Nearly a year before the Olympic Games, the 26th edition of FISE (Festival international des sports extrêmes) took place from May 17 to 21, 2023, one of the biggest events showcasing urban sports.
A major event in the urban sports FISE de Montpellier is a must-attend event for all lovers of extreme sports. The best pro and amateur athletes gathered on the banks of the River Lez, to set the Montpellier public alight, as well as crowds from all over France. All in all, some 500,000 spectators flocked to see the impressive show put on by 2,000 athletes who came to perform one trick after another! The event was all the more eagerly awaited as this year it hosted 2 Olympic qualifying events and 6 World Cup stages, including the Breaking and BMX Freestyle Park, now part of the sports represented at the Olympic Games. Other popular sports include street skateboarding, freestyle scootering and freestyle rollerblading.
French sensations
In terms of results, we can be proud of our French. In the final of the BMX Freestyle World Cup, local boy Anthony Jeanjean brought the crowds to their feet. The long-awaited winner took second place on the podium, just behind Australian Olympic champion Logan Martin. In the women's category, Laury Perez caused a sensation by taking third place! The French also held their own in the other disciplines. This was particularly true of Julien Cudot, winner of the Roller Freestyle Park event, and Estéban Clot, who caused a sensation in the Scooter Freestyle Park event.
Project X Paris at the heart of the show
Away from the stands, the FISE experience is also very much alive. Parties, entertainment and a village of exhibitors where you can find your favorite brands. Project X Paris wasn't going to miss the opportunity to show its face there. We were present at the event, thanks in particular to Thomas, one of our Montpellier dealers (big ups to them), who proudly represented PXP! Our teams were on hand to bring you live coverage of the event via our Instagram stories. To mark the occasion, we didn't hesitate to offer exclusive products such as stickers to stick on your board, trott or BMX, as well as boards! A first for our brand! Inspired by our latest SS23 collection, the 5 skateboard models feature different decks. Some are sleeker, like the black with the PXP logo or the pale pink with the signature logo, while others are more graphic, echoing the codes of skate culture, like the ones with smileys or the red and black with broken hearts, a nod to the PXP logo. heartbreaker collection.
Streetwear and urban sports closely linked
Project X Paris, France's number 1 streewear brand, has established itself at the heart of the skateboarding and bike life worlds. Our collections have won over a public in search of stylish, comfortable clothing. Our most popular outfits include : visit full logo caps which can be found in 10 different colors to match your outfit, signature tank tops to be worn in a fitted or oversized version, the hoodies These are regular jeans accessorized with vintage sneakers.
BMX and skateboarding: Increasingly popular disciplines in France
Once stigmatized, these street sports are now widely democratized. This is due to the emergence of social networks, which relay and promote these sports en masse. "I've been making a living from my sport for twenty years, and I'm lucky enough to be sponsored, but I have to admit that social networks have changed everything," said Alex Jumelin, four-time BMX Flat Land world champion, speaking to France Info. Disciplines that were once confidential have now succeeded in making a name for themselves, bringing notoriety and a fresh outlook. Although urban sports are not new, they have long suffered from a poor image. A product of the counter-culture, they first appeared in the late 1950s. Lacking financial means or infrastructure, children and teenagers took to the streets of big cities to gather and play together. The rules were more flexible than in stadiums and gymnasiums, and this wind of freedom, increasingly appreciated in the years 1968-1970, led to the emergence of new practices in sports that had previously been highly supervised. This was the era when skateboarding and roller skating became sports in their own right.
Bike life: An art of living
In the years that followed, these sports, seen as a lifestyle in their own right by their communities, became the emblem of those who wished to challenge the system in place. Once associated with a marginalized style, these extreme athletes were often considered unsociable. Thanks to the power of social networking and companies such as Red Bull, their reputation underwent a 180-degree turn, and came back in force in the 2000s. With new looks and new targets, the world of skateboarding has regained a smoother reputation and is attracting new recruits. Highly Instagrammable, a new trend and new stars are emerging to the point of attracting more and more people to skateparks. In fact, the crowds are so great that urban facilities are struggling to keep up with demand. Young and old alike seem to have a passion for these new sports, which can be played anywhere and are even becoming a new means of locomotion. One thing's for sure: urban sports will continue to be the stuff of dreams for generations to come!