Skateboarders honor their late friend by creating a special, personalized headstone, celebrating his life and their bond.
A group of skateboarders in Mexico has created a special tribute for their late friend, Rafael “Rafa” Castillo.
Instead of a traditional headstone, they built a quarter-pipe ramp as his gravestone, allowing people to skate in his memory.
This touching gesture reflects Rafa’s passion for skateboarding and his desire for friends to celebrate life rather than mourn.
The man’s last wish for a skateboard ramp headstone memorial
Rafa Castillo, who passed away from pancreatic cancer in 2016 at the age of 43, was a beloved figure in the local skateboarding community.
He was known for his skills on the skateboard and his contributions to promoting the sport.
Before he died, Rafa shared his wish for a headstone that would allow his friends to skate with him instead of simply saying prayers.
His friends took this wish to heart.
After obtaining the necessary approvals from local authorities, they began the project to create a ramp-inspired gravestone in La Paz, Baja California Sur.
The quarter-pipe serves as both a memorial and a place for skaters to gather and remember Rafa.
Skateboarders honor late friend by designing a ramp headstone in his memory
The process of building the headstone was a labor of love for Rafa’s friends.
They wanted to make sure it reflected his personality and his love for skating.
Jesús Manuel Herrera Rodríguez, a close friend of Rafa, explained that the ramp was inspired by one that had been in a local park for many years.
This choice connected Rafa’s memory with the skateboarding community he loved.
“The ramp was in memory of the one that was in the park for many years,” said Jesús Manuel Herrera Rodríguez, 53, who had known the deceased since high school.
“So, instead of going to pray to him, he wanted you to skate with him.”
The team used sand from different places where Rafa had lived, making the headstone a collection of his life experiences.
They also added a skateboard attached to a cross, honoring Rafa’s faith.
His friends engraved the phrase “you’re OK” on the gravestone, which was something Rafa often said to comfort his friends.
This phrase encapsulates his friendly and supportive nature.
“Imagine it’s like in the karate movie … I arrived at the cooperative, some cholitos (punks) were beating him up and I arrived,” the pal described. “I was going to defend him.
“And from there, he didn’t let go.”
“On one occasion, at an afternoon party in high school, we were all skating except him. So we didn’t want to wait for him,” Rodríguez explained.
“‘Well, you’re going to learn to skate here,’ we told him. And from then on, he never got off the skateboard.”
Skateboarding community honors Rafa with special headstone and ramp to celebrate his life
After completing the headstone in 2023, the skateboarding community came together to celebrate Rafa’s life.
The ramp not only serves as a reminder of their friend but also as a space where they can skate and feel connected to him.
In videos shared online, skaters can be seen performing tricks on the ramp, embodying the spirit of fun and camaraderie that Rafa cherished.
The unique headstone has become a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.
It attracts skateboarders who want to honor Rafa while enjoying the sport he loved.
Many feel that skating on the ramp is a fitting way to remember him, allowing them to keep his memory alive.
Rafa Castillo remembered as a skateboarding mentor and advocate for youth
Rafa Castillo was more than just a skateboarder; he was a mentor and a friend to many.
He dedicated his life to making skateboarding accessible to young people in the region.
His dream was to ensure that every child in Southern Baja California could have a skateboard and enjoy the sport.
This passion for promoting skating among youth is remembered fondly by those who knew him.
Dulce Falcón, a childhood friend and president of the Baja California Sur Extreme Skaters Association, emphasized Rafa’s tireless efforts to encourage kids to skate.
The association continues to honor his legacy by promoting skateboarding and helping children get involved in the sport.
@abc7chicago Visitors to the grave of a late skateboarder payed tribute to the deceased by performing a trick on his ramp-shaped headstone at a cemetery in Mexico in early September. Instagram user @babywizzard captured this video as he and his friends visited Rafael Castillo’s grave in La Paz, Baja California Sur. He told Storyful Castillo was a skater and surfer who “made a significant impact on his community in Baja Sur and beyond.” According to local news reports, Castillo died of pancreatic cancer in 2016 at the age of 42. Before his death, he explained his idea for a ramp-shaped headstone so rather than pray for him, people could skate with him. The quarter-pipe headstone was finally finished in 2023, the report said, after local officials approved the design.