Skate urbanism – Creating the city of the future
Bordeaux: Skate City (DOCUMENTARY)
The story of Léo Valls and his hometown of Bordeaux is unlikely, to say the least. It is a story of skaters, artists, lawmakers and city officials working together to make the city more welcoming to skateboarding. But it is more than a story about a skater and a city… it is about redefining skateboarding’s role in the city of the future.
This documentary shows how, through skaters’ work with the local council, Bordeaux went from France’s strictest city on skateboarding bans to the first city in the country to allow skating in its streets, creating squares and obstacles for skaters to share harmoniously with residents.
When you mention skateboarding to most people, they immediately think of their teenage years. We often hear, “Oh yes, I used to skateboard as a teenager, but I stopped because I didn’t have time anymore.” One thing is certain: it’s like a bicycle; everyone has had one in the garage or stored away somewhere. But for the average person, at least in France, skateboarding is still seen as a teenage pastime.
Yet skateboarding goes far beyond common assumptions, and we’ll see that more and more, thanks in part to its inclusion in the Olympic Games.
For some, though, skateboarding is a form of expression that can be seen as a way to get around, a sport or even a way to express yourself. So what exactly is it?
Skateboarding is often seen as a playful activity that started in the streets and has now found its way into great skateparks springing up all over France and around the world. Skateboarding is a (very) large community bringing together people from every background, culture and country. Even skaters don’t all agree on what skateboarding really is: a sport, an art, a culture, a way of life? Are competitions good for the discipline, or should it stay “core” and above all preserve the spirit of its roots?
Everyone agrees on this: as soon as we talk about skateboarding, we think of freedom of movement, creativity and play. Skateboarding is undeniably both aesthetic and athletic, because it’s a physical activity as well as a means of expression.
See the evidence in pictures with this documentary (link here) produced by TV5, in which the presenter travels from Paris to Biarritz via Bordeaux, discovering urban spaces suited to different types of boards, as well as a scene closely linked to visual art and inseparable from self-expression.
A testament to Bordeaux's open-mindedness, and food for thought for our politicians as we build the city of the future together—perhaps with our help.
Click on the photo to watch the documentary
