Puerto Rico’s strong surfing heritage has meant skating has always been a big part of the Caribbean Island’s counter-culture. Island Surfboard and Skate Shop, for example, has been a Puerto Rican skating institution since the 1970s.
The Guadajakata Ditch, a giant concrete spillway created for the overflow from Guadajakata Lake, further cemented (pardon the pun) its skate credentials. Since the lake has never overflowed, it ultimately leaves skaters with a massive concrete playground. Building on this history, Puerto Rico boasts an ever-expanding network of half-pipes, pitches and town squares filled with street skaters, as a new, second generation of skaters takes over the reins.