The wheel deal: How Bordeaux became one of the world’s most skateboarding-friendly cities

Think Bordeaux, think wine and history, right? Think again, says Rachel Ifans

Bordeaux has embraced ‘skateurbanism’ (Vincent Bengold)

The early September sun; the wide expanse of the Garonne river; the splashes of water in the Miroir d’Eau; the breeze in your hair as bikes, skateboards and scooters swoop past you: it all lends Bordeaux a feeling of flow.

But this urban harmony is a recent thing. Although Bordelais pro-skater Leo Valls has been skating in the historic French city for 20 years, it’s only in the past six that the council has gone from ticketing skaters and skate-stopping urban structures to what Leo calls “skateurbanism” – integrating skateboarding in public spaces rather than prohibiting it.

“They thought skateboarding could be banned but it cannot. It’s too free to be banned,” says Leo. “Yes, skateboarding is loud and it can feel dangerous, but it’s very positive for the city because it’s a social activity for kids and it’s safe when practised in public places. Also, skateboarding is a cultural phenomenon and it brings tourism to the city. In Bordeaux, we have people who come from Brazil, Japan, America and the UK to skate because they see the skate movies we make here.”