A skateboarding competition arouses great enthusiasm in Rouyn-Noranda

Organized by Abitibi SKATE, the competition brought together some thirty junior and senior snowboarders in the Le GRIP indoor park.

The organizer of the competition and founder of Abitibi SKATE, Alain Bergeron, said he was pleased with the number of participants registered for the event. He believes such competition can be a source of motivation for some riders.

It’s 50-50 I would say. There are some young people that it turned them on, it made them cringe and who wanted to practice and that it gave them motivation. Others saw it a little more stressful, it’s their first competition in life. It’s never easy, there are some who were less comfortable, but I think they liked the experience and if it happens again, they will come backhe says.

Emma Gagnon-Lavallée, the only girl registered in the juniors, is one of those for whom this was their first competitive experience.

This is my real first real competition. I attended another, but that I do it, it’s my first time. It was a little stressful because I am someone who puts a lot of stress in life and falling asleep tonight was not easy. The atmosphere, the fact that it’s the first time I’ve done this, it’s more stressfulshe says.

The girl began to practice the sport last summer, with the advice of her brother.

It’s been about a year, a year and a half. I started last summer with my brother who bought himself a board and started. I bought myself one too and that’s how it started. He taught me to do three little tricks and now I’m almost better than him.she laughs.

Participating in the competition and practicing the board for nearly 20 years, Vincent Gratton is delighted with the organization of such events, which according to him allow the sport to grow in the region.

When I was young, we didn’t really have skate park in Rouyn so we were always on the street and we couldn’t really drive. So today is cool with the new skate park, Alain Bergeron who organizes all the events and gives lessons to young people. It makes the Abitibi-Témiscamingue community grow. Before, we weren’t really that many, we all knew each other and now it seems like it’s getting bigger so it’s really coolhe said.

Alain Bergeron confirms that the popularity of skateboarding in Abitibi-Témiscamingue is indeed on the rise.

Yes there was a dip [ces dernières années], but there was a great boom afterwards. I think it’s the activities we organize, the presence we have in the regions that show that it’s done skateboarding and that it is accessible. We have lots of activities in festivals and in schools, some call me to go and do initiations with them and the students. It’s more and more accessible, it’s more and more in demand and the fact that the sport is now at the Olympics, that it’s 13-year-olds who have won most of the medals, it’s in requesthe confirms.

Although the sport is gaining in popularity, young Emma Gagnon-Lavallée would like more young girls to jump on the board to accompany her in competitions.

I’ve always been into more extreme sports, where there are a lot more guys, like scooter riding. I’ve always been in a guy’s environment and I would like more girls to come and practice in my environment.she wishes.

Facilities to improve?

Although the Le GRIP skateboard park represents an improvement in the regional offer for skateboarders by allowing them to indulge in their sport during the winter, Alain Bergeron nevertheless believes that the facilities are not adequate in the region, particularly in Rouyn-Noranda.

Unfortunately in Abitibi, the facilities are not of high quality. There is one in Amos and another in Macamic on which we were advisers, these skate parksthere are great, but the one in Rouyn is really inadequate. For the size of the city, for the accessibility to the land, for the quality of the modules. There are plenty of reasons why it’s not adequate, it would be better to have a second, bigger one, especially since accessibility on school grounds is difficult when the school is not is not finished, there are no lights at night, there are lots of little details like thathe says.

Mr. Bergeron indicates that many snowboarders choose to leave the region to practice in more suitable facilities.

In the region we are not pampered at the level skate park. Most people go outdoors, we travel a lot to Kirkland Lake or New Liskeard, Ontario or Montreal to go skateboarding because here the facilities are too small or too badhe points out.

In this sense, the construction of the Agnico Eagle Skatepark, which will open at Cadillac next fall, is excellent news for Mr. Bergeron.