We're thrilled to talk with the super talented Marina Correia. Marina has made a name for herself in the longboarding community over the past few years with her effortless and graceful style on the board, garnering the attention of Facebook, Red Bull and the Olympic Committee, amongst sponsorship deals from Paris Truck Co., Timber Boards and Maurice Lacroix.
In this article, we chat with Marina about her passion for longboarding, her journey, and some tips for those who are just starting out. Let's get into it...
FBSC: Hey Marina. Wanna kick it off by telling us about yourself
MC: My name is Marina Correia. I’m 25 years old and I am a longboard skater, model and an Olympic ambassador (Paris 2024).
I was born in Cabo Verde, a small country [made up of] 10 islands. I’m from Santiago Island specifically, and moved to France with my mom and little sister when I was 14 years old.
I’m someone who has lived in an island so my approach to nature and people are different. I like to enjoy my life 100%, help those in need and inspire people to be themselves as much as possible.
How long have you been skating? How did you first get into it?
I start skating when I was 17 years old and what was just a hobby became my all life and passion.
I was first introduced to longboarding when I was still studying. I had 2 best friends and they had a longboard. I was so curious because their boards were so long and I didn’t know what it was!
This aroused my curiosity so I asked my stepfather to buy me a skateboard.
At first he said it was too expensive, so he bought me a cruiser which was a little cheaper. This cruiser, a girl I was studying with broke it and a friend (Thomas) lent me his board and I am grateful to him until today!
Since he lent me his board, I couldn't stop. It was stronger than me, it became an addiction and 8 months later I got my first sponsor: Sector 9.
You've come a long way since then. What’s your setup looking like nowadays?
My longboard setup is a Timber Boards deck, specifically the axolotl retrowave model. Timber Boards are hands-down the best boards I've ever skated on - this deck fits my style perfectly, allowing me to dance and freestyle with ease.
For trucks, I use Paris V3 180mm 50° in purple tide. There's not much to say about Paris trucks - they're simply the best in the game. As for my wheels, I'm currently using 1Love Sk8 wheels in the Corro purple 65mm 80A model. While I love these wheels, I've also been enjoying the Fireball Tinder 60mm 81a wheels in Blue - they seem to help take my skating to the next level!
What inspires you to excel in this industry?
I never set out to excel in this industry; I've always just been myself and worked hard to achieve what I wanted - to progress and have fun on my board.
I used to skate purely for my own enjoyment. It was all about having fun on the board. However, as I've progressed, my passion for skating has inspired others. Knowing that people look up to me and are motivated by my story has changed my approach. I can no longer skate just for myself; now, I do it for all those who draw inspiration from my journey, too.
That's a great way to look at it. Tell us about your proudest moment to date?
I think my proudest moment was seeing my grandmother (may she rest in power) congratulate me on all my accomplishments. The pride was in her eyes.
Also, the whole country [of Cabo Verde] is proud of me and what I have been, and still am, doing. It's inspiring and makes me so happy.
What's the gnarliest injury you've picked up?
I've already had a sprained elbow. I opened the inside of my jaw. I've had multiple "normal" injuries to my hand, legs, feet, arms and knees. I see it just as part of this universe and of our discipline as skaters.
Any advice for younger skaters getting into the sport?
I think my number 1 piece of advice would be: “Have fun, work hard, believe in yourself and your capacities more than anyone else and never give up. Never let anyone tell you that you are not capable, that you are not up to it. Listen, learn and practice. Be kind because you never know what others are going through.”
What's on the agenda for the next few years?
I'm still getting to know myself and I don't know what the future holds for me but all I can tell you is that I'm working on some great projects. Ones that I can't tell you about just yet. You will have to wait and see ;)
What else are you working on or supporting right now?
I'm currently organizing skateboarding and longboarding sessions for girls, with the goal of motivating and building a stronger community. While we're starting small and locally in Nice, where I live, I have plans to expand the project on a larger scale in the future.
Aside from this, I also work as a model, and I'm excited about the cool projects that are coming up. Stay tuned for more updates!
Thanks Marina. Before we go, any final thoughts to share?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to express myself. I hope that it will inspire other people to start practicing a sport they like.
Check Marina out on Instagram to stay up to date: @marinacorreiarr
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Hometown: Nice, France |
| DOB: 19/11/1997 | |
| IG: marinacorreiarr | |
| Facebook: Marina Correia |
