I Got Shanghaied, and You Should Too
I’m only slightly exaggerating when I say the world famous SMP skatepark in Shanghai is more poorly designed for skateboarding than just about any ordinary block in the entire city. You know how in the US we have what we think of as urban sprawl outside our downtown areas? Where block after block of homes and shopping malls stretch for miles into what used to be countryside. Well in Shanghai they have the same thing, except for every home we have here they have a row of 30 story apartment buildings. The downtown seems to go on forever and those mountain ranges you think you see in the distance are just more skyscrapers.
If you really want to skate something amazing in Shanghai, skip the SMP park and head in the direction of those buildings in the distance. Photo by Brian Schaefer.
The only thing more incredible than the size of the place is its skateability. Everywhere you go you’re surrounded by untouched knee high ledges, bump to bars, banks, skateable sculptures, and baby butt smooth marble ground. The only explanation I can think of is that there must be skateboarders on the city planning commission. Pretty sure that’s not the case though since skating is still tiny there. The cop / security factor is surprisingly mellow too. If you act like you don’t know what they’re talking about, which you won’t actually, they’ll be over you in a few minutes. Besides, you’re just one of about 25 million in town. Just don’t protest the government and you’ll be golden.
Plane tickets to China aren’t necessarily cheap, somewhere between $750 and a $1000 depending on where you’re flying from, but hey, nothing worth doing is easy and going there is worth doing. Also, Shanghai is just one city of thousands in China that are being added to every day. Over the next 10 years the country plans to relocate 250 million people from rural areas into cities. Imagine if New York, Chicago, LA, Philly, Atlanta, Miami, Boston etc. were all being built right now, that’s A LOT of new spots.
I’ve been to Shanghai a few times and seen it first hand, but only skated some of it, it’s too much to get to on one trip, or ten trips, or a thousand. China spots have been in every video the last few years so you already have an idea, but to put it in better perspective, I’ve made a ghetto edit of some spots I shot while there, and added some more from #ShanghaiSkateSpot on Instagram, which for the most part is curated by our SPoT Pal @JayMeador from Detroit, who had a ripping part in Something Sinister, lives in Shanghai, and can speak Mandarin like the locals. Jay and the Chinese skaters are hospitable too, and they all have great nicknames, there’s Johnny Bananas, Little Fatty, Big Bird, Boss, Small Pleasure… hit them up via social media and tell them you’re coming. They’ll show you the best time.
Jay Meador in Something Sinister.
Lastly, something to keep in mind, the footage you get in Shanghai will be considered boring to haters. BUT once you’re there you’ll be saying to yourself, “Who CARES about the footage?!”
Just a sampling of spots, some featuring Jay Meador on the prowl. Sorry about the terrible quality of the photos and video, but hey, focus on the quality of the spots.
- Paul Zitzer
