Monster Energy congratulates team rider Aurelien Giraud on taking first place in Men’s Skateboard Street in the SLS Paris 2024 skateboarding competition.
PARIS, Feb. 25, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ —
- 26-Year-Old from Lyon, France, Wins 2024 Street League Skateboarding (SLS) Season Opener
- Olympic Skateboarder Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil, Takes 2nd Place in Women’s Skate Street
- 29-Year-Old Nyjah Huston from Laguna Beach, California, Takes Third Place in Men’s Skate Street
Taking the win in his own country! Monster Energy congratulates team rider Aurelien Giraud on taking first place in Men’s Skateboard Street in the SLS Paris 2024 skateboarding competition this weekend. In the season opener of the 2024 SLS Championship Tour presented by Street League Skateboarding (SLS), the 26-year-old French Olympic skateboarder took the win, cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd.
Also advancing to the podium, 29-year-old Olympic skateboarder Nyjah Huston from Laguna Beach, California, claimed third place in the down-to-the-wire final. In the Women’s Skate Street event, 16-year-old Rayssa Leal from Imperatriz, Brazil, took second place in an international field.
Contested inside the brand-new Adidas Arena, SLS Paris marked the opening event of the reimagined 2024 SLS Championship Tour. Presented by Monster Energy as the official energy drink sponsor, the competition tour is bigger than ever: This season features four major international events and three brand-new APEX challenge events, each awarding SLS tour points.
With a total of $1.8 million in prize money – including $100,000 each for SLS Super Crown Champions – the 2024 SLS Championship Tour offers the largest equal-gender purse in competitive skateboarding. After Paris, major international events include San Diego (April 20), followed by Australia (TBD), then Tokyo, Japan (November 23), and the 2024 SLS Super Crown World Championships in Brazil (December 14-15).
Dedicated to showcasing the progression of street skating, SLS was started in 2010 by professional skateboarder Rob Dyrdek, with Monster Energy as a foundational partner.
Energy levels were high for the 2024 season opener at Adidas Arena in Paris. In Saturday’s Men’s Skateboard Street final, Monster Energy’s Giraud dropped in as the top qualifier from the knockout round. The official French Olympic team member also garnered massive crowd support as the hometown hero.
In the Line section, Giraud started his night on a high note by earning a Nine Club score for a perfect run. Stringing together backside Smith grind up the rail, backside nollie kickflip the gap, frontside bluntslide the rail, 360 kickflip the step-up, hardflip backside lipslide the concrete rail, and a huge backside 360 over the kicker to gap earned Giraud 9.0 points for a strong start into the finals.
When the action moved into Best Trick, Giraud landed a signature hardflip backside 180 down the big kicker gap for 9.1 points to take over the lead. He then bolstered his score by finessing a hardflip to backside nosegrind the Hubba ledge for 9.1 points. On his fourth attempt, Giraud cemented his victory by landing a backside 360 kickflip over the kicker gap to flat for 9.2 points and the win on the strength of 36.4 points overall. Cheered on by his compatriots, Giraud received the SLS Paris trophy draped in the French national flag.
“That was crazy, the whole vibe. The energy of the crowd was super. I never saw that in my whole life! So, I was like, I have to do it for them, you know?” said Giraud upon winning SLS Paris 2024. “It’s exciting to be here in Paris a few months before the Olympics; good practice!”
Speaking on the significance of winning at home, Giraud said: “Since I was a kid, we all dreamed of having SLS in France. So, to win the first one here at home, especially in front of my family and friends, is unique! It’s also my first victory at SLS! And I brought the trophy home! La coupe reste à la maison!”
Also bringing the heat in the final, six-time SLS champion Huston barged into the final with a Nine Club score in the Line section. Huston’s highest scoring run featured backside nollie heelflip the step-up, Caballerial backside lipslide fakie the concrete rail, switch frontside 5-0 grind the rail, 360 kickflip the step-up, backside 180 nosegrind to revert the Hubba ledge, frontside nosegrind the tall pyramid rail, backside kickflip the step-up, and switch heelflip frontside boardslide the concrete rail for 9.2 points and an early lead.
Huston stoked the crowd in the Best Trick section by landing a switch frontside heelflip tailslide the Hubba for 8.8 points. Next, Huston popped a switch heelflip crooked the Hubba ledge for 9.1 points and a final score of 27.1 points to secure third place.
In the Women’s Skateboard Street competition, reigning SLS Women’s Super Crown champion Leal qualified for the final in first place and battled a field of elite international riders. When all was said and done, the 16-year-old from Imperatriz, Brazil, took home a strong second-place finish.
Starting off in the Line section, Leal put down backside bluntslide the flat rail, frontside bluntslide the big rail, 360 kickflip the kicker gap, noseslide 270 shove-it the ledge, kickflip the step-up, backside lipslide the concrete rail for 6.5 points.
Moving into Best Trick, Leal raised the bar by putting down a flawless frontside bluntslide shove-it the big rail for 8.5 points. On the next attempt, the Brazilian came through with a kickflip frontside boardslide the big rail for 7.8 points. Rounding out her performance, Leal landed a perfect kickflip backside lipslide the concrete rail for 8.8 points and a total score of 31.2 for second place behind Australia’s Chloe Covell in first.
Next on the calendar, riders will battle for SLS Championship points in the SLS APEX event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on March 30. Stay tuned!
For more on Aurelien Giraud, Nyjah Huston, Rayssa Leal, and the Monster Energy skateboarding team, visit http://www.monsterenergy.com. Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for exclusive updates as the action sports season continues.
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About Monster Energy
Based in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, and musicians represent. More than a drink, it’s the way of life lived by athletes, sports, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at http://www.monsterenergy.com.
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