Xpressed- Adrian skates St. Vincent
“Movement to the World” is a phrase which encapsules the spirit and ambition of the Movement Skate Team.
It was no different with my recent trip to the picturesque island of St. Vincent. It only took 35 minutes to close the 183km gap between Bridgetown and Kingstown and pretty soon I found myself in an arrivals area no bigger than a classroom.
The Customs Officer asked me to open my suitcase; he was greated by a Viper, a snake skin print and the word KOSTON. His eyes lit up with curiosity and a bit of excitement when he asked “You plan to skateboard?” My reply of “If I can find the time,” was simple enough but I really wanted to say “The first chance I get!” But I kept it simple with the Customs Officer. He smiled and said ok but I could tell he wished to be around if I found that time. Maybe he was having a dull day at work or maybe skating gets everyone’s adrenaline pumping, even the spectators.
Though I felt ready to drop in, I was stuck on the top of the copine while the nature of my business in St. Vincent took me high and low through hills and valleys. My eyes remained keen and fixed on the streets, constantly thinking, ‘Is that a spot?…oohhh that looks nice….wtf is up with these hills!”. I stayed in the Valley or Mespo, right next to a river, and I’d watch the community assemble near my apartment to catch the bus or go to the supermarket, police station, post office or gas station. Each one was no more than 50 ft from the next.
It was the usual rustle and rumble the morning that I walked out with the Viper clutched in my hands. It seemed to draw the eyes of everyone who got a glimpse of it. They were stung by it and it hadn’t even struck yet. I headed hard for the one place that I saw great potential for the Viper to strike, Kingstown, on the way my driver regaled me with stories of how men would skate down the steep hills of St. Vincent so casually that they would do so while eating their breakfast. It seemed like a tale from a fantastic past but that was long dormant. Maybe a spark could bring it back to life.
As I took to the streets in Kingstown the interest grew, all types of interest. Some people interested in my safety as they warned, “People drive crazy on these road, I hope you not planning to skate there,” others who were interested in my interests said “Big man that is your girl, I gotta get a skateboard and see if I get me a a girl like that”. All I could think was that I had them talking, so let me give them something to talk about. I had fun, I was street skating in the heart of another country. Even between the hills and valleys I could still find a spot to indulge and share the energy of skateboarding.
As the evening began to wind down and the sun set on a now tiring Kingstown, I thought of the journey’s episodes. I would be returning home the next day but there was an exchange that took place in St. Vincent and the Grenadines that would be irreversible. The Viper and I had bitten them and the effect would sting for some time, there was a dormant skate scene and an active interest that I was able to experience. As I returned to my flat, 166 square mile paradise of Barbados, I was already scheming on when I would take my team back to the land of Hills and Valleys, the beautiful St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
written by Co-Founder of the Movement Skate Team Adrian Bowen.
Xpressed is an original Adrenaline Sun segment which captures the emotions of Action Sports atheletes.
