One day whilst on a job in Laeken, Youssef came across an abandoned warehouse that he used to work in. It was empty, dry, lit-up, had smooth floors and was vacant until further notice. Over a number of weeks, Youssef and his friends set up some ramps and as word started to spread, more and more people were eager to visit and lend a helping hand. This was the start of The Byrrrh: a name that was founded from a sign that hung over the doorway of the warehouse; a popular French aperitif.

The Brrrhh was a space open to all and all that was asked for in return was a couple of euros to keep the ramps in shape and the fridge stocked. For two winters The Byrrrh was going strong until the property had a change in ownership and everyone had to vacant the premises.

The second phase of The Byrrrh took place further afield in Evere; a quiet suburb more commonly known by the skaters as a place to skate marble forecourts and curbs of local businesses on weekends. Here, Youssef and his friends came across an old, expansive television studio where there was space to build bigger and better obstacles like a corner quarterpipe. The old fridge found a new home in one of the small rooms where a bar was set up to serve food and drink to all who visited. One of the small adjoining rooms was also used as an art studio where old boards were used as a blank canvas and exhibited within the space. Everything seemed to be falling into place nicely until unfortunately the building was needed once again and so everyone packed up and moved out.

Since then, Youssef and his friends set out on a mission to create a permanent community based indoor skate park where all skaters from Brussels and beyond could visit throughout the year. Made up of donated wood, confiscated skate obstacles, recycled waste and concrete, the 945m2 park underneath the railway arches is an open space otherwise known as a ‘Byrrrh’, that offers itself to all skaters: any age, any level, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.

On Saturday 6^th May, Levi’s® Skateboarding will be supporting the launch of The Byrrrh & Skate Project by hosting The Byrrrh Jam: an event that will officially open the park to locals and skateboarders from across Europe. Throughout the day, Levi’s® skateboarding will hold a number of small events and activities including; an under 18 skate competition, live music by La Jungle, a photography exhibition about Youssef’s work to date and The Byrrrh story and a 18+ cash prize skate competition as well as  food, drink and good times!