Discovering Paris' Skater's Paradise
I arrived in Paris on a rainy day, and the city felt really depressing. Coming from Berlin where spring vibes shine all over the city, Paris didn’t seem very appealing to me. I started to google for skateparks in my neighborhood, indoor parks in the city, and then this gem of a park came up on the screen: ESPACE GLISSE PARIS 18.
I checked opening times and distance; it was just a 10-minute walk from my hostel and it opened in just a few hours, from 17:00-21:00 open to everyone on a Monday. I got super excited because in the photos I found on the internet, I already knew that the park has a lot of different obstacles and 2 super nice bowl sections.
A few minutes past 17:00, I was one of the first people at the park. And something I couldn’t believe: the park was completely free to use. No payment, wow! They just take down tons of paperwork haha with like your name and address and who to call in case you can’t speak anymore from an accident, but then you’re good to go and enjoy the park. I think they take protection gear like a helmet seriously because the guy at the door who signed me in asked for it and later on, when the place got packed, I didn’t see anyone without a helmet.
I first walked around the park, kinda overwhelmed with all the options you have to skate. Scroll to my images above, the place is 3,000 m², and encompasses so many different areas. Two bowl sections, a huge street course, so many ramps and fun things to skate on. It really is a skater's paradise. Maybe for some of our readers, especially from countries like the US, this is not even a big deal. But for me, coming from Berlin, we definitely don’t have this in our city, so yes, this is a dope park in my eyes!
Since it was a rainy day, the roof had a few leaks and water was dripping in here and there, but other than that, the park is in great condition. Before you go, always check the schedule or call them. The info on Google is not 100% correct. On a Tuesday, it’s just for girls, for example, and some days are for scooters or BMX or whatever. So make sure to check which slot is for you. It’s quite far outside of the city.
Everyone I met at the park was super nice and friendly. They all seemed to be mainly French locals but tried their best to keep a conversation in English going. It’s been a nice mix of people, from cool kids, boys, and girls, beginner skaters, adult skaters, mothers, pros. With so many areas to skate, there is really enough space for everyone without constantly getting in each other's way.
If you’re looking for a place to stay that’s cheap and nice and close to the park, check out the UCPA Sport Station Hostel Paris. It’s a 10-minute walk, and after skating, you can do other sports there and they have a cheap but nice breakfast.
So happy skating in Paris, everyone!
Editors Note: A couple of days later, I spoke with local Pariasoans at VEGA Skate Shop about the park, and they shared some other, not-so-positive opinions about it. Check out the interview here.
DOSE YouTube has more French skate culture coverage, like Stellio in Bordeaux:
