staff... probably all for less than $100. Hopefully I'll even get lucky enough to piss on Fidel Castro's grave.... or on Fidel Castro himself.

Just wanna throw this out there, that the Bush administration has been extremely defiant about lifting any embargo, or even letting our citizens go there. We'll probably see this end in the Obama years...

You're crazy if you think Cuba will remain the same after we lift the embargo. Frankly, I'm surprised this wasn't done in the Bush years, seeing as theres literally thousands of hungry corporations just waiting to take advantage of the island. There's already a cruise ship in Key West just docking there waiting to go to Cuba. Havanna's only 90 miles from there, you can guranentee the place is gonna be the next hotspot for rich Americans within the next ten years.

Prison Wallet · « **Reply #15 on:** January 04, 2009, 06:57:09 PM »

Quote from: Dr Newton on January 04, 2009, 04:50:43 PM

We need to setup a PayPal account, and then send the kids over there bulk eBay blanks, or find a hookup in the industry that would give them to us wholesale.

I just watched that film and i f breaking boards is such a crisis those dudes need to chill out with the bonelesses and jump ramps... Just sayin'.

I lived in Eastern Europe during the 90s for a couple years and it was the same way. My friend's dad would buy me a case of blanks and I'd bring them back each time I'd fly over. I'd just keep them on the down low and randomly hook up the kids I'd skate with as their boards broke.

aleksander · « **Reply #16 on:** January 05, 2009, 06:54:54 PM »

City of Drunken Totems · « **Reply #17 on:** January 05, 2009, 07:28:24 PM »

im so down for this cause it sucks that it so rough there, there must be a way to get stuff there. the documentary was definetly an eye opener.
and aleksander thats a rad foto.

bumpnrun · « **Reply #18 on:** January 06, 2009, 05:00:26 PM »

Quote from: My penis is on my forehead on January 02, 2009, 11:05:52 AM

oh shit! cant they just get stuff from canada and mexico? they have skateboards in those countries... and they are not embargoed. why does everything have to be american? yeah i realize its cheaper but its not like they CANT get skateboards its just a lot of money.

This is what I was thinking. Regardless, it's really cool of Chris Nieratko to do what he's doing.

CNieratko · « **Reply #19 on:** April 30, 2009, 04:37:47 AM »

So we pulled off that trip to Cuba.
We took 50 completes and nearly 150 decks.
Kids were tripping on McCrank, Zered, Deily, Manderson and Quim.
Literally crying and kissing their new boards.
It was heavy stuff.
Check out S.P.O.T.s coverage:
http://www.skateparkoftampa.com/spot/article.aspx?id=1170

There will be full coverage in THE in a couple months shot by Bryce.
with photos popping up along the way at skatedaily.net/
there's a sick photo of 2 kids with a deck and baseballs up there now.

CNieratko · « **Reply #20 on:** July 16, 2009, 07:01:43 AM »

here's an interview with Tomas Crowder the guy who really made that Cuba trip possible
and some photos i took.
http://espn.go.com/action/news/story?id=4329933

the full story with the the proper skate photo by Bryce will be in THE #67.

(yesterday i interviewed Guy. he weighed in on if a comeback from a rap career is possible....)

Author Topic: Cuban Skate Scene Documentary (Read 2137 times)

danker peaches

biggums mcgee

Dr Newton

Dr Newton

Dr Newton

biggums mcgee