Paris 2024 skateboarding: Why you don’t want to miss park competitions at La Concorde

Skateboarding is moving from the rails, stairs and gaps to the hips, lips and transfers at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. While the name of the game has changed from ‘street’ to ‘park’, it doesn’t mean the competition will be any less thrilling, dynamic or spectacular at La Concorde.

From breathtaking 540s, to audacious body varials, skaters will push the boundaries of what’s possible with nothing but a strip of wood and four small wheels beneath their feet. They’ll shred, flip, hand-plant, spin and grind around a magnificent concrete monument to artistic impression and unbridled athleticism.

Aiming to impress the judges with their avant-garde musings, they’ll leave nothing on the line over two days of intense competition.

With thousands of fans packing the stands to cheer on their favourite skaters, the surreal will become real in the City of Lights, as skateboarding park makes its second appearance at the Olympic Games.

Skateboarding at Paris 2024: a competition like no other

Skateboarding’s best are relishing the chance to display their skills at Paris 2024. Veteran skater Andy Macdonald noted the increased enthusiasm amongst the skaters during a training session at La Concorde.

“Skateboarding has embraced the Olympics a lot more this time around,” said the 51-year-old British skater. “In Tokyo it was the first cycle, the first go, and everyone was a little gun-shy about how it was going to be presented and how it was going to be perceived. But we just saw in the street finals here, it was one of the best contests ever.”

He’ll look to make the park events equally memorable, as one of the 44 talented skaters looking to leave their mark on Paris. Those entered include Olympic champions Keegan Palmer and Yosozumi Sakura, world champions Gavin Bottger and Hiraki Cocona, and Olympic Qualifier Series winners Arisa Trew and Tate Carew.

Anticipation is so high that even the sport’s most celebrated champions can’t find tickets to attend the competition.

“My wife and son are coming on Tuesday, but I couldn’t get tickets for the whole family,” said Macdonald. “Tony Hawk can’t even get tickets for his whole family.”

It’s easy to see why demand is so high, when considering the comments made by athletes about the venue.

“You do a run, and then you skate across the deck and it’s like, ‘Is that the Eiffel Tower? Yep. Is that the Grand Palais? Yep, that too’. It’s a trip being here, where we are,” added Macdonald.

The venue isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s also technically impressive according to Ruby Trew.

“I really enjoy the park. I think it’s super cool,” said the 15-year-old representing Australia. “There are so many different obstacles. It’s probably my favourite so far.”

French skater Vincent Matheron echoed her comments, saying: “I like this park a lot. It’s a good park.

“I just hope I’m still going to be happy with it at the end of the contest, otherwise I will just do the French guy thing and complain,” he joked.

Many skaters also complimented the atmosphere at La Concorde, with spectators setting the tone for what to expect once the competitions begin.

“The crowd has been crazy, even just while we’re practising,” said Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Sky Brown. “Seeing the stands full of people has been really cool, they’ve been hyping us up - and I think it’s really going to hype us up for the comp. It’s going to be sick.”

With the right ingredients in place, skateboarding park is set to be truly spectacular at Paris 2024. All that’s left is the competition itself, which begins on 6 August.

Schedule for skateboarding park at Paris 2024

All times CET:

**6 August
**12.30 p.m. Women’s Park Prelims
5.30 p.m. Women’s Park Final

**7 August
**12.30 p.m. Men’s Park Prelims
5.30 p.m. Men’s Park Final