Since the opening of the new and improved MSY in Kenner, the old MSY terminal has sat empty and unused since 2019. What might be considered an industrial eyesore or a useless, abandoned property to some is the perfect place for skateboarders to grab some air. A few weeks ago, five skate crews gathered at the old MSY airport for the Red Bull Terminal Takeover, an event that turned the vacant airport into the skatepark of their dreams.
The five crews each had a chance to enjoy the impromptu skater's paradise, but were also competing to win $5,000. The crews were each comprised of several skaters and a filmer, the latter filming the crew and creating a two-minute video compilation.
The crews were from Nashville, Tennessee; New Orleans; Pensacola, Florida; Baton Rouge; and Birmingham, Alabama. Fans can watch and vote for their favorite video on Red Bull's website now to decide who should win the Red Bull Terminal Takeover prize.
"When you put skaters in something that they've always wanted to do, like skate in an airport, they're going to be kids in a candy shop and go buckwild," Jake Wooten, professional skateboarder, said.
Daniel Barousse, a member of the Baton Rouge crew, said he's used to people telling him not to skate in airports, but that those running the Red Bull Terminal Takeover thanked the crews for being there to skate.
The Takeover involved covering equipment inside the old MSY to convert it into ramps, decks, and other surfaces you'd find at a skatepark. This created three unique skateparks in the old MSY, two of which were located in baggage claim and Terminal D. The final skatepark was an open space with escalators converted into a parabola and made to feel like an X-games setting, according to the Takeover's video.
"Having a skatepark in our terminal is
probably one of the craziest things that's ever happened here," Erin Burns, MSY
director of communications, said.
To vote for the different skate crews, visit redbull.com.
