By Geoff Dermer

Jordan Mayfield agreed to begin filming for our first full length Kitsch video around the time that it started to rain here in Vancouver. Although we (Sean MacAlister , Cory Wilson and myself) had already spent a month skating in Barcelona, Spain, last year, we decided we had to go back.

A view from Gaudi's house.

Let me start off by emphasizing that Barcelona is still the Mecca of skateboarding. Ignore all rumors like, "it's a bust" or "the spots are blown out". As long as you make an effort to jump off your board and disappear when you see cops, you're good to go.

The crew warming up in a town called Rubi.    

Every single day of the year there are more people hanging out at Macba (the Museum of Modern Art) skating flat ground, than will show up at your local contest. The place breathes skate culture in every way. For example, while our good friend Jordan Hoffart was being filmed one day, I watched as a half dozen or so Irish skaters gathered around the ledge he was skating and start to cheer him on. These guys were singing and dancing every time Jordan came close to landing his trick, and when he did, they celebrated with a tribal-esque victory dance, and even rewarded him with a cold beer.

Wilson back heels at the beach.

At night the city center turns into a rave-like Mardi Gras party. We never paid to get into any clubs, because every night of the week the party is outside. Standing or sitting on the curb, you're continuously offered one-dollar beers and other party favors, and get to observe the highly entertaining debauchery that can consume you. One night on the sidewalk, I saw two blonde female tourists going at it with some serious "heavy petting", all while being cheered on by hundreds of excited male onlookers. Mid-pet, a Spanish beer vendor approached one of the "performers" and successfully picked her wallet from her back pocket. In awe I watched as the cheers from the audience only grew stronger.

No hands! Sean always pushing the limits.

Thanks to the hospitable locals we met like Pato, a photographer who runs his own magazine (nopromodel.com), and Alex, a young Spanish skater, our trip was successful. Going there with an open mind, and the will to meet people, pays off. Without befriending the locals, we never would have come across all the amazing spots found outside the city center. Wherever they decided to take us, there were new rails, banks, gaps, and manual pads to both physically and mentally wear us out.

Cory backside tail slides.

It's unlikely that you'll return to the same spot twice, so it's always now or never if you want to film a trick. Sean refers to it as having the skateboard "on" button turned on high at all times. No matter how sore we were in the mornings, after a couple of coffees, a stretch in the warm sun, and a train ride into a new part of town, we'd arrive at a new spot and somehow the aches and pains of our bodies disappeared, and the adrenalin would kick in.

Sean running at a wall. 

It being my third visit to this city, I can still confidently say that the surface of the skating potential has barely been scratched, and the skate world will be seeing a lot more of Barcelona for years to come.

All photos: Geoff Dermer, Cory Wilson and Rose Archie

Kitsch crew and Friends in Barcelona:

Check out Geoff's full gallery from the trip.