Mother’s Day weekend was a beautiful weekend to spend time out in Downtown Detroit. Detroit was buzzing with so many Detroiters and visitors walking around in the city and enjoying all the downtown area had to offer. I haven’t seen such excitement in the city in so many months.
The previous winter was cold, snowy, and just plain uncomfortable to be out in the city. I had been longing for Spring to finally arrive in Detroit so I was very happy to see the city come alive this past weekend.
Part of the excitement of the weekend was the Red Bull Hart Lines 2017 street skateboarding competition held at Hart Plaza. Last year, I attended the event with my teens and we had a good time, but the weather was a bit chilly.
Not this past Saturday, though. The weather was absolutely perfect to catch the Red Bull Hart Lines competition as it was sunny and warm out. There were a few sprinkles of rain off and on, but the light rain didn’t keep us or other skateboarding fans away from the street skateboarding event!
2017 Marked Third Year of Red Bull Hart Lines Skateboarding Competition
Saturday, May 13, 2017, marked the third year for the Red Bull Hart Lines skate competition. Ryan Sheckler, the professional skateboarder, headlined the competition. The sporting event was held at Hart Plaza located on East Jefferson Avenue, right on the beautiful Detroit River Front.
This year, Red Bull Hart Lines featured “an international line-up of dynamic skaters for the event.” Along with Sheckler, “contest visionary, top-rated Brazilians Kelvin Hoefler, Felipe Gustavo & Leticia Bufoni, and reigning 2016 Red Bull Hart Lines Champion, Nyjah Huston” also competed in the skateboarding competition (Red Bull Hart Lines).
Leticia Bufoni – Only Female Skateboarder Competed in Red Bull Hart Lines 2017
Leticia Bufoni was the only female pro skater at the Red Bull skate competition. I saw many young girls, including my own 15-year-old daughter, excited to see a female professional skateboarder competing. One young lady patiently stood in line at the practice session, waiting to ask Bufoni to autograph her skateboard. When she finally caught Bufoni’s attention, she gave a big smile and proudly showed her mother Bufoni’s autograph on her skateboard.
Full List of Red Bull Hart Lines 2017 Competitors
Alec Majerus (US)
Aurelien Giraud (FRA)
Axel Cruysberghs (BEL)
Boo Johnson (US)
Chase Webb (US)
Chaz Ortiz (US)
David Bachinsky (US)
David Loy (US)
David Reyes (US)
Felipe Gustavo (BRA)
Greg Lutzka (US)
Jack Fardell (AUS)
Kelvin Hoefler (BRA)
Leticia Bufoni (BRA)
Manny Santiago (US)
Nyjah Huston (US)
Paul Hart (US)
Ryan Decenzo (CANADA)
Ryan Sheckler (US)
TJ Rogers (CAN)
Tommy Fynn (AUS)
Torey Pudwill (US)
Trevor Colden (US)
Nyjah Huston Wins Back-to-Back Titles at Red Bull Hart Lines 2017
Defending his 2016 champion title, Nyjah Huston won the 2017 Red Bull Hart Lines competition again! Runners-up of the competition were Alec Majerus and Kelvin Hefler.
“Huston’s performance was typified by opening his first run with an epic gap kickflip frontside boardslide then, later in the afternoon, closing out his final run with a perfect backside flip over the gap followed by a fakie kickflip into the bank.
‘The competition is always super gnarly and this course isn’t easy to skate. That’s the reason I like this competition, it’s super diverse. Consistency is the key. Being able to put down a solid first run so you can try something harder on your second run,’ said a breathless Huston after sealing the deal on his final run with a gap to noseblunt.” —Red Bull Hart Lines
Red Bull Hart Lines 2017 – Family-friendly and Fun for All
I loved the location of the event because it featured beautiful scenery of Downtown Detroit and the Detroit River. Visitors were able to walk freely throughout Hart Plaza and enjoy watching the athletes perform and also take a nice walk along the Detroit River Front. Food trucks were also available, as well as a Red Bull drink station.
Another feature I loved about Red Bull Hart Lines 2017 is the sporting event is a very family-friendly atmosphere. As I mentioned earlier, last year I took my two teenagers to the event, but you can also bring small children to the event. There is enough wide-open space at Hart Plaza for children to walk around and enjoy the skateboarding competition. I saw many parents pushing strollers and walking with their children.
Young boys and girls, as well as adults, lined up during the practice session to get autographs from the professional skateboarders. The athletes were very friendly to their fans and willing to sign autographs and chat with them for a bit. Overall, we enjoyed the Red Bull Hart Lines 2017 skateboarding competition. We hope Red Bull will host their skateboarding competition in Detroit again next year!
A very special thank you to Red Bull for inviting Good Life Detroit to Red Bull Hart Lines 2017!
Must have been so much fun to participate, Thanks for sharing your amazing pictures!
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I’ve always loved watching people skateboard because I cannot to save my life. I remember one time sliding under a bus, because I fell off. Haha, so funny. However, congratulations to him for winning! So much fun!
This looks to be a fun-filled afternoon in the sun! I have never been to this type of event before; I would love to go and see what it is like though!
Wow, what a fantastic event to attend! I used to be a bit of a skateboarder back in my teens. 🙂 Can’t believe there was only one female competitor!
i love to be here!!! looks like a fun to watch event.
This sounds like so much fun. And although I realize
“Leticia Bufoni – Only Female Skateboarder Competed in Red Bull Hart Lines 2017” did not win , she is still a winner in my book. Congratulations to all.
It was a lot of fun! And I agree with you – I think it was amazing Leticia Bufoni competed against the guys!
Ok, loving that kick ass girl amongst all those guys, I always wanted to be like her but I was just so rubbish on a skateboard…
We loved seeing Leticia skate, too! It was so cool to see a female pro skater at the event.
this is so cool. I love watching the people skateboarding in a park close to my house but i feel scared that they might fall.
Sounds like this was a fun event! I wasn’t aware Detroit held this, although I’ve been living out of the state for a number of years now. Glad to see there are these successful events happening in the city!
Hi, Jessica! This was the third year for the Red Bull Hart Lines. I agree with you, it is really good to see so many wonderful events in Detroit now!
Growing up, I’d always wanted to learn to skateboard because my younger brother was really good at it. But alas, it just wasn’t for me. This event looked like great fun!
These guys have such a cool job! Although extremely difficult, the amount of practice they put in much be nearly all their time!
I know! I think it’s really cool that skateboarding is part of their career. It’s amazing!
This looks like such a fun event! I always wish I had learned to skateboard as a kid. I think I’d fall on my face if I tried it now haha
Oh wow! what an amazing competiton, and there some incredible photos, well done!
I haven’t seen any live street skateboarding competitions but I’m sure they are a lot of fun! All the trick and jumps they do!
congrats to you guys. Must have been so much fun to participate
This would have been so awesome to see! Thanks for sharing your amazing pictures!
Omg now this looks like a super fun event!!! Lots to do. Totally something I would love to attend
What an awesome event! Both my husband and I grew up skateboarding, so attending a competition like this would have brought back some amazing memories.
Who wouldn’t be excited to be a part of such a fun event! I think it’s awesome that you shared the highlights with us. It looks like the people had a lot of fun!
Am not into this kind of sport. But what makes me stick around are the choice of music they use, how they doodled their boards, and how artistix their moves are. Its like dancing!
Wish I were there to witness this, too! I’m a sucker for anything adventure and thrill!
Those skaters have some talent. This would be fun to watch.
Wow that looks like a good time! Would have been such a cool event to attend. Thanks for all the great photos!
Congrats to him for winning! That must have been so cool to watch. My kids would have loved it.