At Nixon, we stand behind those who shape their own time. Today, we're proud to welcome Leo Valls to the team.
Born and based in Bordeaux, Leo is an internationally recognized professional skateboarder and a pioneer of the skaturbanism movement — a vision of skateboarding that goes beyond performance and explores artistic, architectural, and social aspects of urban space.
He is the director of Connect Festival, an international festival examining the relationship between skateboarding, the city, and society. Through Connect, Leo brings together skaters, architects, artists, municipalities, and cultural institutions to imagine more vibrant, inclusive, and playful cities.
Skateboarding has taken him around the world, from Japan to the United States, collaborating with diverse communities and developing projects rooted in creativity and shared public space.
Discover Leo's world on Instagram @leovallsconnected and through this short Q&A.
Interview with Leo Valls
First memory with Nixon?
"Back in Bordeaux, we had this big skate shop called Workshop where I got my first board. It was one of the biggest Nixon retailers in France at the time. The shop was iconic, and that's where I first saw Nixon watches. Shout out to Olivier from Workshop for his dedication to the local skate culture."
Favorite watch?
"I've always liked simplicity, so I'd say the Time Teller. It's clean and works great for skating and traveling."
Favorite trick?
"I've always loved classic skateboarding, but I've been especially drawn to creative tricks that interact with the architecture of the spot. Almost any trick can look good depending on how and where you do it. It has a lot to do with the idea behind it and the way you contextualize the trick."
Favorite place to skate in the world?
"Outside of my hometown of Bordeaux, two cities that have a special place in my heart are San Francisco, for the magical hills and unique look, and Tokyo, for the night skating. Two cities where I had the chance to live and explore a lot."
Favorite spot in your hometown?
"I'm always stoked to skate some of the skaturbanism spots we create here because it's special to see these ideas become real places. But the spots that still excite me the most are actually the 'non-spots' — when you find something unexpected in the city and create something out of nothing."
