Skate, Shoot, Repeat…

How Aloxzi and Matti are redefining skate through style and identity in Paris

By Genaro Ng

From performing kickflips by Palais de Tokyo to 360s at République, Paris is not short on beautiful backdrops for its skaters. However, there’s much more to the city than pretty scenery - it's where global identities, fashion, and creative expression collide.

Matti Gérme trickshot by Genaro Ng, March 2026

Last week I interviewed Aloxzi (Aloxz) Vyrodov and Matti Germé, a duo known for their stylish skateboard content. Five years ago, the two met at a skate park and have since become Paris’s favorite skate content creating pair. 

Paris Isn’t Just a Local Scene, it's an International Skatehub. 

For most people, skateboarding is a passion they fall into around their teenage years, but having a rebellious older brother definitely helped Aloxzi get an early start. At nine years old his brother introduced him to skating and even helped him buy his first board in Odessai, Ukraine. 

Aloxzi recalls finding Paris beautiful, even back then, but it wasn’t just the city’s visual appeal that convinced him to choose it as his new home. During our interview, Aloxzi explained that a big part in making that decision was recognizing the plethora of opportunities available to him in such a culturally relevant and diverse space.

Aloxzi Vyrodov trickshot by Genaro Ng, March 2026

Unlike LA and NYC, which have deep-rooted skate histories, Paris welcomes newcomers and is receptive to change. Aloxzi felt this amenability early on seeing how welcoming Paris’s community of international skaters truly was, including Matti. 

Similarly to Aloxzi, Matti began his skating career long before coming to Paris, about thirteen years ago, although his passion began with surfing on the Caribbean coastlines of Martinique. After moving to Paris 9 years ago and having lost his proximity to the water, he rerouted his passion. 

Together, the two spend their time practicing around local skate parks, meeting fellow members of the skate scene from across the world, each bringing a unique skillset to the ramps. It’s this fluidity that attracts young skaters to Paris, where they can be part of a community built on new perspectives. About a year ago, Aloxzi and Matti’s network began expanding online via social media with a large following on Instagram. Our conversation revealed that in their eyes, Paris is truly a magnet for skaters who can’t exist fully in their home environments, a sentiment they can relate to from personal experience. This makes it all the more meaningful to them that they get to bring people from different countries into their skate family from afar. 

A Shift from Sport to Creative Practice

In Paris, skating is evolving to be more than just a sport, it's a visual and artistic medium. In a city historically centered around art, cinema, and aesthetics, skating is naturally pushed toward creative expression.The duo aim to showcase their personality in a not so classic way when compared to typical trickshot content. Instead they focus on their relationship to Paris through interactions with friends, stores, and local scenery, while prioritizing videography, atmosphere, and storytelling.

According to Aloxi skating is a niche sport where you learn to try things until you master them: 

“It’s all about learning to be consistent”. 

A methodology they have applied not only to their skateboarding but also their content creation. In terms of skateboarding, this means drilling tricks until they stick in the body like muscle memory. When it comes to filming, authenticity is at the forefront of their approach to storytelling. 

Aloxzi expressed that skating opened a world of opportunities, particularly in tandem with the traction he and Matti have gained online. The endorsement the pair have gotten from brands like Twojeys and Pull&Bear have continually motivated them to build their platform and connect to audiences, especially given that these brands are known for uplifting young subcultures. 

photograph by Genaro Ng, March 2026

The Fashion-Skate Feedback Loop

Paris has a reputation for being iconically fashionable and the skate community is not exempt from that standard. Style is a big aspect of Aloxz and Matti’s content process. Matti shared:

“I think a good skate day for me starts with a good outfit. If I feel good, and have good shoes that I'm comfortable in - if I think I look good, I’m more confident and skate better.”

Paris is known as a fashion capital, which allows for skaters to behave almost like models, characters, or performers. In the case of Aloxzi and Matti, brand collaborations centered around their personal style have helped them network and build their support system.

Matti recalls being inspired by many pro skaters when he was young, though it's hard to point to any singular influence because each skater had a unique style and skillset. This aspect of diversity is exactly what he loves about the sport and why Aloxzi and his friendship is so inspiring to the next generation. It's been over a year now since Aloxzi and Matti started gaining traction online together as a duo despite their contrasting looks. According to Matti, brands often find their clashing appearance a point of interest since it demonstrates that even though they’re from different backgrounds, they still share a sensitivity for skating and content creation.

Matti Gérme and Aloxzi Vyrodov by Genaro Ng, March 2026