« A beginning, is a very delicate time »* or so a princess told me a long time ago and this one was a master class – meaning this one was a master class – meaning this almost literally since some of us started out this edition of Connect Skaturbanism Festival with a full day of workshop around the theme « Sciences and Skateboarding », in collaboration with the ESSCA – School of Managment and presented by Juilette Evon and Jean-Sebastien Lacam. Eleven international participants came to present their research, share their thoughts and studies at the crossroad of sociology, ethnography, urbanism, territorial and identity-based dynamics. It was dense, passionate and gave us more than great food for thought, it gave perspective for the whole skate community.
But all this happened before the actual beginning, or should I say the launch since we were officially welcomed by Léo Valls and Pierre Hurmic (the mayor of Bordeaux) – on this point I cannot stress enough how much important and how meaningful it is to witness a mayor not just welcoming a crowd of skaters but talking about the pride and genuine happiness of representing a city that is not only friendly to skate but that is willing to be a place of development and possibilities – and invited to participate to skate sessions, discover the spots around the city, check out the exhibitions, go listen to a plethora of amazing panels and enjoy this second edition to the fullest.
As for any launching night, it was about gathering and celebrating, and what better way to do this than a top-notch selection of video premiere starting with Remi Luciani’s last project “Monstro de Bankok”. He took us rushing about through ribbons of light and concrete, didgeridoos and liquid sunsets following Ben Koppl, Léo Valls, Charles Myatt and Tony Runsawang between street spots and sacred buildings, living us amazed and in a trippy haze before going back to Bordeaux with the DC Shoes project “The Plaza Project – Koening Episode”; a familial-feeling part that has everything, tricks, rhythm, smiles, flow, and all this on a single iconic plaza that is such a symbol of the city’s skate history.
Finally, it wouldn’t be a proper Bordeaux opening night without a Magenta video projection: a part/documentary that is not just a skate video but also a video on what it means to skate, to be a skater, and pays homage in the most elegant way not only to a brand but to its team members. Generous, curious, creative and fraternal. Last night someone told me «This place brings back so much nostalgia, drinking beers here feels like last year’s edition was yesterday », and yes it does. But so much has happened, it had an impact and it shows, it transpires in the energy going around: everyone seems so happy and eager to share that it ought to be a great, wonderful edition.
*(drink on me for the first person who knows this one, it’s the very first sentence of a movie)
Paule Comsao