One or two steps from the end

After a week resting our bodies and souls, we finally got to Moura, in Alentejo. We're now staying in Serpa's Camping, and we found some cool kids here. This weekend, a mediaevel market will take the village and we expect to taken 500 years back. For now, here are some images of Alqueva's Alentejo. See you soon!

Alentejo

After a whole month with nice and smooth roads, cool weather, and a constant will to ride, we reached Alentejo. Even though there are some good mountains around here, the average temperature goes around 40º c. in the shade, wich makes us ride not more than 2 hours a day. We proceed slowly in Alentejo...

Keep yourself updated trough www.portugaldeskate.com, or via www.portugaldeskate.blip.tv

Mogadouro

After a great weekend in Bragança, off we went to Mogadouro. Downhill miles. In Mogadouro we visited the old Castle, and amzed ourselves with the Trás-os-Montes landscapes. All the roads here are a challenge. You'll need a strong heart to ride these roads. And now what? Pay us a visit tomorrow and you'll find out.

Chaves - Bragança

It took us a whole week to go from Chaves to Bragança. A rainy wednesday in Vinhais had us stop for a day. But thanks to the rain we heard a radio broadcast that made us smile. We decided to call them, and today we've been in RBA for a short interview. Soon you'll be able to see the complete report, for know here is a part of the road Chaves - Bragança.

Cold Land

It's raining cats and dogs. Therefore we had to stop our journey. We're in Vinhais, in Trás-os-Montes, near Montesinho National Park. The roads aren't perfect, but could be if the asphalt was ok. Great, enormous curves. We left Chaves yesterday, where we found some great guys, filled with talent. In spite of being under their 20's, they all have had special, and not always happy, life experiences. And these new friends gave us a lesson that no money can buy.

End of Week One

We finally reached Lindoso, after few days in Alto Minho. Follow every adventure:

www.portugaldeskate.blip.tv

Departure

One day away from the beggining. All set. A new DH longboard, sponsored by Lab, our Van with a new soul, brought to us by Paulo Arraiano and Reclacambra, a WideHelmet GoPro, for a full video report, and a little help from our friends.

All the news and pictures available in www.portugaldeskate.com

Words for us

His name is Jack Smith and he left some words for us

- What's your name, where do you live?
Jack Smith, Morro Bay, California, 52

-What board sports have you practiced?
Skateboarding, sandboarding, snowboarding and some surfing.

-For how many years have you practiced each sport?
I first rode a skateboard in 1964, my father made boards for all the kids that lived in the Air Force base housing at a small Air Base in Sweetwater, Texas. Wood board, clay wheels. I skated a bit in 1969 when I found the same board in our storage shed while living in Alalska. The day after graduating from high school in 1974 I found an old Hobie skateboard with clay wheels in my friend's backyard and I haven't stopped skating since.

Some friends took me sandboarding when I moved to Morro Bay in 1972, i became serious about in 1978 when my skateboard sponsor, Flite Skateboards" sent me an early snowboard design to try. I recruited my friend, Gary Fluitt, to test it on the dunes near Morro Bay. That winter we began traveling to our local mountains to ride the board in the snow, in those days 99% of the ski areas would not allow you on the lifts, which meant a lot of hiking.

Surfing is something I only do occasionally, I'm not a big fan of the cold water we have here in Morro Bay.

-What was the highest point of your career 'till now, as a sportsman?
Actually there are three high points; the first skateboard trek across America in 1976, when I was 19. Skateboarding across America in 2003 to raise research funds for Lowe Syndrome, a rare genetic syndrome that took the life of my son. Jack Marshall Smith, when he was 14 years old. The third highlight would be racing my skatecar, the "Vetter Streamliner" at Signal Hill and Derby Downs in 1978.

-When you started all these sports were a novelty, you lived it from the beginning, how did things evolved?
When we began skateboarding in 1974, we would only do it at night, we didn't want anyone to see us, at that time skateboarding was still considered child's play. Now thirty five years later I still get to play like a child on my skateboard and sandboard.

-How were your boardsports practicing routine/quotidian when you started?
At first we would find the biggest hill we could and then try to ride it to the bottom without coming off the board. When we got into slalom racing we had a much more formal practice routine, we would set all different types of courses and time ourselves. With pool and ditch skating we would just ride for hours on end.

-What are the skaters who inspired you to ride?
First it was Gregg Weaver, who I first saw in a Cadillac Wheels ad in Surfer Magazine. My first real here was Denis Shufeldt who rode for Bahne, at that time he was so much faster than everyone else. I didn't get to meet Denis until 2002, he is a great and caring person, and still my hero.

-Are there, in your group of friends, more people who live from the skateboard?
Today I ride mainly with my son and my girlfriend and also my friend Jon. In the 70's and 80's I rode with Paul Dunn and Gary Fluitt, both of who I introduced to slalom racing, and later became world champions.

-Tell us about your project TSJ, which were the objectives?
I created The Skateboarder's Journal website to promote all types of skating and to have a place where skaters could intereact with each other in a friendly, positive manner. I had grown weary of some forums where the discussions turned into personal attacks. I don't understand why some skaters feel the need to dis-respect a type of skating that they are not involved in, it's all skateboarding.

-We know you have portuguese family, how do you feel this?
I am very proud of my mother's Portugese ancestry, she is one of the strongest, most caring women I have ever known. Mygrandfather came to America from the Azores in the early 1900s, with just $10 in his pocket, when he passed away in the 1980's he had raised a large family and became a successfull and respected dairy farmer.

-Are you planning of visiting Portugal?
It is one of my dreams to visit the Azores and Portugal, someday I want to skate with you and other Portugese skateboarders. And of course I hope that someday we can skate together in America.

-You've recently edited a book: "The Skateboarder's Journal - Lives on Board 1949-2009". Can you explain us what can we find there and where to buy it?
The book contains over 180 personal "skateboarding life experience" stories written by the skater's themselves. You can find more information on the Skateboarder's Journal website.

-Finally what do you advise us to load the MP3 for a smooth ride on a skateboard?
You must remember I'm an old skater...Springsteen, Mellencamp, Petty, Bread and Carole King.

-What movie do you propose for a rainy Sunday afternoon?
Lords of Dogtown or Hoosiers.

-And a magazine to take home keep up to skateboard world?
Concrete Wave and The Skateboard Mag

-What would you say to those who are now starting to ride?
I would tell them to have fun, don't get caught up in all the attitudes that surround skateboarding. Remember, it is just a piece of wood, two trucks and four wheels. Ride what make s you happy.

-Do you want to leave some words to Portugal by Skate?
I wish you smooth roads and safety. And also that I would love to be skating beside you.

Alguns links para conheceres melhor JACK SMITH
Skate Across America
SKATEBOARDERSJOURNAL

Portugal by Skate 2009

Portugal by Skate 2009, this year full of new stuff




All the way ... Here

Our oficial web site www.Portugaldeskate.com
Our web on-line Tv www.PortugaldeSkate.blip.tv

Go Skateboarding Day 2009 - Oporto-Portugal

Go Skateboarding Day 2009 ...

We went to ride... and you?

Go Skateboarding Day 2009 - Portugal by Longboarderz from THELONGBOARDERZ.COM on Vimeo.

Go Skate Skateboarding Day 2009

We will at Oporto, one more year.

All information in our oficial site www.Portugaldeskate.com

Our in the Portuguese fórum www.thelongboarderz-forum.com   

Down Hill ´09 Minhoteira - Portugal -

The Association of Gravity Sports, Ideia Veloz, along with the Forum Longboarderz organized Minhoteira Down Hill'09.
With the support of the City of Oliveira de Azemeis, the Energy Shop, AboardShop.net, and Red Bull it will be possible to hold the event.

Here is the site where you can access all the information and regulations

www.ideiaveloz.webs.com

An invitation to one day well spent, in constant contact with nature.

A video about Minhoteira Click Here 

1st Push Up Race Ideia Veloz, gravity sports association

Last saturday we gathered to participate in the first Push Up Race in Portugal. The cyclepath from Vieira's Beach to S. Pedro de Moel has 14.8 kms, that everyone concluded with succes. A proof that cruising is getting more and more popular in Portugal. We'll leave with some pictures.

1st place: Eko
2nd place: Simão
3rd place: Old Zcool

On the T.V. and some other news

Besides taking longboard skate to the most seen morning talkshow in national t.v., we have some other great news:

Rolls Rolls sponsors Portugal by Skate 

We've been dreaming of it since 2007 and never expected to have such a sponsor, but it came.

They have the coolest cruising skateboards you can think of, and in 2009 Rolls Rolls will be rolling down the portuguese roads too.

Speacially designed for cruising, with a low gravity centre and a light structure, these boards made in carbon or wood has been used all over the world in the craziest longskate expeditions.

We can spend hours admiring these boards. Check them out here.

Fapil, a portuguese brand:

It was founded in 1975, and since then Fapil became one of the biggest portuguese brands for home products. Fapil inovated by making corn fibres bags, becoming more and more eco-aware. It's a proud for us to receive such a support. 

Conversas de Rua (that's portuguese for Street Talk)

It's our time to sponsor and support. And because Conversas de Rua is an assocation in wich work we believe in, Portugal by Skate decided to ally itself to Conversas work, in the prevention of risk damages of all kinds. 

Portugal by Skate 2009 !!!

All the way for this summer !!!

Check our Road plan.

Click here !!! 

Come with  us !!!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year 

In 2007 We have got 2.778 Unique Visits and 5.430  Page Views In 2008 We have got 3.679 Unique Visits and 6.927  Page Views These are the oficial numbers from the Portugal by Skate oficial blog

Thanks to all the riders who gave suport to this new portuguese brand! And to André,  keep building boards for us!!!Each board you make is like a piece of art for us! congratulations.

For 2009 Portugal By Skate

Hey 

For 2009, Portugal by skate is making a complete and new event. This year, and for the first time, we are inviting people to come with us in this journey, more than a 1000 km in 63 days on the road, a summer full of adventures.

Since 2007 we've been starting in Caminha, in the north of Portugal, and we've been taking all way down by the sea line to reach the goal in Vila Real de Santo Antonio in Algarve. This ye

ar the departure and arrival points are the same but the way is going to be completely diferent: we chose to make it along the border line near spain, we gonna catch all the hills we can!!!

Don´t even think about fancy vacaciones: we will camp allmost every day... think about this trip as an adventure.

We don´t have any suport to pay anything, each people pays for their own things... We're still looking for some suport .

If you need some more information mail us: portugaldeskate@gmail.com 

Check our Map 

  

LongBoard meetig ! in Portugal !!!!!

La Noche En Blanco - Madrid 2008

That's right! Few weeks after finishing our yearly adventure, Portugal by Skate 2008, we headed to Madrid, the spanish capital, with some Longboarderz friends. There were 7 of us there to ride the open roads during a whole night, but once we got there we found a huge sea of longboarders ready to claim their right to the roads! We spent the night sliding here and there, and found out that the longboard scene in Spain is far more developed than in Portugal. After an exhausting night we spent part of the sunday with some new friends from Barcelona: Mad Surfer, Chino, and the rolerskates team with the most awesome tricks! And in that day a new dream was born: from Portugal to Barcelona by Skate, the mediterranean by skate... who knows?!




Photos taken by Zé Tó

Once again, rising from deep oblivion...

here we are! Right in the midle of our journey. We've been over a month on the road, from Caminha to Porto during the first week, there to Aveiro in the week after, from there to São Pedro de Moel, and finaly arrived to Ericeira, near home. Clean sheets and nice food...

Too many things have happened since we last posted here, and it became hard to keep up with all the news. After having all the sponsorings closed we got ourselves on the way to Portugal by Skate's second edition. In Oporto longboard scene is far more developped than in Lisboa, or so it seems. We've been received by the Longboarderz Team: they took us to some of the coolest places to ride longboard in the northern Portugal, such as Matosinhos,

Gaia where we spent our "Go Skateboarding Day",

and Carvoeiro, some kick ass roads...

In Ovar we had some company again for some longboarding miles, and again we were presented to some cool agressive oldschool downhill roads: Minhoteira. Deep Portugal with wide open minded locals.

Longboard workshops in the Youth Hostels have been working prety good too! We truly realize that longboard skate is almost unknown for most of the kids, and it's a pleasure and a privilege to get them in touch with our passion.

Click here to watch our video trailer for 2008. Trailer #2 and trailer #3.

Half the way gone, or half of the way to come, we finally have our oficial website online! It's HERE! And thanks to Us2Rs and to Paulo Arraiano. It's thanks to him again that we have this lovely tees! Check them out! 100% cotton and it costs 20€ each (+ shipping when to out of Portugal: please call us to +351 96 855 00 49 or send us an email to portugaldeskate@gmail.com), for those who are registered in longboarderz.forumeiros.com. So hurry up and register! It's the newest longboard forum, where we can share spots and hints.



400 kms gone, 600 kms to come, and something made it possible: lot's of Luso water, a Tatonka backpack, Vans Shoes, and our perfectly hand made cruising boards, LabSk8 longboards... Check them out HERE. And that's for the world to know that Portugal is not only good at making red wine and corks!