“Doing a fingerboard contest in a bar with all the kids.”
Where Russia and the Middle East meet
Mike Boisvert skated Azerbaijan in 2025, and the moment he remembers best did not happen on a skateboard: a fingerboard contest in a bar, with all the kids. His way of describing Baku: “such a weird city, where Russia and the Middle East meet.” What surprised him was the hospitality of the people, and the skate spots.
Where to skate
The theater is the main street spot in Baku and Mike's number one place to skate in the country. “The theater!!” Downtown Baku is full of street spots, and one of them is, in his words, the best spot ever. Baku Skatepark is a transition park, smooth but weird.
Skaters to know
Elkhan (@elkhaneminov) is the OG of the Baku scene and Mike's number one pick. Ali Nurayev (@skaterepta) and Tunar Süleymanov (@tunarkarai) are the other two street skaters to follow.
The local skate shop is Kolizey Skateboards (@kolizeyskateboards), Mike's key contact in Baku. Also worth following: @ardeshir_aka_matrix and @urban_art_azerbaijan.
If you go
Walk Baku's old town for the history, eat as much as you can (the food is really good), and visit the Carpet Museum, home to the best carpets.
The barrier for now is numbers: not many people skate in Azerbaijan yet. What would help is a JACKALOPE Block Party. And the most underrated thing about the country, for Mike: “The spots are absolutely insane.”
Photos and videos: Mike Boisvert / The Skate Nomad. Part of the JACKALOPE Skate Atlas, one country at a time, with the skaters who live there. See every country on the map.
