DC Shoes Critiques Skateboarding's Accessibility in Bordeaux With Leo Valls

DC Shoes has zeroed in on a discussion about redefining skateboarding’s role in the French city of Bordeaux, tackling issues on how lawmakers and politicians have been making it harder for people to skateboard in the city. Leo Valls, rider for Magenta Skateboards, gives us his personal take on the issue as he expresses his desire to make the city more skate-friendly in a short documentary titled DC SHOES: SKATE URBANISM – CREATING THE CITY OF THE FUTURE

Located in the Southern coast of France, Bordeaux is full of historical architectures, marble paths and winding alleys, with a sizable skateboarding community that has only been exponentially growing over the years. “I think skateboarding is really big in Bordeaux because the city’s really good for skateboarding,” says Leo Valls as he kicks off the documentary. He explains how the stigma around the sport has resulted in “repressive policies” that lead to things like being chased by police or being ticketed, all while the city has been adding more skate stoppers to its urban infrastructures.

But it also appears that not every city official is opposed to skateboarding. Near the end of the video, Vall meets with Arielle Piazza, Director of Sports and Youth in Bordeaux, who has been active in helping the skate community. She mentions that “it is important that the youth take an active and equal role in the city,” adding on to Vall’s earlier comment about his ethos on the sport: “To me skateboarding really is about being yourself and being creative in a way that eventually you can find your own identity.”

Scroll above to watch the short documentary DC SHOES: SKATE URBANISM – CREATING THE CITY OF THE FUTURE.

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