‘‘Here were already a few skate magazines in Chile, but we were far from being featured in them.’
Nicolás Garay
Fuera De Foco
Chile
What is the skate scene like in Chile?
The skate scene has been steadily growing, and the level of the kids keeps getting higher every year. This is largely due to the increase in public skateparks and spots, where more and more kids can be seen getting familiar with skateboarding on a daily basis. Olympic skateboarding also exists, but in our case, as Fuera de Foco, we are far removed from that vision; it’s not something that interests us. We focus on street skateboarding, constantly going out to look for new spots. We produce videos and photographs for our magazine and bring new skaters into our sessions, trying to show them how interesting and important it is to land new tricks in places where skateboarding isn’t allowed. That’s the essence of it—the same thing that motivated us to skate as kids, when there were only a few spots, like neighbourhood parks, and we went out skating simply for the joy of it.
What are the some of the best cities to skate?
The best cities in Chile for skateboarding are, in first place, Antofagasta, since it has many spots all over the city. It’s a city with hills and some flat areas, and they are constantly building new things. The second city is Valparaíso, which is also very famous for its hills and creative spots, doing downhills, etc. And the third one, I think, is the capital, Santiago de Chile, since it’s a city with more construction, buildings, handrails, and so on.
What trigged the idea to start Fuera De Foco and when?
Fuera de Foco was founded in 2014 together with a group of friends who used to get together at that time. We felt the need to create something new. There were already a few skate magazines in Chile, but we were far from being featured in them, so we realized we had to do something on our own. I had already been making videos for a few years, while some friends were focused on photography. At the beginning, everything started with a lot of motivation, but over time it began to fade. My friends gradually lost interest and each one went their own way. I continued on my own and turned the project into a skate video called Fuera de Foco – Take 1. Little by little, we kept the name and other friends joined the project. In 2018, we released our first magazine, and to this day we continue producing it. We are currently on issue number 11.
Tell me something about yourself?
My name is Nicolás Garay, and I’ve been filming skateboarding since around 2008–2009. I studied Film and work through my own audiovisual production company on different types of projects. I currently live in Santiago, Chile, and I am the director of Fuera de Foco magazine.
Why did you call it Fuera De Foco which translates to out of focus?
As I mentioned before, when we started, other magazines already existed, but we were very far from being featured in them. We didn’t have the support of brands, we lived far from the Downtown, and we had our own scene in Maipú, our neighborhood. We also noticed that in the most wellknown media outlets the same names always appeared, and we wanted to change that situation. Because of this, we came up with a name that reflected that reality, and Fuera de Foco made perfect sense.
‘We focus on street skateboarding, constantly going out to look for new spots.’
What is the scope of the mag? Santiago, all of Chile or across South America?
All of Chile, some countries in South America, Brasil, Peru, Argentina, Colombia & Europe, Paris, and Barcelona are the places we regularly travel to for this work.
What are some of the other skatemags that still exist in Chile?
Yes, some still exist: La Tabla, Oro Mag, and Pívot Skate Mag. Trickbuster and others have gradually disappeared.
Do you have any restrictions on paying ads? What would you do if a luxury car manufacturer would like to place an ad?
We obviously have some restrictions but depending on the budget we consider whether we can adapt. However, advertising from something like McDonald’s, I think we wouldn’t accept under any circumstances. (laughing).
What is the biggest challenge to pull off each issue?
Having the money (laughing). Printing is very expensive, so we constantly have to sell advertising or produce campaigns—whether videos, photos, or Instagram clips—and then distribute the budget across each item.
Proudest moment so far?
Celebrating our 10th anniversary and hosting an event attended by more than 1,000 people. Every year we organize an event called Fuera de Foco Fest, where we host a skate contest, live music, a skate video premiere, and a party.
Most funny or embarrassing?
Everything is always fun, but the most embarrassing part is having spelling mistakes or typos in our magazine. We always proofread it a thousand times, but once it’s printed, we always end up finding something that makes us cringe (laughing).
Last question. If you could interview one person?
I thought about it for a long time, and I think interviewing Tony Hawk would be something amazing. He’s the global icon of skateboarding, and I’d be happy and proud to have an interview with him in my magazine (laughing).
‘We came up with a name that reflected that reality, and Fuera de Foco made perfect sense.’