How did the Montreal Cup come about? Tell us something about its history.
From the early to late 2000s, there was an annual inline skating event called the Montreal Classic organized by Danny Laroche of D-Structure Skateshop. It attracted skaters from around the world and turned out to be one of the major events in the inline skating scene. There was always a great turn out, and it inspired young skaters from around the province.
After a trip to the Blading Cup in Santa Ana, David Mascolo from Boutique Solo Inline, Montréal’s inline shop, decided to revive the tradition of having an annual inline skating competition in Montreal in 2022 – this time including the local quad scene and partnering Lowlife, our local quad shop, to co-organize the event. Unlike the Montréal Classic, the Montreal Cup would take place on a course built especially for the event directly on a commercial street.
In 2022, the skate shop owners did almost all of the event organizing themselves with the help of their staff, but in the two subsequent years volunteer organizers from the local quad and inline community – like me – have played a major part in the event’s execution, with Solo still being heavily involved. It truly takes a village.
How much has the contest grown when you compare it today with the first edition?
Honestly, a lot, and in so many ways. Not only are more and more skaters travelling out to compete every year, but the number of sponsors, organizers, spectators, and people who know about the event are all increasing.
In my eyes, the way the event has grown the most is how professional the course has become. For a DIY skatepark that’s built almost entirely by our volunteer team, the quality of the course has become extremely impressive.
