Where’s the most unexpected place you’ve seen someone rollerblading? Inside an airport, through a shopping mall, or how about while working at their desk in an office (ahem)? Well, you can add “rainforest” to that list, because photographer Benjamin Gut sent us a welcome surprise last week when we got our first look at photos with his friend Thomas in French Guiana. That’s right, blading in a country that’s covered 98%+ in rainforest. We just had to share, so check out these pics and get the story behind the lens as Ben’s photos show you a whole new world of blading.

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My name is Ben, and I’ve been involved in photography for around ten years. I first discovered photography through action sports, where I learned to anticipate movement, get close to the action, and tell stories through images.

Recently, I teamed up with my friend Thomas, a local rollerblader from French Guiana, to create a photo project inside an abandoned hotel in Cayenne. The location immediately caught our attention. Nature, humidity, rust, and time had slowly taken over the building, creating a unique atmosphere that felt very different from a traditional skatepark.

For the wallride image, we found an old hotel room door lying on the ground. It was broken, rusty, and forgotten, but it became part of the session. We used it as a small kicker to help Thomas reach the wall and create a trick that felt connected to the environment around us.

For another image, we climbed onto the roof and used old metal sheets we found there. As the sun was setting, the warm light mixed with the rusted textures and tropical sky, creating one of my favorite moments from the session.

All the photographs were shot using a Canon 15mm fisheye lens and an off-camera Godox flash. My goal was to stay close to the action while keeping the environment visible, allowing the viewer to feel both the energy of the tricks and the atmosphere of the location.

I’m proud of these images, not only because of the photography itself, but because they help showcase a side of rollerblading that is rarely seen. Through projects like this, I hope to help give more visibility to the roller scene in French Guiana and share the unique places and stories that exist here.

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Photos by Benjamin Gut