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.”
