Oui garçon, We went to Paris a few weeks back and did some danger planking.
It was Jasper's great idea to fly to the French capital over Easter week and get some film & photos and generally fool around. So after a bit of haggling with employers, Fuller, Jasper Pegg, Harley Miller, Charlie Munro and I had booked flights from Luton and all congregated at my house the evening before flying and after about 40 minutes sleep we loaded up and moved out.
Let's get this straight from the start, Paris stinks. Usually of stale urine. Every enclosed public space, every stairway, every Metro entrance tunnel, all you smell is putrid stale piss. It really was something I had a lot of trouble with to start with, but as I found after many hours of traipsing around the city I found any quiet corner a great comfort myself!
As we'd travelled very early in the day, we were out and searching for spots soon after 10 in the morning. The realisation that travel costs were going to be higher than on other trips was a blow, but as we skated from the Metro station to the first spot along the Seine in the spring sunshine expectations grew and the others skated off leaving the camera guy to catch up!
The first stop was Le Dome, The Palais de Tokyo modern and contemporary art museum. A well skated spot by the river in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower and as we played around on the heavily cracked marble I noticed heavy rain clouds approaching from across the river and within half an hour large raindrops were falling making the marble very interesting. And so it was, a cycle of half an hour of sun followed by five minutes rain for the next 3 hours.
This presented an opportunity to meet and skate with the locals in the more confined covered area at the top of the steps. Harley had a game of SKATE with some Parisian boys while Charlie skated the bike rail secured on one side of a set of steps. Much hilarity was had as at the bottom was a metal frame which he had to jump through once he was rolling away.
Suddenly, George Braham appeared in front of me, board under foot. I knew he'd been in Holland earlier in the week but had no idea he'd ended up in gay Paris at the same time as us! After a fag and a chat he got in on the action trying the biggest hubba he's ever skated. Beast!
 |
| George Braham - f/s 50-50 |
After further exploration of the steps by both Harley and Charlie with some pretty crazy stunts being recorded. These particular photos are being held back to be used for promotion of the new Milk Skateboards full length video expected late this year.
Patience padawan.
Jasper however, did get a couple of bits on the ledge at the front of the spot. But after rolling his ankle a number of times on the bottom step attempting to better an already landed trick the skating came to a painful end for him.
 |
| Jasper Pegg - nollie f/s tailslide biggy |
After a guided tour to a supermarket by one of the locals, we ate, drank and planned our next move and made it towards the Eiffel Tower leaving George until the next morning.
Paris pavements as a whole are as smooth as I could have wished for and skating from spot to spot on my Slimeballs was an absolute pleasure.
Approaching the Tower it became evident that we had to this point well avoided the tourist spots. The base of the tower was packed with hundreds of people patiently waiting to climb, so we stopped for the obligatory photo and moved on up the Trocadero.
 |
| 'appy bunch |
This shot was taken as we reached the top of the steps. After taking it we walked to the centre of the very large crowd and as we turned to face the tower it lit up with thousands of white sparkling lights. Everyone around us oooooohhhhhed and aaaahhhhhed and as the crowd quietened Harley said loudly "I don't get it, mine does that." and walked off.
With heavy feet we followed and made our way back to the hotel to check in and wash up before dinner. It was at this point that we found out we had a triple room... and a double. So, Fuller and I agreed to take the double room. Not an issue, just not how I thought sleeping arrangements would be. And Fuller suffered from my snoring, not me.
We eventually found a reasonable looking restaurant and ate and drunk well, accompanied by talk of the past day and plans for the next.
Up early with great expectations of the free breakfast we were met with a modest (but fresh) croissant and small white crusty roll, accompanied by jam sachets and as much sweetened orange juice as a man can drink. Enough to get us to the first shop we could find.
Our first stop was Place de la Republique to meet George. Charlie & Harley went to find tobacco and further breakfast. On their return about half an hour later with both requirements filled, they were full of "the french are so ***king rude" and "wish we'd stayed at home" and other such angry statements. Jasper & I were the next to go searching, this time for a good cup of coffee. We walked down 2 streets and found a nice, but quite expensive cafe with two very pleasant gents serving. At the end of our transaction one of them smiled & laughed at the other, and they explained that they were having a competition to sell the most cake and the three slices we had just purchased were going to put him in a strong lead!
We walked back very pleased with our purchases and I got down to business with the camera while Jasper rested his shot ankle.
 |
| Harley Miller - b/s smith |
 |
| Charlie Munro - nose blunt slide |
 |
| George Braham - f/s 50-50 |
Once the boys had had their fill we headed off to spot number two, La Défense.
Using the Metro had become very straightforward by now so a trip across the city took no time at all.
La Défense is Europe's largest purpose built business district and so was filled with ledges (mostly stopped), rails (mostly stopped) and a few stair sets and wall ride opportunities.
We sat in the shadow of the Grande Arche, took some photos and hatched a plan.
Skating down in the direction of Arc de Triomphe through the crowds of tourists we looked left and right for options. a group of skater in the distance drew our attentions.
After a quick chat we headed to a tall building that looked like the Starship Enterprise had crashed into it. A long set of steps with a wall across each end fronted the building.
George immediately charged the steps and despite a ruined ankle, Jasper proceeded to throw himself at one wall at the top of the steps. After a number of further rollings of the already rolled ankle he gave it up and lay in a crumpled heap at the foot of the steps.
After nursing him to his feet I noticed Fuller teetering on the edge of a high ledge and ended up with one of my favourite photos I've taken of him to date. I used a 15mm fisheye as a long lens. Worked quite well.
 |
| Jasper Pegg |
 |
| Fuller - ollie hang-up nose manual |
Moving down the hill once more we took a left to look at a temporary tarmac ramp over a large set of steps with a rough hubba down one side. This led to both Charlie & Harley throwing nose and tail slides down it.
 |
| Lunge-2-3-4... |
Setting up for these shots I noticed an concrete arch at the base of an adjacent building and went to look at the spot from the other side. While I sat there on the edge of a planter with my feet in a shrub numerous groups and single people passed and greeted me. Some even stopped to watch for a while. One of these passers by was a tramp. One side of his dirty, weathered face covered with some kind of green paint carrying nothing but the filthy trench coat on his back. I don't know what possessed me to but suddenly I heard myself saying "Bonjour, monsieur". What I rightly received as a reaction was a loud growl in my face and a tirade of what I can only assume was abuse. I tried to ignore him by setting my camera up again. As he moved on I looked over at Fuller sitting at the top of the spot. He was shaking his grinning head.
The boys were starting to get there so I concentrated half on them and half on the bystanders to avoid any intrusions into frame. A few minutes later a tiny security van pulled up a few yards away, but to my surprise the two guards within exited the vehicle and stood watching for a moment, turned and walked in the opposite direction. Safe!
 |
| Harley Miller - nose slide |
 |
| Charlie Munro - tail slide (fakie?) |
On the other side of the concrete hubba you can just make out in Charlie's photo an angled glass roof making this spot much more dangerous than it looks.
Onward, and back on to the main street and further down the hill to a double stair set. Charlie proceeded to destroy the stairs and photos were taken, but Charlie want's to save the footage for another project so they may get posted at a later date.
On the way back to the hotel that evening we took a detour across town to The Cage.
The pact states that what happens in the cage, stays in the cage. We skated home on the pavements which luckily was all down hill! On our return a good meal was eaten and a relaxing evening was had.
Day three began in the same fashion as day two.
Across town to the banks of a small river where a bank that Jasper wanted to skate was situated. Having seen this spot on videos, nothing prepared us for how rough the cobbled floor was. Jasper, still nursing a pretty fat ankle proceeded to spin around on the lip of the bank. I walked up onto a bridge over the river and tried something different before coming back down and shooting some closer shots of Jasper, Fuller and Harley.
This was Easter Monday, so there were a lot of runners and walkers on the cobbled walkway along the river, but again they just passed by or stopped and watched from a reasonable distance.
 |
| Jasper Pegg - switch f/s nose grind |
 |
| Fuller - b/s crook |
 |
| Jasper Pegg - f/s 5-0 |
 |
| Harley Miller - f/s tail slide revert |
 |
| Harley Miller - f/s 5-0 fakie |
We skated from this spot, over the river and up the road about a quarter of a mile to another spot which we found to be under reconstruction and completely fenced off. So back on the Metro and on to another spot to meet one of Jasper's Stephen Malet now living in Paris.
On the way, Harley did something cool which is again to be kept for promo use at a later date.
Stephen took us to a couple of spots including a bank to high bar with a stair set down on end of the bank where Instagram clips were captured. And a circular bowl with a large vert wall on one side. Not great to skate, but we chilled, drank beer and messed about as the sun went down.
Day four was my last day due to work commitments but the others would stay another day.
It began quite late. We arrived at the first spot of the day and what would be my last at around midday.
Not a spot I recognised but the others seemed to know it. Again the clouds were elsewhere and hot spring sunshine reflected off all horizontal surfaces forcing all behind shades. This would not last as I found later as I boarded the plane home.
I got to shoot a few photos without a flash of everyone skating a long, sloped marble ledge before being forced to pack up and say my goodbyes to the rest of the group. I skated back to the station and made my way back to the hotel to pack.
You don't want to read about my journey home so I'll leave you with these last shots and needless to say, a very enjoyable and successful trip.
 |
| Charlie Munro - b/s crook |
 |
| Fuller - f/s 50-50 |
 |
| Harley Miller - f/s 5-0 |
#milkskateboards #skateboarding #paris #france #europe #photography #outdoors
