A great gift.



Kami Graphy -- Jan. 3, 2009.

I was given a great gift yesterday:

I am currently spending one week in Bordeaux and last evening I saw my longstanding friend and first skate sponsor, Kami, who offered me that amazing poster print of a photo he had taken on a freezing winter night on my secret spot some years ago. On January 3rd, 2009 exactly... Unexpected. Feeling (once again) very moved. Blasts from the past have become a bit too much frequent lately...!

RELATED LINKS:

• FFRS Membership: From freestyle to derby...

• Kamigraphy Flickr
• Complete shooting session

FFRS Membership... From Freestyle to Derby

Wow.

I feel weird.

I received my member card of the French Federation of Roller Sports for 2012-2013. It is the tenth season that I am affiliated to the French Federation. And for that key-year, I switched from "Freestyle" to "Speed skating. Option: Roller Derby".

I just saw my skating life flash before my eyes.
Lost in the contemplation of that virtual piece of paper,
Wandering from memories to memories...

A page is definitely turning. It is official.
And the card is reminding me to move on!

Full Circle.

Same date, same teams.

The rematch.

Full of symbols, full of meaning.

I am the birthday girl,

And I came full circle!

The first was my last.

The second was my first.

And now I'm back...

(to let you know... I can really shake 'em down!)

Oct. 29th, 2011

Oct. 27th, 2012

The anniversary bout: Gent was the last one I shared with the Paris RollerGirls same time last year, and the rematch happens to be my maiden bout after a 11-month recovery!

Which I was a whisker away from not playing as I spent the two previous days confined to bed unable to move because of a lumbago I caught at the fitness center -- there are some crazy viruses waiting for their preys in there. Felt like crying out of injustice. But with a lot of massage (thanks Wonka), an alternation of heat and ice pads (thanks dad), proteins and water (thanks bro') and heat belts to remain warm after warm-ups and in-between game periods (thanks Mamy), I did it! 

Stronger than pain, stronger than fate!

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• Hell on Wheels: Gent Cuberdonnas Vs. Paris All-Stars
• News of my knee for nosey people
• Opération Tonnerre: PRG Vs. Go-Go Gent

PRG Rookies: The New Generation

Thanks to our Fall Workshops, a small dozen of girls have been detected and enlisted in the league. 

The workshops were pretty successfull despite the late communication.

The concept had been completely revised compared to last year's... revised upwards. 

Not because we are becoming snobbish, but because our league's overall level is (hopefully) improving and we are (unfortunately) lacking indoors official time slots, so that we cannot split the slots or the gym into two to train too different levels.

Last year, the minimum required was basic skating skills, and we would enlist the new girls and validate their agility part of the minimum skills test at the same time.

This time, we were looking for girls who were already agile and who either mastered the derby interactive skills or had the potential and the skating level to learn fast.

FMyLife #6: Glad I Called

-- Phone call, me calling.

Me: "Hi, I'm calling to find out if you have any news about the agreement for the bearing of the medical cost of my 3-week rehab stay, for which I gave you my surgeon's prescription on September, 5th..."

Health Insurance Operator: "Let me check... Mmh yes, our doctor gave his tacit agreement on the 22nd. Why, do you want a written document vouching for the agreement?"

DUUUUH... Glad I called! FML.

FLASHBACK Had been harrassing surgeon since mid-July to get prescription which finally received on Sept., 5th. Immediately rushed to health insurance agency to leave it. Seeing no news coming, harrased insurance for 10 days before they announced me they had passed prescription on to official doctor on Sept., 22nd. Kept on harrassing insurance... got doctor's number fifteen days later. Did not call because could do more harm than good. Decided to stop stressing over all that. Called out of curiosity today. Hopefully.
 

Think Positive: Shoud receive letter *soon* and will be able to contact rehab center to get my dates at last!

RELATED POSTS:

• FMyLife #1, #2, #3, #4, #5

3 Stripes Challenge: La Main in the Final!

Three crews are still in the running to win the Adidas Challenge.
The western spaghetti video of the Paris RollerGirls has been knocked out but the video of La Main Collective is in the final against two other videos!

If you are getting bored in front of your computer screen on that gloomy wednesday afternoon, spice up your day in watching the videos of the finalists, and (cherry on top) VOTING for us!

There is nothing less simple:

► Click on the link HERE
► A blue window with the names of the finalists appears
► Select "La Main" and click "votez!"

First casualty under my command

The clockwork regularity is freaky. Every two weeks, there is a new convert. Cannonball is the latest. I have to say that she had already started to slip on the dangerous side for some times... What could you seriously expect of someone who has changed her name into Shannon Bright? It was predictable, she could not resist the latest fashion accessory.

I was talking about a masochistic trend lately, but it is getting much bigger than that. Let's just hope that, like all the trends of today, it will not last longer than a season to the most.

PUBLIC NOTICE: We are launching a fashion contest. You have creative and catchy ideas? Do not hesitate to share them with us on our facebook!

Aim: overruling current ankle-breaking trend.

Dead-line: as soon as possible.

First price: a collective <3 (excluding mine because I am allergic.)

Casulaties: 8 K.

First casualty under my command. Made sure the conditions were secured, though. Technically did not do anything wrong. But still. 

Hard to admit that I failed. That I could not divert her from surrending to temptation. That I could not lead her to the rightful path. All rollergirls should open their eyes and realize that fashion is superficial. That they do not need to break their f'n ankles to be part of the community. That they do not have to prove their fidelity that way. That they are misleaded and are choosing the wrong cult. I have experienced the dark side. I have been down under.

Redeem yourselves, it is not too late! It is NOT too late... It is NEVER too late...

Until it is.

RELATED POSTS:

• Breaking ankles is trendy at PRG's 

Breaking ankles is trendy at PRG's

We've been trying hard to launch a trend for a year, and after a couple of failed attempts (I proposed the knee, Lara Von Rapt the shoulder, High Wheels and Dixie Pixie the ribs) we are finally on the good thing with ankles: Fast and easy, just a little twist is enough to make you the proud owner of a broken bone, with a cast offered in the special package. A tempting offer which more and more Paris RollerGirls are unable to resist, to our greatest bewilderment.

The PRGs need YOU!

Wheely Wonka started it in setting the bar high, like any fashion designer who creates unique items at the greatest level of the idea.

Gigi Ell'n followed, then Marty McFight whose aquisition is almost a perfect copy of Wonka's original -- multiple fractures, surgery, cast, screws and plate, minus the torn ligament final touch; 

Then No Name Jane and Nelly Kaskou, but these two failed at breaking, they had to content themselves with sprains and did not get the cast in bonus;

Even Whisky Mamy's cat let himself be tempted with the breakage-pin-and-cast pack!

And (hopefully) last but not least, Meryl Strip-Her chose our first scrimmage of the season to switch to the dark side too!

Derby girls are not masochistic, they are just fashion victims.

...Sadly enough, this trend leads to a side-effect: we are getting undermanned.

Do not miss our 2012 recruitment workshops and enlist in the Paris RollerGirls, WE NEED YOU to fight by our side! We will feed you, love you, take care of you and train you to become perfect masochistic derbygirls.


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• First casualty under my command