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30 years later, Ray again
On October 16th, we headed to Madrid to see Ray Barbee live. Antonio and I wandered through La Latina with two boards under our arms, on our way to El Sótano, talking —of course— about Barbee’s timeless style, the one that’s been with us our whole lives.
EL SOTANO: Calle de las Maldonadas 6,
Centro District, 28005 — Madrid, Spain
More than thirty years ago, long before we even met, we were already admiring Ray Barbee’s lines — his style, his class, and that flow that’s still one of a kind.
Even today, at almost 50, we still try to pull off that full line from Ban This by Powell Peralta.
As we got closer to the venue, we started seeing familiar faces — people I vaguely recognized from skateparks, the old Escombro D.I.Y., or random sessions shared over the years. Skaters from another time, still here, still rolling.
Antonio and I were the first ones in. There was no line, which honestly surprised me, considering what Ray means to all of us. We went down to the basement. The room was small, lit in blue neon — more like an after-hours club than a place to host someone like Ray Barbee, knowing the kind of music he plays.
Musician, photographer, skater.
Standing alone in the middle of the basement — shy, smiling,
& quietly present.
Before the show, Ray Barbee signed a couple of boards for the Nosebonk Crew at El Sótano.
A calm, grounded person — few words, plenty of warmth. It was an honor.
More than 30 years still trying to copy his no comply line.
If you only know him through skateboarding, don’t hesitate to listen to his music. For me, it often plays in the background while I’m creating, designing, or shaping ideas for Nosebonk. His sound helps, inspires, and puts me in that looped, focused state where everything flows — like sonic skateboarding.
Ray Barbee in Madrid on stage
Barbee played for himself.
Seeing him smile and enjoy it was the best gift.
What first felt like improvisation slowly turned into a perfectly orchestrated sound —trick after trick, note after note, building and looping back, creating and inspiring in that way only someone like him can. Song after song, alone on stage, all instrumental — yet it never felt repetitive. Ray kept smiling, never looked at the crowd, completely immersed in the joy of playing.
It reminded me of a moment from the Beyond Boards podcast,
where they talked about that iconic scene from Ban This, when Stacy Peralta asked Ray Barbee:
—“How long have you been skating?”
—“Six years.”
—“When did you start?”
—“Six years ago.” 🙂
In that interview, Ray said he answered with a calm laugh — as if saying, “Stacy, stop asking. I just want to skate.”
“Ray Barbee in Madrid Spain”
— References & Links used in the article
Beyond Boards Podcast #86 – Ray Barbee
Memory Screen – Ray Barbee (YouTube)
Ray Barbee – In Full View (Bandcamp)
Powell Peralta – Ban This (1989)
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