From architecture to culture, Montreal has a lot to offer. Freshly poured concrete parks and legendary Vans Skateparks, poutine if that's your thing, street spots and more - there's something for everyone. We fell in love with the city last September when we attended Montreal Cup for the first time and undoubtedly had an absolute blast.
Montreal Cup is one of the most unique and epic skate contests to take place. It's easily an annual hotspot for East Coast skaters and beyond. The two-day competition is worth traveling for, and the city is a destination where you can happily spend a week... but if you're in a pinch, the weekend of festivities alone would overfill you with stoke ;)
You can find the venue on Ontario Street, transformed into a pedestrian-only street during the summertime. The weekend begins with a Friday night ride and registration for the contests. (Psssst... You can also register online ahead of the event.) Groups of skaters from the Montreal community can be found at the site putting in final touches to the custom-built course, skating local parks and preparing for the night ride. This year, skaters also have the opportunity to participate in a Quad or Inline workshop.
Saturday begins the two-day competition when the following categories kick us off: Junior Inline, Quad Intermediate and Open Inline. Ahead of the events, there is an optional Quad workshop which is a great warmup for the day led by Kid Ace.
As contests go down, crowds grow, lining the fences that surround the community-built course. Cheers emerge from the audience in support of all riders. MCs keep the vibes high and lively all awhile skaters roll around in creativity, pushing their individual bounds.
The wait and anticipation grows throughout the day until each segment has completed finals. Saturday is closed out with a Podium celebration highlighting the skaters who've placed in the day's contests.
On Sunday, the rest of the competitions take place, including categories in Bladies, Quad Open and Pro Inline. All day, skaters must stay warm and ready to skate for their chance to compete in finals. Sunday Finals are without question some of the best action-filled moments of the weekend. Innovative, high-skilled skaters take to the course to support the scene and compete for their chance at a place on the winner's stage.
Once the day of competitions is over, we celebrate by announcing the Podiums, then make our way to the after party often held at a nearby establishment and almost always guaranteed to have karaoke.
Editor Notes from @rolllntoke:
This trip was one for the books. Some Montreal lore that I came to know about after visiting was the city has A&W fast food joints. Prior to being on the road for this trip, I had no idea they even existed. As an occasional A&W root beer drinker, I was pretty souped to try it out. Couldn't go wrong with a burger, fries and root beer - happy to say, it did not disappoint!
Another aspect of Montreal I was pleasantly surprised with was the city infrastructure and specifically the wonderful bike lanes that exist throughout. Makes for lovely outdoor travel and exercise, not to mention skating!
Montreal also introduced me to Tim Hortons, and while I can indulge in this while in the States, I had never gone until a group of us were on our way for a quick cup of joe and snack before Saturday's competitions took off. The donuts had my jaw dropped, flavors and creations I had never seen before. The coffee was pretty good too. I've visited again while on other trips I've taken to Upstate New York this past year. Timmy's for the win.
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