Aurélien Giraud, the little prince of skateboarding
While the local skateboarding community has been closely following Aurélien Giraud, a big hope for a medal at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games, for some time already, most people in Lyon did not become aware of this young 25-year-old man until last February, when he won the World Skateboarding Championship in the “street” discipline. This was a first for a French skateboarder! When he’s not touring the United States or taking part in competitions around the world, you’re most likely to spot him at the Gerland skatepark or on Place Louis Pradel, next to the Hôtel de Ville (city hall), as he remains strongly attached to his home city, the local skateboarding scene and the spots where he developed his skills.
Notre rencontre avec Aurélien Giraud
Last February, at the age of 25, you won the title of world street skateboarding champion; how has it changed your life?
It’s really cool, because all of a sudden I’m the title holder, even though it also adds pressure. I try to forget about it, focus on what lies ahead of me and, above all, enjoy things as much as possible. It definitely brings fame. It began in 2019, when I won a stage at the world championships that was a qualifier for the Games, but this is a step above that, even though there is still a lot left to be accomplished. I have other goals and I need to keep the momentum going..
Is the ultimate aim the 2024 Paris Olympics ?
This is the medium-term plan, with the aim of winning a medal... but we’re not there yet. I like to work in levels, so I concentrate on each competition as it comes. I think this is the best approach: gradually complete each stage and live from day to day.
Is it important for you to represent France at a competition like the Olympic Games ?
In theory, skateboarding takes us beyond borders. We’re just proud to represent the big family of skateboarders, more than our country or city. But things are a bit different with some competitions like the Olympic Games. I find it really motivating to represent my country! France is my country and I’m proud of it, so representing it is definitely a huge thing. It gives me extra strength, because you know that you’re not alone, that it goes beyond you, and it makes you want to do even better; much more than if it’s just for you alone. I’m also proud to represent Lyon. It’s my city and it’s where I grew up. My family, my friends and my origins are here. It’s here that it all started.
Particularly so given that the skateboarding scene is so important in Lyon...
I’m not saying this because I’m a Lyonnais, well maybe a little bit [laughs!], but there really is a skateboarding scene in Lyon, perhaps the biggest in France, with loads of former professional skateboarders and current skateboarders like JB Gillet and Flo Mirtain, colleagues who I skateboard with every day. Jérémie Daclin, who founded the brand Cliché, is from Lyon; he’s been the French champion I don’t know how many times... We also have some excellent spots like the Hôtel de Ville, which is very popular with all skateboarders. I’ve often skateboarded there with people older than me and its cool to be with more experienced skateboarders. We take different paths, but we speak the same language and everyone knows each other. It’s an individual sport, but there’s a family spirit.
Originally, skateboarding was an underground activity, with no restrictions, while the Olympic Games is probably the most regulated competition in the world. Is it easy bringing the two worlds together? Is skateboarding a sport like any other?
Some would say yes, others no. Skateboarding is a bit different, because it’s a discipline where we have lots of freedom. We take our skateboard, we go where we want to and we do what we want to. We don’t need a coach like a gymnast or a runner does. Skateboarding is a bit like a tree with lots of branches. Today, the “sports” branch gets the most media coverage for the general public and non-skateboarders, particularly with the upcoming Olympic Games, but skateboarding is above all a lifestyle, video and photo production, fashion, music... There are lots of offshoots. It’s much more than a sport; it’s a culture of its own, with 50 years of history... It is all of this that attracted the International Olympics Committee (ICO) when it came to including new sports. There was a need to attract young people. Now it’s up to us, as skateboarders, to avoid losing our way, and to keep our culture at the centre of the tree, with the idea of freedom as a leitmotiv.
So, Aurélien, when you were a child, you didn’t dream of becoming an Olympic champion...
Never! Originally, I just wanted to skateboard and have fun with my mates. I later set myself the goal of going pro and, with a little luck, making a living from my passion. Then, in 2017, we found out that skateboarding was going to become an Olympic sport. We considered whether or not to take part for a while, but the competitive aspect of the discipline had always attracted me, so why not give it a go? We have nothing to lose. If it ends up being useless, then at least we tried and found out.
You started skateboarding at a very young age; when did you realise that you were good at it and could take it further?
At 4 years old, my parents gave me a pair of roller-skates for Christmas. They took me to the skatepark in Gerland. There were rollerblades, skateboards, BMX’s... I was trying things on my roller-skates, falling, and got fed up, but then I saw an older kid doing skateboard tricks. I asked my parents for a skateboard and, since that day, I’ve never stopped... I realised that I was improving fast, but I didn’t think about it anymore than that. When I won my first competition, I said to myself that maybe I had something, but it went no further for me; I just wanted to keep on skateboarding and having fun.
Is the lifestyle of a pro skateboarder and a high-level sportsperson the same ?
I see myself more as a professional skateboarder than an athlete, insofar as I go skateboarding when I feel like it. We do have to train, of course, and we have obligations, but we still have quite a lot of freedom. For example, I have a fitness trainer, but, to be honest, I never go. I don’t do strength training either. I’m one of the least athletic people in the French team [laughs!].
What do you do for training then?
When there’s a competition coming up, I go skateboarding in Gerland to brush up on my tricks. I’m lucky enough to have the keys to the skatepark, so I can go whenever I like, particularly when it’s closed to the public and there’s nobody else, so I’m not distracted or disturbed by the young people having fun with scooters.
Do you do any sports other than skateboarding ?
I’ve always been a jack of all trades, so yes, I play golf in Chassieu, near where I live [Editor’s note : Aurélien lives in Bron], motocross in Miribel, wake-boarding in Condrieu... I play football a bit too and I go jogging at Tête d’Or park. I really like sport in general, so I do something at least once a day.
Biographie d'Aurélien
Né le 3 février 1998 à Lyon, Aurélien Giraud est le champion du monde en titre de skateboard street, discipline dans laquelle les riders doivent enchaîner les « tricks » ou figures sur des éléments dédiés reproduisant le mobilier urbain.
S’il pratique depuis ses quatre ans, Aurélien commence à faire parler de lui dès l’âge de sept ans, repéré lors du V7 Teenage Tour. Il remporte ensuite de nombreuses compétitions internationales, dont le Dew Tour, en 2019, en Californie, dans lequel il s’impose face aux stars mondiales de la discipline.
Skateur professionnel, c’est aujourd’hui l’un des piliers de la scène française mais aussi l’une des plus grandes chances de médaille d’or pour les Jeux olympiques de Paris 2024. D’ici là, il enchaîne les étapes qualificatives du World Skate Tour notamment celles de Rome, du 18 au 25 juin, puis de Lausanne, du 9 au 16 septembre.
Le carnet d'adresses d'Aurélien
Hôtel-de-VilleLyon 1er
La Cité internationale« J’y vais souvent quand il fait beau. La place Louis-Pradel c’est la place où on se rejoint tous, où on s’amuse entre potes. Elle restera toujours un spot incontournable.
Lyon 6e
The Roster« Il y a un autre lieu très connu dans le monde du skate : Lyon 25 (un escalier de 25 marches particulièrement difficiles à franchir que les skateurs du monde entier tentent de dompter depuis des années NDLR). J’ai essayé, je me suis fait une fracture du talon. Ce sont les plus grosses marches faites en skate."
Lyon 1er
«On y trouve des burgers faits maison trop bons. »
Lyon 1er
"Un magasin de skate proche des Terreaux, on y trouve des vêtements, des planches, des chaussures et moi souvent aussi (rires !)."
Décines-Charpieu
« A coté du Groupama Stadium. Quand je suis à Lyon j’y vais très facilement. Ce n’est pas l’océan mais la vague artificielle le remplace bien en attendant. Quand on est skateur, c’est assez facile de trouver son point d’équilibre, on s’amuse assez vite. »
Read the magazine