Story by Elly Mather
For the past year, competition skateboarding has remained at a standstill awaiting its return following the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer has brought new hope for skate contests with a successful Olympic debut and major events such as Dew Tour and Street League resuming play. The Red Bull Paris Conquest event is no exception to the amazement that is offered through skateboarding competitions.
Unlike most skate comps, the course for the Red Bull Paris Conquest consisted of an amalgamation of classic Parisian street spots including Maison Gare Du Nord, Bercy, La Vague, Curb de Luxembourg, Quais de Seine, and a piece of art that resembles four kickers. Out of these six spots only three remain standing, so this contest was also a tribute to historical landmarks from Parisian skateboarding’s past.
Ben Powell, who was commentating for the event, explained that the last skate contest at Trocadero Gardens was 33 years ago, and that event had also been sponsored by Etnies. Powell also gave insight on how important this competition is for street skating because it isn’t a course designed for a best trick contest on a handrail, and the features were set up to inspire the riders to come up with creative ways to connect tricks.
The @RedBull Paris Conquest was a beautiful homage to Parisian skateboarding and is a representation of how much skateboarding has grown. The crowd for both days was around 3500+, all gathering to watch the best skaters thrash these iconic spots. The competition was broken up into heats of two skaters, and each heat had a 5-minute jam session. Congrats to Leticia Bufoni and Trevor McClung who took home first place for their respective genders. The others that earned a spot on the podium were Aori Nishimura, Aurelien Giraud, Charlotte Hym, Vincent Milou and Eugenia Ginepro. Thanks to Etnies, Pierre Andre Senizergues and Red Bull for making this event happen.
#RedBullParisConquest #skate #Paris
Final classification (men):
1 / Trevor McClung (USA)
2 / Aurélien Giraud (FRA)
3 / Vincent Milou (FRA)
Final classification (women):
1 / Leticia Bufoni (BRA)
2 / Aori Nishimura (JAP)
3 / Charlotte Hym (FRA)
The world’s street elite went head-to-head on a unique skatepark at Place du Trocadéro, Paris, showcasing their skills around some of the most iconic Parisian skate spots, reinterpreted into place for the event. See the contest replay at https://www.redbull.com/int-en/events/red-bull-paris-conquest
