An introduction to the skate scene in Paris

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Starting with the passion of few resident skaters 15 years ago, more and more pedestrians got the buzz… the famous French skate scene was born!
It’s during the winter of 1995, when Paris was completely stuck for several weeks in a mess of strike movements and mass demonstrations, without any tubes or buses, that skating became a great alternative to commute and knew a fabulous expansion. Since then, its expansion hasn’t ceased!

Some new skating disciplines came and grew up (slalom, dance, jump, street…) and the skate turned up as a great means of transport. When the weather is nice it’s not rare to see an executive skating work, or a student skating to Uni! Well, all that it’s possible cause of the lovely quality of our smooth roads and pavements. Don’t be jealous Londoners, skater’s heaven is only 2h30 from you

The official Paris street skates
In Paris there is only two (but huge!) official and ruled weekly street skates: the FNF (Friday Night Fever) set up by the Pari-Roller association taking place (as you can guess!) every Friday night and the Rollers & Coquillages (Skates & Shells) street skate supervised every Sunday afternoon by its eponymous association: ‘Rollers-Coquillages’.

FNF
Created by a small bunch of skaters in 1993, this originally intimate and unauthorised ride has become an unavoidable rendezvous for skate freaks and is now run by the Pari Roller Association in paternership with the Prefecture de Police (Parisian police).
Starting at 10pm every Friday from Montparnasse for at least 3 hours and a new route every time, this 25-30 km circle ride gathers the largest number of skaters in the World, (10,000 +)! from 7 to 77 years old, with good skating skills.
The skate is supervised by some volunteer Staffeurs (equivalent of the Brit Marshals) of the association, helped in their task by the Police Nationale and its motor bikers present at the front of the procession, opening the route, and its Brigade Roller (rollercops) responsible for the safety of the street skate. At the back, a medical assistance (Protection civile) follows the procession in 2 ambulances to take care of the eventual injured.

Rollers et Coquillages
Based on the same principle as the FNF, this Sunday afternoon stroll is more chilled and opened to beginners and families. It starts at 2.30pm by Place de la Bastille and takes a 20km ride different every week. The route is usually quite flat and is perfect for new comers. It’s not unsual then to see some skating mummies pushing their pushchairs!

The suicide skates
Illegal and non-official, these small skates are organised by and for skaters but not supervised by any staff. There is some schedulded thematic suicide skates:
-La Rando de la Lune (The moon skate) : at every single full moon, the werewolves put their skates on and go for a wild skate in Paris streets, generally passing through the Bois de Vincennes in the middle of the night.
- Les Randos Sauvages (The wild skates) Taking place usually once a month and aiming to surpass itself. For example the double skate of the Parisian City halls, a 116km, 10 hours return trip through the 20 city halls of Paris (!) or the Strong Sensations skate aka (Where the skate usually don’t go) a 60km ride through stairs, tunnels, small alleys, Butte Montmartre.
- The RCL skate: an extremely fast speed skate starting every Monday evening from the Louvres.
- The Rando Belette (The Weasel skate): starting every Tuesday evening and going through unusual and original small streets and alleys.

The skate spots
A lot of places in Paris have became skating meeting points. Skaters and riders meet there (Invalides, Notre-Dame, Palais Royal, Trocadéro, Bastille…) up and practice all kind of skating disciplines: jump, slalom, dance, hockey, shuffle, roller soccer.

Skating legislation
Legal wise, there is no skate-specific regulations in France ; skaters are just considered as pedestrians and liable to the same rules – no street skating, obligation to skate on the pavement and cross on pedestrian walks… sometimes driving real pedestrians to despair (wtf are you doing on MY pavement)!
During the 2 main official street skates, skaters’ status changes, they are then considered as part as an official procession, they have to skate on the road and only the road keeping the pavements clear for pedestrians. And no car or pedestrians are allowed to cross the procession when it passes by.

Author: Mehdi is 22 studying French Literature. He got the skating buzz 3 years ago with the FNF. He skates to commute to Uni and work in the Parisian suburbs or just for fun in Paris listening to music and covers between 50 k and 200 k in an average skating week.
Mehdi recently joined the Basteam, a bunch of skaters meeting at Bastille to jump with a spring-board, and the Pari-Roller association where he is now one of the Staffeur.
And most importantly, he skates on DeeMax 3!