Leo Valls: How Skateboarding Transformed Bordeaux, France

Leo Valls might be known for his powerslides and one-footed tricks, but in Bordeaux, France, he’s a local hero who’s reshaped the city’s skateboarding landscape. For years, Leo has worked with Bordeaux’s local government to reverse restrictive policies towards skateboarding, leading to significant positive change for the community.

Street skating was once illegal in Bordeaux, but thanks to Leo and others, the city has embraced skateboarding, building new skate spots and remodeling older ones, such as Terrasse Koenig. This traditional European-style plaza is now a haven for skaters. As a testament to this transformation, Leo filmed his entire Bordeaux Exposure 3 part at Terrasse Koenig, and we’re excited to share his story, along with his insights into dealing with the French government and the inspiration behind his video part.

You can find more incredible skating from France’s wine capital by purchasing Julien Januszkiewicz’s Bordeaux Exposure 3 here.

Q&A with Leo Valls

Leo Valls Portrait

What does Terrasse Koenig mean to the Bordeaux skate community?

Terrasse Koenig holds deep historical significance, as it’s where skateboarding in Bordeaux first emerged in the 1970s. In the 90s, the city tried to stop skateboarding by adding strips to the ground. The recent renovation, done in collaboration with the city, made it skateable again, and this felt like a major victory. We repaved the ground and made the ledges grindable. Now, original skaters from 40 years ago share the space with the new generation. The plaza is full of skaters daily.

What’s the history of the conflict with street skateboarding in Bordeaux?

Bordeaux has always had a big skateboarding community. Its marble plazas and smooth, narrow streets attracted skaters but also led to complaints from residents due to noise. For a decade, the city prohibited skating in most main spots, enforcing a “you have skateparks, you can’t skate the streets” mentality. This forced skaters to be sneaky and skate at night, always running from the police.

After living in California and Japan for skateboarding, I returned to find the situation terrible. Seeing teenagers chased by police and almost hit by a tram shocked me.

Leo Valls skateboarding

How did you connect with local politicians?

A local news station interviewed me, and I used that opportunity to voice my concerns about the city’s skateboarding policies live on TV. This created a snowball effect, with more media outlets questioning the city’s stance. Eventually, the mayor’s office reached out to find solutions.

We created a group of local skaters and began negotiating with the mayor and his team. Around the same time, the local architecture center invited us to host an exhibition about Bordeaux’s skate culture. During a public talk with journalists, skaters, and residents, I debated with the mayor about skateboarding’s importance.

What points did you make?

We stressed that street skateboarding is good for the city, promoting youth engagement and social cohesion. We made it clear that skateboarding will happen regardless of policies. The city asked my friend Arnaud Dedieu and me to develop a master plan for street skating in Bordeaux. This marked a turning point.

For previously forbidden plazas, we proposed timeframes where skateboarding could be allowed, inspired by Montreal’s Peace Park. It’s essential to share spaces, especially when noise is an issue for hotels or retirement homes. For other spots, we suggested remodeling, such as de-knobbing or making them more appealing for skateboarding.

Do you ever get frustrated by the popularity of Terrasse Koenig?

[Laughs] Yes, the plaza is quite popular after the remodel, sometimes too crowded to skate. When that happens, we find other spots in the area. It’s amazing to see how a dead zone has become a lively place with people skating, dancing, or doing parkour. Skateboarding brings life to places.

Leo Valls skating at Terrasse Koenig

How is dealing with politicians different from dealing with skateboarders?

It’s very different. My father, a psycho-sociologist, taught me to adapt my language to the audience while staying authentic. It’s interesting to consider different perspectives.

Politicians have plans and want to be liked. By understanding their needs, you can become a resource, and they can become a tool for you. The goal is a win-win situation.

Is it true you’re related to the former French Prime Minister?

No, that’s a total hoax! [Laughs] But I have a funny story. Once, a rude municipal cop asked for my ID when skateboarding was illegal. Seeing my name, he thought I might be related to the Prime Minister and let me go without a ticket. What an idiot.

If you were a politician, what would your campaign slogan be?

“Liberty, fraternity, skatability”!

Leo Valls trick

The Bordeaux Exposure title and black-and-white footage seem like an homage to Eastern Exposure. What’s your inspiration?

I love 90s East Coast skate videos, especially Eastern Exposure 3. They’re urban, raw, and honest, focusing on the relationship between skateboarding and the city.

Julien Januszkiewicz, the filmmaker behind Bordeaux Exposure, is a big fan of 90s skate videos and definitely pays homage to that era. Julien works full-time as a chemist managing a lab, but he loves filming his friends skateboarding. He films everyone, regardless of their reputation, and asked me to film a full part for the third Bordeaux Exposure. Since I prefer themed parts, filming at Koenig made perfect sense.

What do you like about themed parts? What are your favorites?

I like when skateboarding tells a story, rather than just being about tricks. Each of my parts has a specific theme or vibe, like the woops in SF or the old architecture in Bordeaux. Themed parts are more memorable.

I also love Soy [Panday]’s part from Static 3, with his lines around the world set to Mad World.

[Takahiro] Morita has also created some amazing themed parts, particularly his Strush part that addresses the nuclear disasters in Japan.

Leo Valls skateboard trick

How quickly do you flat spot your wheels from powersliding?

It’s an ongoing issue. Just kidding, I actually don’t flat spot my wheels much. Or maybe I don’t notice it, since powersliding fixes flat spots!

Do you have anything to say to the haters who say you do them too often?

[Laughs] There’s no such thing as too many powerslides for me! I love the feeling of going fast and sliding. I’ve been working on powerslide to ledge trick combos. Skateboarding is about finding your own style and developing your own way of moving and seeing spots.

Too many skaters follow trends, which prevents them from developing their own identities. I’ve always admired skaters who are true to themselves.

Leo Valls powersliding