In 2006 a man named Dalmo Castello was introduced to downhill skateboarding by a friend. His friend asked if he would host a race and Dalmo told him that he would help on one condition: the event was a World Cup skateboard race that brought people from around the world to Rio de Janeiro.
That was a different era in time but the spectacle of the Rio de Janeiro downhill skateboard race remains. We're so thrilled to see it make a come back 12 years later with Vista Rio Downhill as the World Cup season finale.
The race track is situated on one of the belvederi outside of the city with a winding road that leads up to the Vista Chinesa- a popular tourist location for those looking to get a glimpse of the city from above. With monkeys jumping through the forest, dense humidity, and low hanging trees it feels like you stepped into the jungle from a Jurassic Park film.
This morning kicked off practice and there was an eerie fog that lingered over the mountain in the early part of the day. What was at first a slightly wet road quickly turned into a flowing river of water as it continued to rain through the day. With the tropical conditions and off chamber turns it made the track extremely slick for riders.
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It's evident that the energy is through the roof at this event. It's Brazil, the birthplace of South American downhill. It's the last World Cup of the year, a number of ranking positions are on the line.
The following world rankings positions will be determined after this weekend's race:
Open Skateboard - 3rd place world ranking
Women Skateboard - 2nd and 3rd place world ranking
Junior Skateboard - 2nd and 3rd place world ranking
Luge - 1st and 2nd world ranking
In addition to the above, the South American continental champions will all be rounded out after the weekends festivities.
It's on like donkey kong.
Tune into our Instagram, Facebook and Vista Rio Downhill throughout the weekend for updates on the event.
Photos by: Ryan Ricker (@_ricker_), Max Vickers (@maxvickers), and Vista Rio Downhill (@vistariodownhill).
