It’s a big deal when a new skatepark is built and both skateboarders and community leaders / investors who rallied together honour the moment with a grand opening. Back in 1978, a suburb of Paris (Issy-les-Moulineaux) hosted a party for their new concrete park called Béton Hurlant, which was on Saint-Germain island in the Seine river.
The skatepark launch was worthy of a celebrity appearance, and Sylvie Vartan, a Bulgarian-French singer and actress was game! She even came to park during its construction to check it out. And on opening day, Sylvie joined in on the fun.
Based on Facebook comments from Claude Queryel’s page (who is the French historian behind Endlesslines.fr), there were little rocks placed in front of Sylvie’s wheels to prevent movement, but she was still a fan! On her Wikipedia, Sylvie sounded like a resilient, hard-working and talented person, overcoming two serious car accidents before this skateboard photo series occurred. The photos were published in the Jours de France magazine on June 16, 1978.
Béton Hurlant looked like a much-loved space, and the entry fee to skate the park for the day was 7 Francs. There were quarter-pipes, a snake-run, and a bowl with a keyhole. For a time, it was regarded as the most beautiful skatepark in Europe.
Here’s a video of the park on French television:
Skateboarding was hot stuff, and literally the day before Sylvie’s photos came out Madleen Kane (Swedish model and disco singer) was on the cover of a French magazine called Chez Nous posing on a skateboard – June 15, 1978.
If there was a battle between the two Disco Queens, I don’t think I could predict a winner. They both look a tad posed!
Womxn Skateboard History 