Skateboard subculture thrives in Havana, where replacing a broken board is a constant concern

Skateboard subculture thrives in Havana, where replacing a broken board
is a constant concern
Published August 06, 2013 Associated Press

HAVANA – Some call Che Pando the godfather of Havana's skateboard scene,
and the 40-year-old tattoo artist can still recall how tough things were
in the 1980s when he and a few others started shredding in public squares.

Interest in such an American import marked the young skaters as socially
suspicious, and sometimes for rough treatment by police.

Attitudes since then have largely done a 180 ollie, to borrow the term
for a popular aerial maneuver. Today a small but thriving urban tribe of
pierced youths prowls Havana's streets, looking to have fun and, just
maybe, land the perfect trick.

Still, it can be tough just to get the wheels to skate when government
salaries average around $20 a month and there's not a single store that
sells boards or supplies.

Source: "Skateboard subculture thrives in Havana, where replacing a
broken board is a constant concern | Fox News" -
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/08/06/skateboard-subculture-thrives-in-havana-where-replacing-broken-board-is/