I sk8ed Frisco

In 2010, I had skated San Francisco with Inline Skates (and rockered wheels). In 2012, I did it with quad skates. I want to publicly thank Google for their new special SF application on GoogleMap, indicating the flattest streets for bikes.

That stuff did not exist back in 2010 and that first time was quite a discovery. I would had known in advance what I had been about to do, I would have cancelled my little solo tour. With hindsight I do not regret it, and I actually like to brag about it... but it was intense:

Chinatown, the Coit Tower, Pier 39 and the Fisherman's Warf, Marina Street down to the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, Cruz Skateshop on the Mission, back to the Hostel, shower and shuttle to the airport where I slept on the carpet waiting for my morning plane.

As far as I remember.

Must have forgotten one or two stops and a couple of hills.

This time, rather than doing a 8-hour tour, I just went for a little skate from the Mission to Haight Street, following google map's advices -- which I knew could be trusted, as Karla and I had had a try the previous day to go to the MOMA (loved Cindy Sherman's exhibition, btw).

Flat, smooth and sunny on top of that.

[bootlicker mode on] I <3 Google. [/off]

I obviously got lost (it is some kind of ritual), and asked for my way in a dry-cleaning laudry... run by a Chinese... who did not speak English. Fail. Hopefully, the next person, an old lady taking her dog out, helped me a lot, mentioning a Frickin' Fried Chicken I had already spotted (classy).

And you know what? I skated into the Chinese guy on my way back and he said hello. How probable is that?

Akouphen's "Shit Talker" (Cheap Clip)

Another unjustified post in this derby diary? Not at all: It's not just about music, it's about skating too!
I convey that it's not exactly about derby, but in my defence I will just remind that before being a derby girl, I'm above all a skater (... including a derbygirl, you got it right).

Now let's get back to the point! 

http://akouphen.jimdo.com

Our second album is finally entering the last phase of the process: being pressed! The issuing of the real CD will be coupled with that of a videoclip (nope, I will not give away the title of the chosen song).

ΣLΣVΣN was born virtually last november, on the 11.11.11 of course, but now we're getting ready for its coming into the real world.

In order to ease the waiting of all those great things coming, here is a cheap clip illustrating the song "Shit Talker" which I already talked about in a post about old women who fuss with you for no other reason than you having your skates on.

The episode, based on a true story (sadly enough), is more about being a typical example of the constant bullying skaters suffer from than being a fit of anger at that poor old lady who, unfortunately for her, happened to be the last straw.

Why I Started Derby

My derby name is KOZMIC BRUISE, Number B612...

...and I'm proudly part of the Paris RollerGirls.

 

I dropped by about one year ago, I liked it and stayed a bit... but then we had to face a terrible but common problem for Parisian sports(wo)men, and this during a good bunch of months: no gym to train! We had to stop training during automn because wind and drizzle don't mix very well with skating...

 

Luckily enough we finally found a (provisory) gym in the near suburbs on a campus, and we could resume our trainings for good in January.

It was a second try, we lost girls on the way but new girls arrived. I came back too, more motivated than ever, after difficult automn months when I had to make an aweful decision -- quitting freestyle skating competitions because I was choking in there little by little, my passion was becoming more and more poisonous to me...

 

I clung to Derby to forget Freestyle, yes indeed, but also (and above all) because I found self-confident, amazing, improbable, and loving people coming from everywhere in the World.

This is all new to me because I never practiced a team-sport. I've always done creative individual activities (dancing, freestyling) so this is quite a new challenge and I'm really curious about it!