According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an oasis is a “fertile spot in a desert, where water is found,” and a “pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult or hectic place or situation.” Somewhere in the outskirts of Frankfurt, far behind the Central Station, at the end of a long and lonely street where apartment buildings give way to industrial areas, such an oasis existed for over 10 years: the Gheddo spot.
Well, the Gheddo spot wasn’t an oasis in the literal sense of the word. It had no water. It certainly wasn’t fertile. And there sure as hell weren’t any palm trees. But it was a remote, isolated place of calm that proved to be indeed fertile to Frankfurt’s skateboarding scene. Erected in a team effort involving many of the city’s skateboarders, the Gheddo spot was more than a conglomerate of ledges, rails, quarters and manny pads. Thanks to its isolated location in the middle of nowhere, the spot was a getaway from the stressful pace of inner city spots. In the summer, when the city became unbearable, we could relax in the shade of its sickly trees, between glass shards and snuffed cigarettes. Undisturbed by the police, security personnel or pedestrians, we could skate, film, and hang around all day. It wasn’t pretty as in “look at that pretty fucking countryside,” but it was ours.
And now, it’s gone. The ledges – gone. The quarters – gone. The manny pads – you get the fucking idea. Torn down by dredger buckets and buried beneath caterpillar tracks. The oasis, filled up with cement. So for the last time, join us for a memento mori for the Gheddo spot at Naxoshalle, Frankfurt, on June 30. Several artists and skateboarders from Frankfurt show their unique perspective on one of the most iconic DIY spots in Germany. Come one, come all, and tell your friends.
