Skating in the Mud.

Translation from an article published on Lodo Zine #0 — December 2021

‘Lodo’ is a type of mud, or muck, often found within or nearby bodies of water. It is composed from various types of matter, including remains of plants or animals, and, as such it is not usually associated with the most pleasant of smells or textures.

In the Algarve, there is a saying that alludes to being in the ‘Lodo’, as referring to being in an unidealistic situation, struggling with something, or just being utterly ungracious during the performance of any particular task.

It is exactly that feeling that inspired me to lean into the concept of the Algarve as an underdog region, and name its very first skateboarding magazine after that same feeling of struggle, ungraciousness and stubbornness in the face of adversity. In the ALgarve, if you are not on holidays, you are probably in the Lodo — skateboarding or not.

With over thirty years of history on the streets of the Algarve, skateboarding persists and insists on surviving in a region that has never been welcoming to said practice and lifestyle. In other words, in the Algarve, skateboarding has always been in the Lodo!

There is no better and more appropriate metaphor to encapsulate the persistence required to start, and continue, an activity (some call it a sport) that essentially presents itself as a proverbial walk in the mud, becoming increasingly challenging with each step taken.

Despite all the progress, especially in the last decade, the Algarve continues to face very specific socio-structural difficulties. The lack of any functional and accessible public transportation network at the regional level completely hampers the possibility for creating cohesive, strong, and united communities. In the current landscape, except in cases of particular financial or logistical effort, the isolation of skateboarders and the ostracization of entire communities pose a real threat to the development of the region.

On the other hand, none of the players in what could be called the ‘Portuguese skateboarding industry’ are proportionally represented in the Algarve, which is reflected not only in the lack of support for skateboarders but also for events and projects.

Moreover, the more conservative mindset (perhaps due to a lack of contact with less localistic realities), both on behalf of authorities and the general population, results in an almost irrational aversion to urban activities — including skateboarding — that are common in any European capital.

Finally, the lack of appropriate infrastructure hinders any kind of progress when compared to the Central and Northern regions of the country. Of the fourteen regional skateparks registered in the ‘Trucks and Fins’ database, only one meets the necessary criteria (adequate , updated, and well-maintained infrastructure) for the safe initiation into skateboarding, as well as consequentelly supporting the healthy growth of local communities.

For these reasons and many others, skateboarding in the Algarve, even after more than thirty years of history, continues to stumble across the Lodo. And as skateboarders we all share this heritage with those who collectively refused to stop, those who passed on the torch, those who kept the culture alive through art, attitude in life, their work, and their lives… Being a skateboarder in the Algarve means knowing that for every four steps, three will be backward. And yet, somehow, we keep on pushing our way through the thickest and foulest of muds.