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In the Streets of Paris, Skateboarders Are Catching Big Air

tom nouvian
·13 min read

Joann Pai

This story about skateboarding in Paris is part of How Paris Moves, a series of dispatches about communities and social change in France through the lens of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

At a popular skating spot in Paris called The Dome, Franck flies off a ledge with an expert’s confidence as his skateboard, adorned with a decal of the Eiffel Tower, soars smoothly beneath him. He lands with a satisfying clack on the marble floor, and a small crowd of tourists, wielding their cameras and phones, snaps him from every angle.

“Tourists come to Paris to visit the Louvre, but they end up photographing us,” Franck says. Certainly, the present scene is out of a film: sunlight glinting through scattered raindrops as onlookers watch roughly a dozen skaters take turns skating down a grand marble staircase as the Eiffel Tower—the real one—looks on from across the Seine. When they trip, they try again; when they pull off a trick, their audiences of fellow skaters and fans-for-the-day burst into applause and cheers.

“There’s a certain attitude here, a je ne sais quoi that sets [Parisian skaters] apart,” says Prunelle, who has been part of the city’s skating scene since he was 16. “Maybe it’s the influence of all the Fashion Weeks.”
“There’s a certain attitude here, a je ne sais quoi that sets [Parisian skaters] apart,” says Prunelle, who has been part of the city’s skating scene since he was 16. “Maybe it’s the influence of all the Fashion Weeks.”
Joann Pai

Franck is one of the day’s stars. He’s a seasoned skater at 43, evident in his skillful work on the board and his graying hair, all of it underscored by a youthful air, dressed as he is in fashionable streetwear. He works for a store that sells nursery furniture, he tells me, and to blow off some steam during his lunch breaks, he comes here to skate at The Dome.

The Dome isn’t exactly a skatepark, at least not in the traditional sense. It doesn’t have the usual ramps, rails, or bowls. Instead, this place features a few stairs, a central pool, and statues that date back to the 19th century—it’s part of the Palais de Tokyo in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The site is split into three sections: The east side is home to the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, featuring a collection of modern and contemporary art; the west side is dedicated to short-term exhibitions; and between them is the Fontaine de Palais de Tokyo and its square, which faces the Seine and is crowned by a series of staircases where skaters glide down its steps and balustrades.

Though skaters have been part of the urban landscape of Paris since the 1970s (there was once a homemade half-pipe set up in the Trocadéro), the global skating circuit took notice of the city in the early 2000s when American skating greats like Eric Koston and Stefan Janoski began frequenting The Dome. Their visits, often captured in promotional videos for their skateboarding sponsors, elevated the French capital into a marquee destination for skateboarders all over the world. Then followed a list of ephemeral skating spots—along the banks of the Seine, over the steps of the Bercy Arena—where skaters attempted to carve out a space for themselves in this millennia-old city that resembles an open-air museum.

This month, talented skaters from all over the world will arrive in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics. This is the second time the sport has been included in the Games program, after its inaugural inclusion at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. This year, the skateboarding competition, divided into men’s and women’s events and “street” and “park” categories, will be held at the Place de la Concorde on July 27 and 28, and August 6 and 7. When I last passed the Concorde in late June, the venue—which will also host events for basketball, cycling, and breaking (the latest addition to the Olympics)—was still under construction.

“They call me the grandma of skateboarding,” says Inès, a 29-year-old mentor to the women skaters of Paris.
“They call me the grandma of skateboarding,” says Inès, a 29-year-old mentor to the women skaters of Paris.
Joann Pai
Though the skating scene in Paris first boomed in the 2000s, only recently has it become a fixture of the city’s public spaces.
Though the skating scene in Paris first boomed in the 2000s, only recently has it become a fixture of the city’s public spaces.
Joann Pai

But Franck isn’t thinking about all that. As we chat on the steps of the Palais de Tokyo, he’s only thinking of one thing: “Before or after the Games, all the skaters will come to The Dome,” he says, the excitement apparent in his tone and smile. As I speak to him and the members of the skating community in Paris, I recall my own days on a skateboard. Their grace and daring tricks remind me of a time when I chased the thrill in flying through the streets of my hometown.

I was 13, in the summer of 2009, when my older brother first handed me his own board and told me to give it a try. Back then, skating spots for beginners were scarce. My journey began in Le Marais, where learning to skate on the cobblestone streets of Paris was as enchanting as it was cumbersome. Uneven surfaces made the board jumpy; each ride a test of balance and persistence. But after a few weeks, my friends and I were navigating bustling markets and narrow alleys with ease, enjoying a newfound freedom in our ability to traverse the city on our own.

For me, what began as a means of transportation quickly evolved into a way of life. For that brief summer, I enjoyed the coolness of being a skater. I was a teenager and so of course coolness was a worthy pursuit, however facile or laborious it may have been. But it felt natural, that instant connection with other teens skating in Paris: We had our baggy jeans, our scuffed-up shoes, and our boards. On sunny days, we gathered at our hidden spots to attempt the tricks we saw online and debate which skateboarding footwear brand reigned supreme.

My own skating career proved short-lived after a benign but painful encounter between my board and my shin forced me to retire. One afternoon, while attempting a 360 shove-it at the Fontaine des Innocents, the board hit my leg hard. I bled, not profusely, but the injury was—is—agonizingly memorable. I sat there for a moment, alone and attempting to compose myself, before trying to walk it off. I suppose I still carry that pain to this day; I haven’t been on a board since.

In the 15 years that followed, many of the spots in Paris where I once skated were demolished or banned skating altogether, while new skateparks emerged. Places like EGP18, the indoor skatepark at La Chapelle, or the revitalized area around Place de la Bastille are now popular skating destinations, a testament to the city’s increasingly welcoming attitude towards skaters.

At the Bastille, just a stone’s throw from the birthplace of the French Revolution, I meet Inès, gliding between obstacles in cargo pants, with her curly hair tucked under a knitted beanie. She has become a recognizable figure in the Parisian skating community since she started in 2018, primarily through her dedicated mentoring of younger women skaters. “They call me the grandma of skateboarding,” she says, despite the fact she’s only 29 years old.

“Of course I got some unpleasant remarks from men,” Inès says, reflecting on her early days when there were fewer women skaters in Paris. But she reports that more and more women have grown to become staples of the Parisian skating scene.
“Of course I got some unpleasant remarks from men,” Inès says, reflecting on her early days when there were fewer women skaters in Paris. But she reports that more and more women have grown to become staples of the Parisian skating scene.
Joann Pai

Inès spends the afternoon circling Bastille with skater friends, mostly women. The rhythmic thud of their wheels on the pavement catches the attention of passersby. Perhaps it’s also the novelty of seeing a group of female skaters in the French capital. “Of course I got some unpleasant remarks from men,” Inès says, reflecting on her early days. But things are moving in the right direction, she says with a grin: “We went from about 15 women to about 40 who are regular members of the skating scene. Skateboarding is definitely buzzing right now.”

As Franck puts it, “We now have a few places to call our own.” What was once considered a subculture has seamlessly woven itself into Parisian urban life. Inès and Franck’s enthusiasm for skating is infectious—so much so that I ask myself, Should I pick up a skateboard again? The idea is tempting, especially with this year’s Games. How cool would it be to skate at The Dome alongside actual Olympians? Yet, amidst all this anticipation, many skaters in Paris tell me they doubt the Olympics will leave any lasting impact on the city’s skating scene.

“I’m simply not expecting anything,” says Lucas, a young skater I meet at the Place de la République. His skepticism stems from the fact that the competition site at the Concorde will be deconstructed after the event. Add it to the long list of venues made for the skating community in Paris that inevitably vanish. (In contrast, certain venues like the new Centre Aquatique Olympique in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, will be retained post-Olympics and opened to the public in 2025.)

“Sure, it’s cool to see skateboarding getting attention on a big stage,” Inès says. “But for us, it’s more than just putting on a show. It’s a lifestyle.” Many skaters in Paris share her perspective. “I can’t name any gold-medal skaters, but I can tell you exactly which street skater inspired me and why,” Lucas adds. He makes a good point: For my part, I vividly recall idolizing Kareem Campbell, the Black American skateboarder, when I was young. I first learned about him through the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video games, where he stood out as the sole Black character. I took every chance I could to play as him.

Still, Olympics or no, Paris is swiftly changing. For example, République has undergone a significant transformation since 2013. Under the stewardship of the last two mayors of Paris, Bertrand Delanoë and then Anne Hidalgo, the place has been reimagined into a pedestrian-friendly area with a skatepark. Here, amidst the chaos of urban life, skaters perform their tricks, weaving through tourists, pedestrians, and traffic with finesse and artistry.

At République, I spend a few sunny hours on a bench and observe a complex ballet unfold before me. As the sun casts long shadows across the square, a group of protesters gathers, rallying in support of Ukraine; children play in oversized plastic sandboxes as their parents and nannies watch them; and skaters dart through the crowd, their bodies contorting in the air as they pull off their tricks and inevitably fall on the concrete slabs. Boards go flying, but skaters applaud their peers, encouraging them to try again. Witnessing this vibrant tableau of Parisian life makes me realize the remarkable progress the city has made over time. Skating truly has seamlessly integrated itself into the tapestry of my hometown.

“Parisian skaters are unmistakable,” says Prunelle, who has been a regular of the skating scene at République for seven years, since he was 16. Dressed in all black (this is Paris after all), he greets friends and fellow skaters with fist pumps, cheers for skaters who land difficult tricks, and welcomes travelers who have glided into town and are bold enough to skate on French turf. “There’s a sense of competition when outsiders come here. I guess it’s our pride,” he says.

I ask Prunelle about his personal style, and he points to his afro, which he has tied into small buns, calling it his signature. “There’s a certain attitude here, a je ne sais quoi that sets us apart. Maybe it’s the influence of all the Fashion Weeks.” Like most Parisian skaters, Prunelle doesn’t care much about the upcoming Olympics. In Paris, he says, the real skating happens on the streets: “We are the ones that keep the culture alive.”

Whether the Olympics will leave any lasting impact on the city’s skating scene remains to be seen.
Whether the Olympics will leave any lasting impact on the city’s skating scene remains to be seen.
Joann Pai
In Paris, Prunelle says, the real skating happens on the streets: “We are the ones that keep the culture alive.”
In Paris, Prunelle says, the real skating happens on the streets: “We are the ones that keep the culture alive.”
Joann Pai

Where to find skateboarding in Paris

Technically, one can find skateboarders—and skate with them (or solo!)—anywhere in the French capital. But here are a handful of spots throughout the city where you can meet the Parisian skating community. If you’re there to observe, be mindful of where you stand while watching and give the skaters adequate space. If you’re there to skate, bring your board, your best tricks, and a friendly bonjour (or salut, once you’re on more familiar terms with folks). For the uninitiated: To skate, in French, is skater, i.e. je skate, tu skates, il/elle/on skate. But as always, better to let your moves do the talking.

Palais de Tokyo — nearest Métro stops: Iéna and Alma-Marceau (both Line 9)
Come to The Dome to skate in the shadow of France herself—that is, the monumental statue La France, created by the French sculptor Antoine Bourdelle in 1922, depicting Athena, the goddess of war. Other sculptures line the smooth marble courtyard where skaters come to show off their tricks for tourists and each other as the Eiffel Tower watches from right across the Seine.

Place de la Bastille — nearest Métro stop: Bastille (Lines 1, 5, and 8)
This square sits at the site of where the prison and fortress Bastille Saint-Antoine once stood as, in the views of 18th-century French revolutionaries, a symbol of the monarchy’s abuse of power. Its storming and subsequent fall are commemorated annually on July 14, the fête nationale française—more commonly known to English speakers as Bastille Day. The ground here is smooth and flat, and there are low ledges where skaters practice.

Place de la République — nearest Métro stop: République (Lines 3, 5, 8, 9 and 11)
Dating back to the late 19th century, this enormous plaza was renovated from 2010 to 2013 in order to increase the amount of pedestrian space. Anchored by the Monument à la République (a depiction of Marianne, the personification of France), this place has been the setting of many significant French protests and demonstrations; on more ordinary days, the skating communities of Paris come here for the ramps and pyramids.

Espace de Glisse Parisien 18e — nearest Métro stop: Porte de la Chapelle (Line 12)
More commonly known as EGP 18, this free-entry indoor skatepark has features for skaters of all levels like bowls, vertical walls, and a snake run. The park is divided into areas for beginners and another for more advanced skaters. Newbies can rent equipment and certain hours on weekends are dedicated to families and their kids aged 3 to 7.

Olabo D.I.Y. Skatepark — nearest Métro stop: Porte de Saint-Ouen (Line 13)
Le Laboratoire de la Ride, a social project dedicated to street culture, skateboarding, BMX, and art, established this accessible space for skaters of all ages only recently. It has a calendar of programming, where some events are currently themed after the Olympics. You can join the association and support the continued development of the space through donations.

Read more of Condé Nast Traveler’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics here.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler

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