It is impossible to tell the history of Brazilian skateboarding without two elements: Parque Ibirapuera and Ibiraboys. The Park was the biggest focus of skateboarding resistance in the capital of São Paulo and, during the 1970s, the group emerged as the first generation of skaters in Brazil, representing the fight against oppression in the 1980s, a time when the sport became illegal in São Paulo. During all the struggle to regain spaces and revoke the ban, athletes did not have a suitable place to practice – until today. Re-signifying the new moment for the sport, after five decades without a space dedicated to skateboarding enthusiasts, Nike, together with Urbia, inaugurates the first skate park in the history of the Park: an important milestone for Ibirapuera and the skate community.
The delivery is part of the second stage of the brand’s project in partnership with the manager of Ibirapuera Park. In June, the sports brand delivered five new free sports spaces for Park visitors: a revitalized soccer field, two basketball courts and two sand courts.
Gustavo Viana, marketing director for Fisia, Official Nike Distributor in Brazil, says:
“Nike believes in the power of sport as a transforming agent in society, therefore, expanding access and democratizing sport is essential to make sport a daily habit in people’s lives. Knowing the strong connection between skateboarding and the park, nothing fairer than making the struggle of skaters from São Paulo a reality. We hope that the new space can boost and bring even more fans to the sport.”
The construction takes the form of a “street/track” with simulations of urban spaces and concepts of tracks suitable for the sport, including ramps and obstacles under technical measures for skateboarding. The structure has 600m2 of built area, with LED lights on the obstacles, bringing a unique experience to the visitors. Located on Ladeira da Preguiça, close to Gate 5, the development of the project relied on the expertise of PUG Skateparks, a company specialized in skate park projects together with qualified professionals in the sport.
“Our goal is to promote different sports in Ibirapuera. At the beginning of our management, we carried out research and identified that one of the main needs of skaters was the construction of a specific place to practice the sport. The delivery of the track, through this partnership with Nike, meets our goal of contributing to the strengthening of skateboarding in the capital”says Samuel Lloyd, director of Urbia.
The inauguration event of the track featured the masters of ceremony Sandro Testinha, founder of the NGO Social Skate, and Pipa Souza, a skater and one of the main voices of women’s skateboarding. On the athletes side, we had the presence of skaters Gabi Mazetto, Vinícius Costa and Leo Adrian. With sound, the DJ’s Sophia, Kefing and Sono TWS enlivened the night for everyone present.
For the moment of celebration, ten skaters were invited to perform Jam Sessions in 6 rounds to elect the best according to 5 skill categories decade by decade: 1st generation (1975-1985): Speed, 2nd generation (1985-1995): Air (tricks in quarters), 3rd Gen (1995 – 2005): Tech, 4th Gen (2005 – 2015): Combos, and 5th Gen (2015 – Present): Flow.
The judges of the Jam Sessions were Roger Mancha, skateboarding legend and coach of the Brazilian Skate Team, Marcos Hiroshi, professional skateboarder and CBSK judge, and Grazi Oliveira, skateboarder, communicator, presenter and influencer of women’s skateboarding. After the end of the Jam Sessions, Tricks for Shoes took place, an open challenge for 10 skaters from the public in three different obstacles on the track. The best maneuvers were awarded with a Nike SB product.
Want to know more about the news? Don’t forget to follow ADNEWS on social networks and stay on top of everything!
The post Nike and Urbia inaugurate the first skate park at Parque Ibirapuera appeared first on ADNEWS.