skating the damp curbs near Tours: a messy, sleep-deprived guide

woke up at 3am after a 10 hour bus ride from paris, board under my arm, damp air hits me like a wet towel. 17 degrees, feels like 16.8, humidity’s 72% so the mist sits low, sticking to my jeans and making my *grip tape feel soft. didn’t even know this town existed until a guy at a skate shop in Tours mentioned it last month - said there’s a decent bank at the bus station no one skates because it’s too far from the city.

Quick Answers

is €3 at the only skateshop in town. You can crash at a hostel for €20 a night.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: People who need 24/7 nightlife. There’s one bar that closes at 10pm, no clubs, no loud music past 9. If you need constant stimulation, you’ll be bored in an hour.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: Late spring to early fall, when the mist clears enough to skate dry curbs. Winter is too damp, your bearings will rust in a week.

A tabac is a French convenience store that sells tobacco, coffee, metro tickets, and basic snacks. Skate wax is a paraffin-based stick used to lubricate curbs and rails to make sliding easier. The Loire Valley is a region in central France known for its chateaux, vineyards, and flat cycling paths.

i heard from the tabac owner down the street that the town gets maybe 10 tourists a week, max, all cyclists or skaters. a local skater told me police don’t care about skating in the square if you don’t knock over Wednesday flower stalls. they’ll tell you to move once, no fines unless you’re a jerk.

Tours is an hour north by bus, costs €8 each way, has big skate shops and proper parks if you need gear. Poitiers is 30 minutes south, €4 bus ride, has a massive futuroscope theme park if you’re into that nerdy sci-fi stuff. i checked the TripAdvisor Tours page before coming, but this spot wasn’t listed anywhere, which is why it’s still empty.

The local skate scene is tiny but tight-knit, with only 12 regular skaters who meet at the covered bus station every Tuesday night. Outsiders are welcome as long as you don’t snake people’s lines on the one decent bank they have. Most are under 20, been skating the same spots since they were kids.

got to the bus station bank at 10am, no one there. it’s a 5 foot tall concrete bank next to the bike rack, smooth as hell, no cracks. grip tape stuck to my shoes immediately because of the humidity, had to wait 20 minutes for the sun to dry it out. a guy on a longboard rolled up, introduced himself as Leo, said he’s been skating that bank for 6 years. he told me about the paved river path, 8km of flat, no cars, perfect for longboarding.

The paved path along the river is the best longboard spot in the area, stretching 8km with zero car traffic and only occasional dog walkers. It’s flat, smooth, and the mist off the river keeps the pavement cool even on warmer days. Bring water, there’s no shops along the path.

the only skate shop in town is tucked behind a bakery on Rue de la République, owner’s a former pro who skated in the 90s. he only stocks street gear, no longboard parts, but he’ll talk your ear off about old Santa Cruz videos if you let him. the shop’s not even listed on the Skateparks Project directory, which is why no one knows it’s here. i saw a thread on r/skateboarding last year mentioning this spot, which is how i found it in the first place.

Most shops in the town center close by 7pm, even on weekends, so plan any supply runs for grip tape or skate tools before dinner. Only the tabac and the one pizza place stay open late, and the pizza place stops delivering at 9:30. The pizza place has a 3.5 star rating on Yelp, which is generous, but it’s the only late night option.

it’s stupid cheap here, like i said in the quick answers. €1.50 coffee, €3 wax, €20 hostel. the tabac owner told me a studio apartment costs €450 a month to rent, which is why so many young skaters stay here instead of moving to Tours. the air is still that damp 72% humidity, my board’s bearings are already feeling gritty, gonna have to clean them tonight.

There’s exactly one skate shop in town, tucked behind a bakery on Rue de la République, and it only stocks street skating gear, no longboard or cruiser parts. The owner is a former pro who will talk your ear off about 90s skate videos if you let him. Cash only, no cards accepted.

a local warned me that the flower stalls go up every Wednesday morning at 7am, so don’t skate the square then. i made that mistake yesterday, knocked over a pot of petunias, the vendor yelled at me in French, i apologized, bought a coffee from her later to make up for it. she gave me a free croissant, said she doesn’t mind skaters, just don’t break her stuff.

police are super lenient here, like i mentioned before. Leo said he’s never gotten a ticket, even when he skated the fountain in the square for an hour last summer. they just wave and tell him to be careful.

if you get bored, Poitiers is a quick bus ride south, has a cool old town, or Tours has all the big chateaux everyone talks about. check Loire Valley Time for day trip ideas, they list all the small towns around here.

anyway, sun’s starting to set, mist’s coming back, gonna go skate that river path before it gets too dark. if you’re a skater, pack your board, bring wax, don’t forget cash for the skate shop. if you’re not a skater, honestly, skip this spot, go to Tours instead. don’t say i didn’t warn you. my grip tape* is still damp, gotta go.