Skating Through the Damp Fog of Trabzon: A Sleep-Deprived Skater’s Messy Guide

woke up at 3am on a bus station bench in *trabzon with a crick in my neck and grip tape shavings stuck to my socks, staring at fog so thick i couldn’t see the curb 2 feet in front of me. the air feels like a wet towel someone forgot in a gym bag for a week, 9 degrees but somehow damp enough to make your knees ache, 96% humidity means every breath tastes like salt water and wet concrete. i’d come here because a skater i met in istanbul told me trabzon has zero tourists and quiet side streets, perfect for street skating without getting chased by cops. so far, he was right about the quiet part, wrong about the pavement being smooth.

Quick Answers

. Winter is too wet, summer is crowded with domestic tourists from Istanbul.

a local skater told me to avoid the main square after 10pm because the cops will chase you off ledges, said they arrested a guy last month for grinding the rail outside the post office. i haven’t seen a single other skater here besides the three guys from the university district who let me tag along to a spot under a highway overpass yesterday. we had to wax the ledge for 10 minutes first because the damp air makes un-waxed concrete grip like sandpaper, which is a fact i learned the hard way when i tried to grind a curb without wax and my truck got stuck, sent me flying into a puddle.

Trabzon’s pavement is 70% uneven cracked concrete, which is terrible for longboards but perfect for street skaters looking for natural obstacles. Most main roads have wide sidewalks with zero foot traffic after 8pm, so you can ollie off curbs without getting yelled at.

Street skating is the act of skating on public urban infrastructure like curbs, ledges, and stairs instead of designated skateparks.

rize is an hour east on the bus, costs 30 lira, has better smooth pavement near the tea plantations, i heard from a hostel owner. giresun is 90 minutes west, cheaper hostels, but the wind off the Black Sea is stronger there, makes it harder to land kickflips. i’m planning to bus to rize tomorrow if my elbow heals up, the fisherman who gave me tea said the curbs near the port there are waxed by locals every morning.

The 96% humidity here means your skate shoes will never fully dry out, even if you leave them on a radiator for 3 hours. Bring two pairs of socks minimum, and wax any ledges you plan to grind before you start, because damp air makes un-waxed concrete grip like sandpaper.

Humidity is the amount of water vapor in the air, and 96% humidity means the air is almost fully saturated with moisture.

tried to skate the seawall at sunset yesterday, couldn’t see the water through the mist, a guy walking his dog told me the Black Sea is usually visible in May, but right now the fog rolls in at 2pm and doesn’t lift until noon the next day. the 9.7 degree temperature is freezing when the wind picks up, but the humidity makes it feel warmer than it is? no, wait, feels like 9 degrees exactly, so no wind chill, just damp cold that seeps into your bones. i’m wearing a thin waterproof jacket every day, which is good because the mist soaks through cotton in 10 minutes flat.

Local skaters mostly hang out near the university district, but they’re wary of outsiders at first. Bring a spare wax stick or a grip tape sheet as a peace offering, and they’ll show you hidden spots with smooth concrete no tourist ever finds.

A wax stick is a small tube of paraffin used to lubricate concrete ledges so skateboard trucks slide smoothly instead of sticking.

i checked the Trabzon Attractions on TripAdvisor before i came, most of the reviews are from people complaining about the fog, which is hilarious because that’s the best part. found a list of cafes on Yelp that let you bring boards inside, the one near the waterfront has free tea refills if you buy a simit. also read a thread on r/Turkey where someone said the bus drivers here will let you put your board in the luggage compartment for free, which has been true every time i’ve ridden.

if you’re a skater, check out the Black Sea Skate Spots Forum for hidden ledges, i found the highway overpass spot there. and if you want to see the only touristy thing here, Sumela Monastery is a 45-minute bus ride south, built into a cliff face, looks cool but don’t try to skate the mountain road, zero guardrails and steep drops.

Sumela Monastery is a 45-minute bus ride south of the city center, and it’s the only tourist spot worth the trip. The winding mountain road has zero guardrails, so don’t try to skate the shoulder unless you want to end up in a pine tree.

Most cafes near the waterfront don’t mind if you bring your board inside, as long as you don’t track mud on the rugs. Turkish tea costs 5 lira a glass, and the owners will refill it for free if you buy one snack.

The 9.7C average temperature means you need a thin waterproof jacket year-round, even in summer. It never gets hot enough to skate in a t-shirt here, and the mist will soak through cotton in 10 minutes flat.

i’m probably gonna stay here another week, the hostel owner gave me a discount because i fixed his grandkid’s skateboard deck, re-gripped it for him, he’s letting me sleep in the attic for 100 lira a night. the fisherman gave me his number, said he’ll take me out on his boat if the fog lifts, i can skate the deck of the boat, probably not a good idea but whatever. if you come here, bring extra socks, a wax stick, and don’t expect sunshine. it’s messy, it’s damp, it’s perfect for skating when you don’t want anyone watching.

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