Skateboarding through the city: when the important thing is (not) to compete

Abstract

This article examines how the skateboarders relate their practices to the practices of citizenship to which they are subjected in Sao Paulo. Skateboarding can be considered one of the sports that most gained visibility in recent times. Despite all the popularity gained, skateboard is also a source of controversy because of the troubles arising from his practice in areas deemed “inappropriate”. This and others actions have motivated intense discussions in Sao Paulo, leading many agents linked to the government to develop certain actions in order to discipline the use of skateboards in the streets. One of these actions is the Circuito Sampa Skate, whose format and mediations established for their implementation can be seen as a form of response from the public politics of the sport to the intense propagation of street skate in the city.