The temple of tennis has once again been transformed into a giant skatepark. This Saturday, 10,000 passionate and particularly chauvinistic spectators filled the stands of the central court of Roland-Garros for the second Parisian edition of the Street League Skateboarding. In a supercharged atmosphere, where each successful figure triggered a clamor worthy of the greatest matches, it was the American Nyjah Huston, bronze medalist at the Paris Olympic Games, who imposed his law.
At 31 years old, the sacred monster of the board proves that he remains at the highest level in the world. While a serious injury had sidelined him from skateboarding for several months after a fall on a stair railing, the American made a victorious return to the summit. He is ahead of the Japanese Toa Sasaki and the Brazilian Giovanni Vianna at the wire.
Vincent Milou's lucky jersey
On the French side, hopes rested largely on Vincent Milou, winner of the previous edition. The 29-year-old from Landes finished this time in 5th place, wearing a legendary jersey from the France 98 team flocked Lizarazu and autographed by Zinédine Zidane. “A good luck charm, I never take it out of the cupboard! » laughs the French skateboarder, interviewed by the press after the competition.
After several months spoiled by physical problems, Vincent Milou is especially enjoying the joy of regaining his feelings against the best. “It feels good to skate at this level, to be back and to feel in good shape and calm, two months ago that wasn’t the case,” he confides. “The atmosphere is crazy, it’s growing! It was a fantastic final with a huge level, I’m super happy for Nyjah. It took him a while to come back after his injury, that’s cool for him. »
A satisfaction shared by the public, even if the French clan remained a little unsatisfied. Deprived of Aurélien Giraud, injured in the knee and forced to observe his comrades from the stands, the French team also saw Lawrence Ravail fail at the gates of the final during qualifying.
XXL level and Japanese armada among women
The women's field offered an equally stunning spectacle, illustrating Japan's unrivaled supremacy in world skateboarding with four Japanese selected among the five finalists. But victory ultimately went to the gifted Australian Chloe Covell, only 16 years old, victorious with 31.9 points at the end of a breathtaking thriller ahead of Coco Yoshizawa and Liz Akama. “I’m really delighted that all the girls are giving their all,” reacts the winner. It was really difficult, everyone takes it to the next level and I had a lot of fun. »
Frenchwoman Lucie Schoonheere, 16 years old, is discovering the SLS circuit this year. Ranked 10th for her first, she prefers to retain the positive despite a very legitimate hint of disappointment. “For me it was quite similar to the Olympics in terms of atmosphere,” confides the woman who finished 11th at the Paris Olympics in 2024. “I could have done better during my visit, but I am not losing hope. I have the potential to do great things in this circuit which I really like. The level of girls is exploding, there is incredible competition. Everyone motivates each other and pushes each other to the top. »
