Lyon 25

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Lyon 25
Lyon25Scale.png
The Lyon 25, with convention attendees shown for scale
Lyon 25
Interactive map of Lyon 25
Location Palais des congrès de Lyon, Cité Internationale, Lyon, France
Coordinates 45°47′5″N4°51′16″E / 45.78472°N 4.85444°E / 45.78472; 4.85444
Length6.7 m (22 ft) [1]
Height4.5 m (15 ft)

The Lyon 25 is a 25-step staircase in Lyon, France, and a popular location in the skateboarding community. [1] It is located within the campus of the Palais des congrès de Lyon in Cité Internationale, within the 6th arrondissement of Lyon. [2] It gained notoriety in 2002, when Swedish skateboarder Ali Boulala attempted, but failed, to ollie the steps in the Flip Skateboards video Sorry. [1]

Contents

History

As of 2025, a barrier blocks entry to the Lyon 25 staircase. Lyon25Barrier.jpg
As of 2025, a barrier blocks entry to the Lyon 25 staircase.

The Lyon 25 is on the campus of the Palais des congrès de Lyon, a convention center designed by Renzo Piano in 1989, and inaugurated in 1996. [3] The stairs are on the south side of the structure, facing the Parc de la Tête d'or, and lead to the ground floor of the building. It is 6.7 metres (22 ft) in length and 4.5 metres (15 ft) in height. [1]

In 2017, tactile paving was added to the upper landing, which was decried by skateboarders as an anti-skate device. [4] : 148  In 2025, it was reported that the staircase has been surrounded by barriers and made inaccessible to visitors. [5]

Attempts

In 2002, Swedish skateboarder Ali Boulala chose the staircase as a location for his video Sorry, produced for Flip Skateboards. On his first attempt, he landed with such force that his skateboard snapped in half; on a later attempt, Boulala kicked his skateboard away from him while falling, landing on his feet. He was left unable to skateboard for two months. [6]

In 2014, the staircase was again attempted by American skateboarder Aaron "Jaws" Homoki, [1] who admired Sorry. Homoki tore his MCL on his first attempt, requiring hospitalization and leaving him unable to skateboard for six months. In 2015, Homoki returned to the staircase and successfully completed the jump, with Boulala in attendance, after five days of attempts. [7] In response, American professional skateboarder Tony Hawk celebrated Homoki, texting him "Congrats. That is one of the greatest feats in skateboarding history." [1]

The Lyon 25 has since been attempted by other skateboarders and stunt athletes. Failed and successful attempts have been made on a BMX bike, a skimboard, a kick scooter, and freerunning parkour, among others. [8]

Legacy

Since Boulala's Sorry and Homoki's success, the staircase has become famous among skateboarders. Sociologist Paul O'Connor described the staircase as a "pilgrimage spot" for skateboarders. [4] : 149  For many, the site is sacred for Boulala's attempt, and his film's focus on bailing, injury, and ultimate failure is an exemplary example of "realness" in skateboarding. [9] : 1662 

The stairs' interest to skateboarders has also drawn interest from nudge theory: education researcher Alan Reid argues their design inherently inspires some individuals to perform stunts. [10] : 105–106 

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zarley, B. David (19 February 2016). "Jaws vs. The Lyon 25". Vice. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017.
  2. ↑ Cabot, Cyrielle (31 May 2020). "Lyon: le saut incroyable d'un Australien au-dessus des 25 marches de la Cité internationale". BFMTV (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  3. ↑ "CONSTRUCTION DE LA SALLE 3000" (PDF). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  4. 1 2 O'Connor, Paul (2020). Skateboarding and Religion. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-24857-4. ISBN   978-3-030-24857-4. OCLC   1104220283. OL   20832631W.
  5. ↑ Tapissier, David (16 January 2025). "Lyon. « On ne va pas ouvrir la boîte de Pandore » : le spot mythique de 25 marches de la Cité internationale reste interdit aux skateurs". Le Progrès (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  6. ↑ "15 things you didn't know about "Sorry"". Men's Journal. 5 December 2019. Archived from the original on 13 November 2025. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
  7. ↑ Skate, After (8 February 2016). "Ali Boulala on losing his 25 stair legacy to Jaws". Jenkem. Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  8. ↑ Riaux, Marion (18 January 2023). "Top 5 des tentatives sur les 25 marches de Lyon". The Rider Post (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2025.
  9. ↑ O'Connor, Paul (2018). "Handrails, steps and curbs: Sacred places and secular pilgrimage in skateboarding". Sport in Society. 21 (11): 1651–1668. doi:10.1080/17430437.2017.1390567.
  10. ↑ Reid, Alan J. (2022). A Philosophy of Gun Violence. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-11004-7_4. ISBN   978-3-031-11004-7. OCLC   1391212019. OL   28353416W.
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