Pierre, the asphalt snowboarder

Pierre, the asphalt snowboarder

My name is Pierre Linckenheld, I’m 33 years old, originally from Strasbourg, France, and an adopted “Lausannois” since 2011. As the assistant manager of the Café de Grancy, a famous Lausanne bistro, I serve great food and drinks with passion and a smile to everyone who walks through the door of this magical place! As soon as work is over, I swap my waiter's apron for a helmet and jump on my Freebord, a six-wheeled extreme sports skateboard allowing me to reproduce the glide of a snowboard on asphalt! A professional rider and videomaker, I’m known worldwide in this discipline thanks to the videos that I produce featuring me riding down the most beautiful slopes in Switzerland and elsewhere. My motto: Skate like a snowboarder!
« For me, Lausanne is a paradise for urban gliding. It’s got slope, great asphalt and a real rolling sports culture! There's nothing better than starting your ride session at the famous Skatepark HS36 in Sévelin and then hurtling down the legendary slope of the Vallée de la Jeunesse, which is closed to traffic. »

My recommendations

At the Bread Store, Yannick and his team offer lovely crispy baguettes, good sourdough bread, delicious canelés pastries from Bordeaux and even, for connoisseurs, an incredible Kouign-amann that’s as scrumptious as those you eat in Brittany!
When I’m in a hurry, there’s nothing like a kebab, but only if it’s healthy and tasty! They’re just that at the Prince D’Egypte, where you’ll get a yummy falafel as soon as you walk in to snack on while you wait for your order! The must? A meat and falafel kebab!
A last-minute aperitif by the lakeside? Take a short detour and drop in at the friendly kiosk La Route du Tabac, where you’ll find a really nice selection of (CHILLED!) craft beers, that will make you look like a knowledgeable amateur to your friends!
There’s nothing better than to tackle the weekend by sipping a Litz (like a Spritz, but better!) or another delicious cocktail on the terrace of the Brasserie de Montbenon. While you’re there, ask at the bar for a set of “boules” and begin a game of petanque in the park! Isn’t it starting to feel a bit like the holidays?
A “must do” in Lausanne for all skateboard fans or fans of any other way of speeding DOWNHILL! This magnificent park owes its name to Expo 64. It’s always a pleasure to speed down this perfect slope! No less than 1 km of flawless bitumen, asphalt humps and hillocks just waiting for skateboarders, no cars and all this criss-crossing a splendid garden containing 8000 varieties of roses.
Lausanne now has a new museum and a new skate park as well! This new building dedicated to fine art and modern architecture will also attract skateboard enthusiasts. The promenade on the site includes several sloping platforms which are sure to inspire skateboarders to show off their kickflips and other manoeuvres in their repertoire.
Right in the centre of the Place de l’Europe and nestling under the ancient stonework of the Grand-Pont alongside a slight slope which you can gently coast down to arrive at “Les Arches” terrace, a different sort of place and always a hit for enjoying an apéritif with friends, a snack or a mojito while taking in the sun (or sheltering from the rain!).