IT'S HAPPENING.

BENCHMARK FEST, PARIS, 2024

In 2024 we moved the Benchmark Fest to June 21th (Go Skateboarding Day), which happens to be Fête de la Musique (National Music Day) in France. So be partnered with Converse and Spotify over 2 days to combine skateboarding and music, with a street session at Gare de Lyon on the first day (with a 3000€ prize money) followed by a series of concerts (Mandyspie, Kevin Abstract, Mairo, Shredit Max, Mad Rey) and DJ sets at Ground Control for the Skate Noise Paris playlist launch.

On the second day the Nozbone Benchmark Contest came back to which was added the Oscar Candon best trick contest on a unique obstacle designed by himself and a total of 4000€ prize money, before the Pop Trading Company video premiere, a Dimeh showcase and more partying.

Add to this a Skate Village with our favorite local skateshops, artists, NGO’s and brands, and a tribute to Lionel Dominoni, Art direction by Nicolas Malinowsky, video by Thomas Courteille, photos by Cyril Gourdin and Thibault Le Nours.

ASICS SKATEBOARDING QUADRENNIUM, PARIS, 2024

Asics jumped into skateboarding only recently and after a launch in the US and in Australia, it was time to bring it to Europe. In partnership with KVL Connect, Bad Brains produced a 2-day event on May-31st and June 1st in Paris, starting with a photo exhibition, a video premiere and a party at La Montgolfière, after a wear test on the infamous Creteil Plaza.

On day 2 was organised an open session on Place de la Bastille with custom obstacles designed by Bad Brains and built by Atelier Mirandon, mixing granite, concrete and steel, that were left to the locals and donated to a local skate club. Eventhough the rain disrupted the event, we managed to post pone the session to the next morning.

We also took care of accommodation and trips of the invited French skateshops and Japanese Asics crew.

La Villette Freestyle Festival, Paris, 2023

On May 27th and 28th took place the Freestyle Festival in La Villette, the largest public park located in the north part of the French capital. Street art, basket ball, music, parties and skateboarding, for free.

Bad Brains took care of the skateboarding side of things with initiations hosted by qualified coaches, a best trick contest, demo’s with César Dubrocca, Hugo Corbin, Jules Tortuyaux and Juan Renaux, a Realaxe women’s only session and some board upcycling by our friends from Spotwaste. Good times.

Salon des sports, Paris, 2023

In partnership with Skateparks de France, we sat up a booth with a mini ramp, a giant screen and whole team to welcome the French mayors in need of knowledge about urban cultures. Not our typical audience.

The main goal was to animate this corner of the tradeshow and inform mayors about how to deal with skateboarding, build a skatepark or just learn about the values of it, in order to integrate it into the life or their cities.

Benchmark Fest, Paris, 2022

Following the 2021 edition, we went back to La Cité Fertile with the same recipe but the same motivation to celebrate skateboarding. Mornings were filled with free skate courses, afternoons with skate events et Saturday night hosted a clubbing option by Rinse France.

New obstacles built by Skatepharma based on the original ‘Benchmark Benches’ were spread into the 400 square meters indoor building while the outside had became an official skate fair/tradeshow with around 20 booths.

The Golden Blocks, Paris, 2022

Since 2014, Golden Blocks bring classic sports to the kids where nothing usually happens. This non-profit just got more ambitious in 2022 by introducing alternative sports like skateboarding and with opening The Golden Blocks Academy. Where sports meets education.

They reached us to take care of the skateboarding side of things so we got instructors, custom made obstacles, complete boards and full pads, and made sure all these kids will never forget their first step on a skateboard!

Flower by Kenzo, Paris, 2022

For the launch of their new product and campaign called L’Absolue, Kenzo asked Stéphane Borgne to make it happen. Different field, different audience, but still a success.

BENCHMARK FEST, Paris, 2021

After 2 years of COVID, we felt the need to bring back the infamous Benchmark Contest to the Parisian scene. Only this time we decided to add a full festival around it and secure the skateboarding side with an indoor location for 2 days.

We created special concrete obstacles based on the original ‘Benchmark benches’ and had booths, video screenings, initiations, showcases and good fun despite the heavy rain. Be sure that the Benchmark Fest. will return to La Cité Fertile in 2022!

A PROPOS #22…

A Propos magazine & De Paris Yearbook joined forces at Nozbone for the launch of their new issue, on February 6th, 2020. Window painting by the one and only Morgan Navarro.

LOCKDOWN ONLINE QUIZZ

Live quizz on social media during the first lockdown in France. Skate culture and good times directed by Alexis Papadopoulos and Ahmed Ghazi.

The Sour Solution II video premiere, 2019

There will always be skateboarding videos, and some of them need to be watch on the big screen. So we found this great location on Place de la République, branded the place, got a beer partnership, invited the scene and screened the highly expected second Sour Solution video. And surprised Oscar Candon turning pro. Good fun for all.

Le Garage Janoski, Paris, 2019

To celebrate the 10 years of the iconic Janoski shoe, Nike SB opened Le Garage Janoski for more than a month in the very center of Paris. Beyond the daily sessions in the skatepark, Le Garage also hosted a bar, an exhibition, initiations and music sessions. Along with the Nike SB crew, Stéphane Borgne managed the whole thing, from scouting, designing, MCing, hosting and all you can imagine to make sure everything run smooth.

VANS ULTRA RANGE EVENT PRO EVENT

In 2018, the process of rebuilding Place de la Nation in Paris started by reducing space allowed to cars. Eventually, that just left a large no-man’s-land that skateboarding naturally exploited.

When Vans needed an event for the launch of the Ultra Range Pro shoe, a large branded wallride/quarter pipe was built and installed for a day on the plaza, with the city permission and the precious help of the Cosa Nostra Skatepark staff.

FIAC X Raphaël Zarka, Paris, 2018

When geometry meets skateboarding by the Champs-Elysées.
Before being a worldwide and recognized artist Raphaël Zarka is a skateboarder. Most of his projects have a strong link with his first love, and this one was quite unique and short-lived: a ‘cycloidal ramp’ sitting in front of the Grand Palais for a week. From the original concept, dealing with the city council until the dismount of the masterpiece, Stéphane Borgne took care of it all, along with the Nike SB crew.

ADIDAS Dasdays

Parisian link with 19-93 Agency for the 10 days event in the 10th arrondissement in September 2018. Local production and animation, from scouting for locations to photo reporting.

BENCHMARK CONTEST, PARIS, 2017

For its 10 year anniversary, the Nozbone Benchmark Contest got inspired by the Bauhaus movement and travelled to Berlin the weekend after the Parisian contest, in partnership with Civilist Skateshop and Nike SB.

LOMEPAL FLIP TOUR

Tour managing of Lomepal’s Flip Tour that launched his international career in 2017. Wild concerts in the streets of Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Montpellier, Geneva, Barcelona, Lille, Brussels and Paris in September 2017. Big time. In collaboration with Grand Management and Nike SB.

BENCHMARK CONTEST, BERLIN, 2017

For its 10 year anniversary, the Nozbone Benchmark Contest got inspired by the Bauhaus movement and travelled to Berlin the weekend after the Parisian contest, in partnership with Civilist Skateshop and Nike SB.

Benchmark video premiere, Paris, 2016

In partnership with the Paris Surf & Skateboard Film Festival, we hosted the premiere of the Benchmark Video 2016 at the MK2 Bibliothèque right after the traditional price giving of the Benchmark Contest.