As you probably know by now, we're really stoked on pretty much anything that Stephen Buggica at Busted Mic puts out. Busted Mic and the Tampa skate scene has been creating really strong and unique video offerings over the past few years and it's really nice to see the Tampa Bay Area scene getting some shine and especially in such well-produced and creative projects.

Jimmy Lannon- Drop down nosewheelie into bank

Well, the boys gotback together again and this time they took it south to Puerto Rico just in time before the pandemic ruined everyone's spring and summer. Always stoked to see what these guys have to offer, we're stoked to host this article and lead you to the main feature below: "Puerto Rock" a 4 minute video piece from the trip. But first, a little introduction by Buggica himself to put the whole trip into context....Enjoy!

All Photos by Josh Bowser

 Manny Rodriguez-Front shut gap

"Having been to Puerto Rico a handful of times in the past, we were eager to make PR our destination for our first trip edit. Our previous mindset was along the lines of searching for spots or tricks that could fit into our nearly finished project of Mixtape Vol.3. We wanted to take this trip a little differently. A simple explanation was to just film whatever was fun and looked cool, or "tour footy" if you will. All while enjoying the trip as less stressful and more of a vacation.

PJ Castelllano-360 flip quick foot flat gap

Our everyday plan was to look at a map of the island and pick a town to drive to while stopping at whatever towns were on our route. This was going well for us up until the 6.5 earthquake hit the island. Tuesday, January 7th, at about 5:30 am. I woke up to the apartment shaking, voices from the crew running around, and the top bunk of my bunk bed rattling back and forth as I laid underneath it. Even though the earthquake hit the opposite end of the island in the south, to us it felt like it was only a mile away. The whole next day was an erie feeling. Going home early was the talk of the van and skating didn't matter. At that point the island was in a slight state of emergency. We decided that leaving early would be a huge hassle, assuming the airport would be flooded of people with the same idea.

Manny Rodriguez-Bump to bar ollie

We only had 3 days left of the trip so we just went on with it, almost like nothing happened. Just trying to have more fun and relax a bit extra then before the earthquake. Most roads connecting the towns are mountain roads or coastal roads. All of which have a chance of mudslides or rocks breaking off and completely blocking the path. At the risk of getting stuck in the middle of the island, we felt best to stay in the greater San Juan area. The weird thing is, we had made plans with our local friend to go stay at his parents house the day before, in the south, where the earthquake struck. For whatever reason we didn't go. It's strange to think about how the trip would have panned out if we did.

Jimmy Lannon-Switch Nosewheelie marble Pyramid hip

The aftermath left most of the island without power, limiting us to only skating during the day. By nightfall most of the island was black and you would start hearing dirt bikes combing the area. Our friend made sure we knew how dangerous it could be to be out after dark, with camera lights and all that noise. Potentially ending up in a bad situation with sketchy locals. The last day we got power back, skated, and dipped out of there. Every trip I've been on to Puerto Rico we somehow end up in some dangerous circumstance. I guess thats just part of the territory. We are always ready to go back"

-Stephen Buggica

Jimmy Lannon-Switch Nosewheelie marble Pyramid hip

And now for the main event. Everyone kick back and enjoy the sights and sounds of "Puerto Rock"! By Stephen Buggica and Busted Mic: