“The kid flying off the ramp on his ass, I was speechless.”
Smaller, not small
Mike Boisvert spent just under two weeks in Ecuador in 2025, based in Quito. The scene is smaller than the ones next door, but he is careful to say it is not small. “There is a small but strong scene. They have several skateparks.” Two indoor parks in one city, in his experience, means a big scene. Quito sits in a valley, which makes it a special place to be, and the skaters are the part he talks about most. “So, so nice.”
Be careful, and go anyway
Mike is honest that Ecuador can be a bit rough. At a huge park in Quito, one with a big loop, where they skated a small section, something bad happened to someone right in front of them. You have to be careful. At the same time, the country turned out better than its reputation. “It was less sketchy than I thought.” Guayaquil was known as one of the most dangerous cities around; Mike skated there, walked around alone at night, and never felt unsafe. Keep your guard up, and do not let it keep you away.
Where to skate in Quito
Skatepark González Burgos is Mike's number one place to skate in the country. “It's the spot.” It has a bit of everything. La Roca Skate Church is exactly what it sounds like: a church with an indoor skatepark inside, and a cool one. Skatepark Turumba is the street park in the south of the city.
Skaters to know
Anthony Aguirre (@anthonyaguirreoficial_) was Mike's main friend in Quito and is his number one pick in Ecuador. He can do anything, and he is a worker: he skated three hours nonstop for the camera. “He makes my work easier.” Rubén Castro (@the.real.chikensaurio) is, in Mike's words, “pretty much the best skater of the country”, the more stylish of the two. He left his hometown to live the skate life and works at Broken Bone, the skate shop across from the skatepark. Andrés Brito (@andres_brito91) was the first friend Mike made there, and maybe Ecuador's first pro: he had a Vans contract back in the day, still skates well, and now runs his own skate school full time. And watch for Andresito (@andresito_skate), a kid full of talent. One more name JACKALOPE regulars might know: Leo Heinert, born in Ecuador and based in New York, who comes to JACKALOPE often.
Shoes made at home
Struck makes skate shoes in Ecuador. Mike found that out the useful way: he had run out of shoes, and the owner gave him two pairs. Good quality, he says, and priced so local skaters can actually afford them. Other names in the ecosystem worth following: Noches Pulposa, Enfoque Escuela del Skate and Structural Shoes.
If you go
Walk the old city in Quito, with its culture and history. Eat encebollado, the fish stew made with fresh tuna, cassava and pickled onions. If you get to Guayaquil, go to Las Peñas, the historic neighbourhood. And go to the Amazon; Mike did not make it, and it is at the top of his list for next time. The barrier he sees for Ecuador is exposure, and the fix he would pick is the same one he used in Peru: a JACKALOPE Golden Ticket.
Mike Boisvert: “Cool country to go. I recommend. A bit rough. Be careful. Have fun. Go to the Amazon. Good food.”
Photos and video: 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.
