Gringo Libre

Bruce and I are wimps.

Back in ’05, we were in San Diego shooting the Holiday Bowl and had time to kill. We were planning to visit Tijuana, but whenever we told people that, they looked at us like we were completely insane. Too violent, too sketchy we were told more than once.

So, we didn’t go. Instead, we hung around SD, which was kind of boring.

Fast forward to my road trip to SoCal, where once again I found myself in SD. Turned out, Lucha Libre (Mexican pro wrestling) was happening in TJ the night I arrived. I refused to be punked again, regardless of the current violence in Mexico. So I packed my backpack and a bottle of water and made a run to the border.

It was so easy, I laughed. Caught a trolly to the border, went through the lab maze and was spat out in Mexico. Jumped into a cab and there I was, taking photos of all the folks dressed in Lucha Libre masks. My face hurt that night from all the smiling.

I had a choice to make: buy a ticket for the floor level or hang with the people in the cheap seats. Easy choice. Go where the fans are.

That was one of the reasons why this event was so much fun: it was so cheap, families could go and have a blast. I want to say there were more adults than kids with Lucha Libre masks.

The production level was pretty minimal, no doubt what Portland Wrestling must have been like back in the days. Only thing missing was a TV crew and Tom Peterson’s crew cut.

I actually can’t wait to go back again and spend a little more time south of the border. Thanks to Sandy for the travel tips. I owe you a Cerveza Sol.

I do regret not having my mask with me for that night. What was I thinking? (Obviously, I wasn’t.) Here’s one of my all-time favorite photos, taken by Melissa during Geekfest PDX.

Long Live Lucha Libre!