Thread: Skateboarding in Panama City

Is it worth it to bring my skateboard? I brought my skateboard to Buenos Aires last year and never used it because the streets sucked for the most part and the traffic was so dense and dangerous I didn't wanna die.

Can you cruise thru gridlock zones freely? Or will I get ran over by a runaway bus?



Mike

---------- Post added at 11:15 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 PM ----------

also how are the streets? smooth? full of potholes? I'm talking about the El Congrejo area...I like to skate a lot, mostly as a form of transportation...need smooth streets or the skate is gonna stay home...

Actually skateboarding has gotten pretty popular in Panama City. Many of the sidewalks do suck but I can tell you that along Via Espania, in the evenings there are a lot of guys out there. If you can speak some Spanish you can make friends with fellow skateboarders. I usually see them hanging outside of KFC between Via Argentina and El Rey supermarket on Via Espania. Also know that since the Cinta Costera has been completed you have a GREAT place to skateboard between Casco Viejo and Punta Paitilla right along the Pacific. Just an observation, the police here don't seem to spend much time giving skateboarders grief. I have never seen anybody yelling at a skateboarder to "get off the property".

Sounds like a good place to skate, what with all that new building going on...thanks for the info, appreciate it.. Do you know if there's a skatepark in P-City yet?, with ramps and stuff?

Not sure about a skate park? I will say there are many many skateboarders in the city that usually come out after dark. If you know some Spanish and know how to skateboard I doubt you will have a hard time making friends. I was walking Balboa one Sunday and there was a full-blown skateboard procession with a police escort making sure there rights were heard, no kidding.

what were they marching about? skater-rights?

It was a Sunday morning, they were actually boarding, in a procession, with a police cruiser driving along side. The lead guy had a black t-shirt that stated "Skate or Die" and some other misc freedom shirts. I don't honestly think anybody is actually oppressing them. They were just on some type of angry trip that week, purchased a permit, and got a police escort down Balboa Ave. People here ABSOLUTELY LOVE to have protests.