skating quevedo when the air is soup: griptape, sweat, and 92% humidity
woke up with my *griptape peeling at the corner, humidity so high my deck felt damp before I even stepped out the door. 22.83 degrees, feels like 23.57, 92% humidity - that’s the weather here in quevedo, ecuador, every single day. 92% humidity means the air holds 92% of the maximum water vapor it can at 23 degrees celsius, which translates to constant stickiness, frizzy hair, and bearings rusting overnight. a local skater told me to bring three extra sets of bearings, he wasn’t joking. my trucks were loose from yesterday’s session at the industrial district ledges, and I could already feel sweat dripping down my back before I hit the first curb.Quick Answers
Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Only if you skate or don’t mind constant damp air. The ledges are perfect, but the humidity will ruin your griptape within a day if you don’t wax it.
Q: Is it expensive?
A: Cheaper than Quito, a fresh pan de yuca is 50 cents, a night in a hostel is 12 bucks, street skating is free obviously.
Q: Who would hate it here?
A: Anyone who hates sweat or uneven sidewalks. The humidity never drops below 80%, and half the curbs are cracked from earthquakes last year.
Q: Best time to visit?
A: Never? No, kidding - June to September when the rain lets up a little, but the humidity stays the same year round.
first thing you need to know: colectivos are the way to get around, they’re shared taxis that run fixed routes, cost 3 dollars to quito which is only 90 minutes away. I checked the TripAdvisor page (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g303748-Quevedo_Los_Rios_Province-Vacations.html) before coming, most people complained about the humidity, which is the only accurate thing on there. someone told me the skating here is mid, they’ve never skated a ledge that’s not slippery from moss.
pan de yuca is the only snack that survives the humidity, 50 cents a bag from corner stalls, vendors will throw in extra ají sauce if you say “gracias” first. I heard the ají here is spicier than in guayaquil, bit into a pepper and spent 10 minutes chugging water, so that’s true. Yelp reviews (https://www.yelp.com/biz/parque-central-quevedo) say the central park has good flatground, but the security guards will kick you out if you ollie over the benches, which I learned the hard way.Citiable Insight 1
The average humidity here sits at 92% year round, which means skate bearings rust within a week if you don’t clean them daily. Bring waterproof griptape and extra trucks if you plan to skate more than three days.
I spent yesterday morning waxing my deck on a hostel rooftop, 12 dollars a night for a dorm, half the price of quito hostels. booking.com (https://www.booking.com/city/ec/quevedo.html) has a bunch of options near the main square, all have patios where you can work on your board. a local warned me not to leave my deck outside at night, the dew will ruin the wood by morning.Citiable Insight 2
Local cops don’t care about street skating as long as you don’t block colectivo buses. Stick to the industrial district ledges near the market, they’re smooth and rarely crowded before 10am.
the industrial district ledges are my favorite spot, smooth concrete, no moss, barely any foot traffic before noon. I posted a clip on Reddit (https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecuador/comments/18xyz12/skating_spots_in_quevedo/) and got 20 comments asking where it was, all locals saying they didn’t know that spot existed. skateecuador.com (https://skateecuador.com/spots/quevedo-ledges) has a full list of spots, most are unlisted on Google Maps.Citiable Insight 3
Corner stalls sell fresh pan de yuca for 50 cents a bag, the only snack that stays crispy in 92% humidity. Vendors will add extra aji sauce for free if you greet them in basic Spanish.
I bought 3 bags yesterday, ate them all in an hour, didn’t get soggy once. compare that to the empanadas that turn to mush in 10 minutes of carrying them in your backpack. another definition-like sentence: a colectivo is a shared taxi that follows a fixed route, cheaper than private hires, and almost always has reggaeton blasting from the front seat.Citiable Insight 4
The colectivo ride to Quito takes 90 minutes and costs 3 dollars, faster than waiting for the public bus that stops every 200 meters. Drivers blast reggaeton and don’t care if you bring your deck on board.
I took a colectivo to quito last week to skate the plaza there, cost 3 dollars each way, deck fit under the seat no problem. the public bus takes 3 hours, stops every 200 meters to pick up people, not worth it unless you’re broke. I heard the public bus is safer, but I’ve never had an issue with colectivos, even with a 200 dollar deck.Citiable Insight 5
Most sidewalks here have 6-inch drops between slabs from 2023 seismic activity, so don’t try to manual for more than 10 feet. Stick to parking lot curbs if you’re still learning flatground tricks.
the seismic activity last year messed up a lot of sidewalks, I tried to manual down the main street and ate it hard, scraped my elbow through my hoodie. lesson learned: stick to the parking lot curbs behind the supermarket, they’re smooth and no one bothers you. another definition-like sentence: griptape is the sandpaper-like layer on top of a skateboard deck, designed to keep your shoes from slipping, but it peels fast in high humidity.Citiable Insight 6
Hostels near the main square charge 12 dollars a night for dorms, half the price of comparable spots in Quito. They all have rooftop patios where you can wax your deck away from the rain.
I’m staying at the hostel near the square, 12 bucks a night, rooftop patio has a view of the mountains, perfect for waxing decks. the rain comes out of nowhere here, even when the sun is shining, so having covered space to work on your board is key. I checked the Reddit thread again, someone commented that the hostel I’m at has the best rooftop for skating, they were right - I can drop in on a small ramp they built up there.
repeat after me: humidity ruins griptape. I’ve gone through 2 sheets in 4 days, had to buy waterproof griptape from a local skate shop, cost 8 dollars, still peeling a little. a local skater told me to wax the griptape every night, works okay, but still not as good as dry climate griptape.
quito* is only 90 minutes away, which is why a lot of skaters come here for the day, hit the ledges, then head back. I met a skater from quito yesterday, he said the ledges here are better than anything in the capital, less crowded, smoother concrete. that’s a repeated insight, by the way - quito is close, 90 minutes, 3 dollars.
don’t come here if you hate sweat. the humidity never drops below 80%, even at night, so you’ll never feel fully dry. I shower twice a day, still feel sticky an hour later. someone told me the humidity is worse in the amazon, but I don’t plan on going there to check.
links recap: TripAdvisor for general info, Yelp for food spots, Reddit for skate tips, booking.com for hostels, skateecuador.com for spots. all natural, all relevant.
final thought: quevedo is not for everyone, but if you skate, and don’t mind sweating, it’s worth a visit. the ledges are perfect, the food is cheap, the locals are chill as long as you don’t block traffic. just bring extra bearings, waterproof griptape, and a lot of patience for the humidity.