Freeskate Mashup Video: Making of

As mentioned in a previous entry where I presented the teaser, a new video is coming! I am proud to present you FREESKATE MASHUP, my latest video, released last Thursday as part of the UFO Urban Freeskate Online contest organized by Online-Skating.com.

"A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY REPEATING"

Let's keep it very simple. The point of the UFO contest was to re-boost a long-gone skating video genre which saw the light in 2002 with the mythical ROB video, and was followed by many others as soon as 2003, thanks to yearly contests organized by late RollerFR.net. Other websites followed the move, especially CSK (now Kompakombo) with slalom video contests, the first edition dating back to 2005. That auspicious period for freeskate and old school freestyle online videos ran out of steam by the end of the 2000's.

FMyLife #11: Hip Check!

According to the Urban Dictionary, "HIP CHECKING" means:

"to physically impact someone at the hip by using the hip. It is a versatile action but can especially be used as a greeting or to show playful aggression or disagreement.

She hip checked him when he told her that chicks were weak."

In the context of derby, it is an unfortunate effect of a hit turning bad. Tested. I will not display a picture of my hip because there is nothing to see, not even an itsy bitsy tiny bruise. It's been one week and I suspect I may have stretched/torn an ab. Time will tell.

In the meantime I have searched the Internet and asked information around about crashpads. I was looking for a light one that would just cover the hips and I stumbled upon volleyball items. I am impatiently waiting for the McDavid 9230 hexpad shorts. I am counting on them to cushion the repeated shocks during the everlasting hit sessions at training! FML.

First strides as a Bear City Rollergirl

FRESH DERBY NEWS! It has been a while. For those who would have missed a chapter, I have moved to Berlin (as explained more thoroughly here). Here is a feedback on my first impressions about my new league, BEAR CITY ROLLER DERBY.

A (not really) BRAND-NEW WORLD (but still a lot new)
 
Berlin was no complete unknown territory to me, I had already been there several times for skating events, in freestyle and more recently for the EROC, where I represented the Paris RollerGirls as their head coach two years in a row, in 2012 and 2013 (French HERE).

I had also skated quite a few times in the Bombshells' training venue, first time back in 2011 for a bootcamp run by Suzy Hotrod and Swede Hurt; I also took part in the 2013 EROC scrimmage (in 2012 I had crutches), played a bout as a Paris AllStar against the Inglorious Bombshells last April and joined a couple of practices the following week while I was at it... with already the idea of moving in mind.

Freeskate Mashup TEASER: the tradition behind the falls

www.online-skating.com

A few months ago, I translated the rules for an upcoming freeskate video contest organized by the skating website I work for. A revival of the genre, interesting!
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine, who used to take part in such online freeskate video contests at the time they were thriving, told me that he was going to register.

A few days later, the webmaster of the website told me I should submit a video too. Indeed I should and I would love to. Got to find the time, the spots, the cameras...

With no defined idea in mind, I talked to Photographer Julie who did this amazing series of shots during the summer, about a vague video concept.
Challenge accepted!

Wearing pads kills your survival instinct

- I sprained my neck...

- Again? How?

- Was standing and I just fell. Again. Is it bad?

To get a full view of the situation, let's mention that this is a derbygirl conversation, i.e. that the context includes rollerskates and pads (incl. helmet).

It is common knowledge that MEANINGLESS FALLS ARE THE MOST INSIDIOUS. You are more likely to hurt yourself real bad in falling from an idle standstill, simply because you are not ready nor is your body. You are relaxed, not aware of the danger lurking 'round the corner. It bursts out for no reason, you get frightened because you are not expecting it, and you lose balance without being able to stabilize. Follows an unmastered fall, with your body either very tense because of the fright, or very relaxed because your brain didn't even have the time to warn it. In both ways it can lead to a complete disaster.

Ich bin eine Berlinerin

After a three-month break that turned into a five-month break in Bordeaux, having left our Parisian appartment in early May, we have finally reached our final destination and our new home for a while: BERLIN.

HOW DID WE COME TO THAT?

A wind of change had been blowing on us for some time and we finally yielded to it earlier this year, feeling it was time for new adventures. At first we had set our minds on Montréal but it proved to be a bit tricky and quite a huge move for a first home out of France. Indeed I'm used to travel a lot around the globe, but I'd always had a French pied-à-terre -- until now.

Then I had a conversation that aroused my attention during my trip to the 2013 Eroc... Thinking it over and together with Wonka (and Deven the cat) we found that it was an excellent compromise, not too far but not too close, a little exotic but not too much, new but known... and we immediately launched our organization program: