Rufus Skateshop

“Thank you 4 skating.” So goes the slogan at Rufus, another addition to El Raval's rapidly expanding list of stellar stores. This skate shop opened in 2009, but it wasn't until a year later that it moved to its present location in the immediate vicinity of the MACBA, Barca's premier skateboarding venue. Originally hailing from Milano, Rufus's owner, Riccardo, came to Barcelona to be close to one Europe's most vibrant skate scenes. His passion becomes evident as soon as you enter this compact store space. The worktable in the center of the room–where customers can tighten their trucks or reapply grip tape–is flanked by walls lined with gorgeous decks from most major brands, as well as Rufus's increasingly popular store line. In fact, no skate shop in Spain sells more house-brand decks than Rufus. That kind of popularity probably has something to do with Ricardo's reputation for being an ardent supporter of the scene; he usually keeps a supply of second-hand items that he gives away to some of his less solvent clientele. In case you were wondering, Rufus is named after Riccardo's Bernese Mountain Dog, who might just be there to greet you when you stop by.