Reinas De LA Noche Article – Issue 44

Words by: Alix Malnati

Quotes by: Vanessa Konte, Carolina Gamboa & Felix Adler

Skate Photography by: Felix Adler

Incidental Photography by: Manon Piven Verkade

In 2023, Jeanne joined a large crew in Barcelona. After several months away from skateboarding, she rediscovered her passion for the discipline thanks to these girls. For Jeanne, it was obvious – if she were to set off again, it would be with them. Without hesitation, she picked a destination, a date, gathered some of the Barcelona girls – Stoopide, Felix and Manon – and eventually called me,hoping I’d be willing to move for one last skate trip. The plans were confirmed,and in November we took off for Las Palmas. I met up with Jeanne, Stoopide,and Manon at the airport. Their familiar faces and the lively conversations immediately put me in the mindset of a skate trip and everything that comes with it. The big topic at the moment was Balance ton skater, an Instagram page exposing aggressors and rapists in the skateboarding scene. The tone of the trip was set; we were going to talk a lot, whilst at the same time listening to each other just as much.

Vanessa: “Me and Tania took the same flight from Barcelona to Las Palmas. I remember I was dying on the plane because of period pain and I didn’t have any water or painkillers, so by the time we got there we were both kind of surviving (I don’t remember Tania’s reason haha) and had to figure out how to get to the apartment.”

We all met at our sea view apartment in Las Palmas and gathered to define our vision for the trip. The idea was to film whatever we wanted, aiming to create a small video guided by Manon’s artistic direction, Stoopide’s camera and Felix’s photos. The trick, the spot or the time of day didn’t matter as long as it felt true to us and aligned with our intentions. The general mindset was to keep things pressure-free – for some, maybe even to reconnect with skating. No one was forced into anything; spots were chosen based on what each person wanted to do, always making sure there was a good place to chill nearby, of course! And, in this relaxed manner, tricks started flowing from the very first day.

We spent our days pushing – pushing a lot – wandering through the maze-like streets of the city, skating well-known spots and hidden gems, twisting our ankles, getting dehydrated, and drinking coffee.

Caro: “It’s always mind-blowing to me personally to travel to skate. Old faces or new faces, this one was special, with plenty of space to be emotional and a lot of talks.”

Vanessa: “We went to Las Ferias so many times and in the end I didn’t get my trick. It was exhausting, just suffering in the heat. When I landed primo doing an ollie on flat I decided to call it off. I still want to go back. I haven’t pushed that much in a while, I don’t know how many kilometres we covered just on our boards.”

Skate trips are physically and mentally exhausting. They push us to our limits all day long, but at night we gathered around €1 tacos, wrapped in a growing sense of sisterhood throughout the trip.

Felix: “When the island throws up adversity by trying to get you arrested, taking your ability to walk, or even calling in the tooth fairy for a favour to stop you from skating, you better make sure you have a tight crew that can keep the vibes up and fight back with a game of karaoke or by emptying the island of its supply of €1 tacos.”

Having always skated mainly with guys, I discovered in this crew a kind of softness that counterbalanced the harshness and unforgiving nature of skateboarding. Everyone looked out for each other, making sure we were all okay. The night we went to karaoke we all played along, and god knows that speaks to a real sense of shared trust.

Vanessa: “Poor Tania had to share a room with me while she was dealing with terrible tooth pain from the beginning. I tried to take care of her! I dragged her to the dentist and, when she came out, it was kind of funny because she could barely talk. On the way back we couldn’t stop laughing and took pictures of her holding the tooth in a little bag they gave her. It was funny until the painkillers wore off… haha.”

On my last day, we went to a well-known seaside spot. The sun was slowly setting, taking the last rays of light down with it. The spot was at the base of towering, arid cliffs facing the sea, which filled the air with a salty, briny scent. It was our final spot of the day, still warm from the sun. Vanessa kept landing manuals, Stoopide set down his camera to try a trick himself. The girls stood in a line, deep in conversation, their chatter punctuated by Caro’s laughter, reacting to every attempt by the last skaters still going. I looked at these girls and thought, this must be what being a woman is; being yourself, in your strength as well as in your vulnerability