City Life Org - VIDEO: “The snow was up to my knees. It was crazy”

Spanish skate sensation switches to snowboard for rare Madrid snowfall.

Danny León only jumps on a snowboard once or twice a year, however the Spanish skateboard sensation got the chance to hit the snow when his home city of Madrid was turned into a winter wonderland in January.

Here is all you need to know:

– Storm Filomena covered the famous city in the heart of Spain with more than a foot and a half of snow from January 8, the most snow that it has seen since 1971.

– The 26-year-old got together with his friends to head outside and prepare some jumps so he could show off his tricks for locals and fans watching online.

– León, who grew up in the Móstoles area, spent 4-5 hours each day visiting some of the city’s famous landmarks like Almudena Cathedral, Gran Vía, Plaza de Cibeles and Plaza de Colón to create exciting backdrops.

– León is well known for his performances at big skate events like Simple Session – which he won in 2020 – Marseille’s Red Bull Bowl Rippers and Red Bull Rollercoaster in Munich however it was not a simple transition from one board to the other even though he enjoys watching the likes of American legend Travis Rice in his snowboarding documentaries such as The Art of Flight and The Fourth Phase.

Here is what León had to say about his snow adventure:

How did the idea come around?

The first few days of the snow I went with Alberto, my team manager, and we drove around Madrid to find some spots where it would be cool to skateboard. The next day, though, it was snowing a lot and we couldn’t take the car. We tried the Madrid Metro, but some lines were closed, and we spent hours getting around Madrid. It was impossible to do any skateboarding, even with our snow shovels, so we snowboarded instead.

What was the reaction of the people on the streets?

Some people recognised me because I had Danny León on the back of my helmet. When people saw that we were preparing to do jumps, everybody was filming on their phones and tagging me in.

How crazy was it to see so much snow in Madrid?

I have probably only seen snow two times in my life in Madrid. One time I remember that it was snowing a lot and we couldn’t go to school, but the next day was perfect. This time, it was two weeks. It was crazy. Everything was completely covered in snow. The snow was up to my knees.

What are the challenges going from skate to snow?

The only similar thing in snowboarding is I go goofy. The technique is so different, though!

How often do you get the chance to get on the snow?

We have an indoor snow park, 10-15 minutes from my house, but it is not the same thing. The real snow mountains are about 90 minutes away, so it is difficult.

What are goals for the rest of 2021?

I’m still preparing [for Tokyo]. I am trying to do my best because it will be cool to be there for the first skateboarding event. In skateboarding, sometimes I need to dream a new trick. I try to be creative and different and then, in a contest, you see what you can do when you see the course. My special thing is I always try to do something different in my lines. My work is my passion.