A hard week for him to forget breakBorn on the streets of the United States in the 1970s, with roots in hip-hop culture and the parties of the Bronx, the urban dance has left two almost simultaneous images that are at least unusual. In the first, Australian B-girl Rachael Gunn starred in the Paris Olympic Games with her signature “kangaroo dance”. In the second, Vigo Mayor Abel Caballero marked some of the steps of the path break dance Equally peculiar is the O Marisquiño urban sports and culture festival.

If he break dance Paris 24 was about much more than Gunn’s shocking spin moves, which led some to accuse him of caricaturing the sport’s Olympic debut. It was about much more than Marisquiño da Caballero’s jokes.

Gentleman, versatile mayorDuring the 17 years that Abel Caballero was president of the City Council of Vigo, we saw him preside over local general assembly sessions, take charge of commissions and inaugurate parks, streets and pavilions, all the actions expected of a councilor in a city of about 300,000 inhabitants.

But Caballero has also been seen in less traditional situations over the years. Since taking office, he has allowed photographs to be taken of aircraft carrier commanders. hand bikeplaying guitar prime timedance swish swishHe serves as the opening act for Sting or Maná and explores Dinoseto’s family tree. And of course, as the new master of ceremonies for “the best Christmas on this planet.”

brag break. A few days ago, Caballero left another proof of his versatility by playing a short but intense opening show during the O Marisquiño festival. The mayor, who is about to turn 78, made the “V” sign for Vigo, wearing a shirt and chinos, jumped, jumped again and even sat on stage to the beat of the song. The video went viral. He took it upon himself to share it. And soon he was competing with Gunn’s, who is among the best in the world. break.

It matters how and who… And most importantly, where. Both, in Gunn’s case, who is participating in the Games for the first time in the Olympics. break danceAs is the case with Caballero, who does this in the framework of O Marisquiño, one of the largest urban cultural and sports festivals in Spain.

And last but not least. Over its almost 25-year history, organizers have managed to transform what started as a local event into one that is very locally focused and brings together a handful of cycling enthusiasts. skatein a reference in the international circuit. O Marisquiño became so important that it attracted the attention of the best athletes, among whom were those competing in Paris and the world championships.

So what is O Marisquiño? Those responsible describe it as “the largest urban cultural and action sports event in Southern Europe.” Four days in which Vigo becomes one of the world’s great capitals skate, breakBMX and basketball 3×3, all accompanied by concerts, graffiti shows and cockfights; long, very long and busy, very busy etc.

The formula works both because of its content and its “container”. For a start, access is free and, since 2022, most of the events take place in a unique setting: Samil beach, with the Cies Islands in the background. The formula works. So much so that it is estimated to carry more than 160,000 people.

A textbook success. The above is the description of the 2024 O Marisquiño, an event that involves top-level athletes, has a considerable budget, has the support of institutions and large companies, and attracts tens of thousands of participants in each edition. Its origins have little or nothing to do with these figures. The festival began in 2001 Skateboard park From Vigo and clearly locally focused. There were around 2,000 participants at most.

Since then it has encompassed many disciplines, rotated through Vigo, incorporated the Gold category of the FMB World Tour, the World Cup Skateboarding, and in 2018 it dealt with a serious accident… And it has become such a successful event that a few years ago it was stated that its future in Vigo was hanging by a thread due to the institutional support that its organization considered insufficient.

This is sport, culture… and moneyThe massive media coverage of O Marisquiño, the mobilization of its supporters, crews, and personnel responsible for erecting and dismantling its tracks, and the influx of tens of thousands of people it attracts add up to something else: money. Or rather, a lot of money.

O Marisquiño is a reference point for urban sports, as well as a valuable economic lever. The local hospitality sector estimated the revenue from the festival at 16 million euros in 2016. The organization was already talking about 180,000 spectators in 2022 and a much higher economic return of between 22 and 24 million.

Pictures | Abel Caballero (X) and O Marisquiño

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