After three years of waiting due to the pandemic, the Havana Skate Marathon returned this weekend to the streets of the Cuban capital, where more than 200 skaters -including world champions- integrated into the city’s landscape and competed in events speed, freestyle and long-winded events held on the Malecón in Havana.
The Spanish of Venezuelan origin Jhoan Sebastián “Chevy” Guzmán, holder of the orb, was the first major protagonist of the event after winning the modality of jump (jump) inline with a jump of 1.35 meters, valid to overcome the locals Yohanly Gutiérrez and Ricardo Calderín, silver and bronze medalists, respectively.
In La Piragua park, very close to the Hotel Nacional, children also competed in different modalities, while 100-meter speed races were held, as well as freestyle skills competitions (jump and slalom) Y skate cross.
The queen test was reserved for this Sunday, a 42-kilometer marathon that would take place on a seven-kilometer circuit on the Malecón. Skaters over 16 years of age and without age limit would participate in it, with the particularity that anyone could join the circuit and share with professional athletes, thus endorsing the massive and inclusive condition that has been launched as the slogan of the Havana Skate Marathon.
The event, organized by the Cuban Skating Federation and the island’s sports authorities, has had an important boost from World Skate, affiliated with the International Olympic Committee and rector of this sport worldwide. Its president, the Italian Sabatino Aracu, has seen firsthand the development of the fight in the streets of Havana, where skating can gain more popularity among young people.
The Colombian Alex Cujavante, world skater champion, moves along the same lines, and sees the takeoff of this discipline throughout the Island very positively. “I am here not only to participate in the skate marathon but also to join Cubans in their efforts to develop this sport at the national level. We want to do more for the development of skateboarding around the world,” he said at a press conference prior to the event.
“Cuba can contribute a lot to the promotion of skateboarding in the world as long as it tries to attract more visitors to the island,” said Sabatino Aracu before inaugurating the Havana Skate Marathon, a contest that aims to establish alliances with the force tourism in Cuba and hold downhill skating tournaments in towns such as Viñales and Topes de Collantes, two of the most important natural destinations in the country.
The second edition of the Havana Skate Marathon seeks to consolidate the Cuban plaza as one of the most attractive and different. For this, clubs, leagues and countries interested in participating in an event that seeks to take advantage of the attractive atmosphere and charisma of Havanans have been invited, as well as to intertwine competitive activity with the daily life of the city.
The idea is that the event merges with Havana, that it be part of it without invading its spaces. In addition, it intends to take advantage of both the historical and heritage values as well as the social and spiritual that the city can offer, from its exotic and contrasting buildings to its vintage cars and its charismatic people.
