Kozmic Diary: December 2012

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Derby Presentation for Gumbies

I am back in the CERS for my third and last stay. Like last time, I was asked to do a presentation of my sport in order to make the patients discover new disciplines. But this time, I had taken the time to structure it and make a powerpoint.

The presentation dealt with roller derby and slalom skating and how/where they are situated in the French skating scene. I am sharing it here... Note: most of the facts are simplified to be clearer, I know that some details given below are not exact but the main point is to make laypeople get acquainted.

First French WSSA Freestyle Judge Training

This weekend, on the 15-16 dec. 2012, I ran a Judge Training.

Yeah... Alright.

That judge training included

a couple of FIRSTS.

First skatecross judge training
First battle judge training in France
First French training based on the WSSA model

Ever.

How awesome is that?

Socially and politically, it is a big step in the world of French Freestyle!

K-Tape Experiment

Today, I had my knee k-taped.

These elastic tapes come from Japan and are the new trend! Indeed, not only are they multipurpose: useful to reduce swelling and bruises, stimulate or relax muscles, stabilize joints... but they are also catchy and fun as they exist in tons of colors.

The first time I was introduced to those flashy stripes was during the Roller Derby World Cup in Toronto, as k-tape was heavily used by the physiotherapists, especially that of Team USA. Which was a good point for us (Team France) because the tapes were also matching our colors... given that we were in red and blue like the Americans!
It was misleading, by the way. Once, a spectator asked me when *we* were playing... Dude, do you really care that much about Team France or did you just mistake me for a member of Team USA? Victim, but proud.

The second time I met the k-tapes was in my rehab center where they are also used a lot, especially to reduce bruises of post-surgery patients: put without being stretched, they make folds on the skin, which helps lymphatic flow. It WORKS.

I was taped during my second stay in rehab because I had periosistis on both my legs. It is meant to work well on tendonitis and all, but I must say that, apart from reminding me that I had to keep it easy thanks to the flashy yellow and blue colors on my shins, it did not help much.