Montevideo, Uruguay - "My City" with Federico Rossotti

My City is a Volcom video series showcasing the Latin American Skate Team as they take us through their hometowns, showing us where they grew up skating and what struggles they had to overcome along the way.

In episode five of My City we visit 27-year-old Federico Rossotti from Montevideo, the capital of the South American country of Uruguay. Montevideo is a small city on the coast of the Rio de la Plata (180-mile-long river which runs through Argentina and Uruguay) where he’s lived his entire life. While the city itself is beautiful and has been known for having the highest quality of life of any city in Latin America, with pros there are always cons.

Growing up in Montevideo, quality skateparks and city skate spots were virtually non-existent, leaving skaters like Federico and his friends relegated to the streets. To continue, while the sidewalks and streets are burdened with loose tiles, gravel, and cracks, it was both strenuous and time-consuming finding a decent spot to skate, at times being unmotivated and hopeless during the search.

But, in recent years, the city has been growing, garnering more revenue from increased spending, new investments in businesses, and tourists to name a few, which has allowed for tons of new construction in the city, and thus, new skate spots. With this recent transformation, Montevideo has quickly made its name known with skaters from all over the world as an excellent skateboarding destination and downright awesome place to visit.

Several ledges, stairs, gaps and banks are easy to find these days, and many of these spots can be skated freely without any hassle. There are also very photographic spots within Montevideo where you can capture a cool skate shot in the foreground, and a colorful sunset in the background, which is a great recipe for a solid photo. The climate is considered a mild humid subtropical environment with cool winters and hot summers. While rain and thunderstorms are spread throughout the year, they are not consistent enough to keep skaters out of the city for long and the humid weather helps to dry up the surface.

In Montevideo, it is easy to meet a lot of people as the locals and business owners are very friendly. With its small, tight-knit community, the amount of trust that’s shared with eachother is enrapturing. “Greater than anywhere else I’ve visted,” notes Federico. He adds:

“THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DO THINGS FOR PASSION. WHETHER IT’S ART, MUSIC, SPORTS, ETC., IT MAKES EVERYTHING BE SOMEHOW MORE HONEST AND ORIGINAL.”

Things are usually done “the old school way” in Montevideo and no one makes money from skateboarding or other activities that aren’t widely accepted, but that’s not going to stop Federico. Skateboarding is his life, and what he likes most about his city are his friends and family who have supported him through skateboarding since day one.