


It was a hot Sunday morning, and the women’s street skateboarding venue at the Place de la Concorde was swarming with teens.
One girl had a long black ponytail with the ends dip-dyed blond. Her black sneakers had white stripes on the left foot, orange stripes on the right foot and bright yellow rubber soles.
Another wore a green polo shirt with funky green camo pants, her long braids flowing behind her like streamers.
And the smaller girl in the oversized T-shirt and baggy cargo pants had topped her ensemble with a vivid purple helmet.
These cool kids were not fans. They were the competitors: Japan’s Liz Akama, 15; South Africa’s Boipelo Awuah, 18; and China’s Cui Chenxi, 14.
There were 22 skaters in all, and more than half of them were teenagers, including two 15-year-olds from Spain; 14-year-olds from Australia, Japan and France, and a 16-year-old from the United States. A Thai skater, Vareeraya Sukasem, was 12.