A short documentary on Downhill Skateboarder Alexandre Moreno as he recalls his journey into the sport and reveals how his Yoga practice has been decisive in his performance.

Director’s Vision for ‘Yoga Rider’

Every Thursday a group of friends come together late into the night to skate the empty streets of Lisbon in a ritual they affectionately call “Niterides”. Downhill skateboarders and in-line skaters, male and female, push each other hard down quiet residential streets, through tunnels and along overpasses, laying claim to the city. When cops show up, they just move on to the next spot and start all over again. After all, they’re not delinquents; most have jobs and families and all that regular stuff, they just happen to like bombing down empty streets at night. Between spots they review their runs, and laugh away their daily troubles over some beers. I was lucky enough to tag along with this tribe for a few nights thanks to the film’s protagonist Alexandre Moreno, and develop the film from there, accompanying him in training and in competitions, and ultimately discovering how one unlikely key element has made all the difference to his performance and mindset: Yoga. Special thanks to Alexandre once again for his generosity, kindness and trust with myself and the whole team in making this film.