Too busy skating to write.

Juno, the ultimate poser.

I haven't taken the time to write in here for ages - more than a month!

After a black hole of news stories due to my ankle's encounter with a Canadian player, things got pretty hectic at such a sustained pace that I didn't have the time to report them.

Okay, let's be honest, I didn't TAKE the time to do so, because first I was too busy being depressed by my gimpy leg, then I was too busy working out to chase the wrong karma away, and last I was too busy skating to make up for those months of deprivation! (Obviously.)

Here's a little chronological catch-up on the main events of those last two months!

SkateXpress: "A Thousand Jacks"

I'm far from being the best dancer in the world, my body is far too new wave to be funky, but I do love doing weird technical stuff with my feet.

I'm one of the founding members of Parisian Rollerdance Crew SkateXpress, which rose from the ashes of the Rollerdisco Club La Main Jaune three years ago. When I stopped freestyling and started derby, it enabled me to maintain a creative activity related to skating, hanging out with crazy skating technique specialists... and all this, in a breathtaking setting.

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!

B612 Photoshooting by ArtyChaut.com

A couple of months ago I was contacted on facebook by an illustrator/photographer who asked me if she could shoot me on quad skates. I usually consider those kinds of proposals as long as the people seem to be of sound mind. As a matter of fact she did, so I said yes.

We met once for a drink, then a second time for scouting, although neither of us usually do that: the first go is often the good one, more natural. Still we wanted some special weather conditions (a bright sun would be welcome), so we patiently waited for the right moment.

Our first common wish - we had the same idea separately - was to shoot on the water mirror of the docks of Bordeaux. It's a childhood dream to make a splash on rollerskates, and water is an interesting and uncommon element to work with (especially with skates).

Coaching the Criminal Nurses

I made a detour on my way back home, after our ultimate game of the season in Dublin, to visit the CRIMINAL NURSES in Aubenas (FRA, 07). It was amusing to meet derby people who already knew about me before I started derby! Such a small world. Got less awkward once the presentations made.

OK, I know you are going to read this. It was a really comfortable 'awkward' though -- in a funnybot way. Honest, natural and just PERFECT:

SkateXpress Rollerdance Crew

I am proud to present the SKATEXPRESS ROLLERDANCE CREW of which I am one of the founding members!

We have been skating together for two years already, rehearsing at first in the streets of Paris. But the real boom happened when we entered the Collective La Main who restored La Main Jaune, the one and only Parisian roller-rink, which closed a dozen years ago.

It is not the first time that I mention SkateXpress in this blog, but this time, we are going public! We were waiting for our visual identity to be ready. Now that we have an awesome logo, our website and our Facebook Page are available for us to share our experiences, our performances, our passion of skating and our creativity...

Paris All Stars Vs. Ruhrpott | Quedalles Vs. Gent

Paris All-Stars (266-85) Ruhrpott A
Paris Quedalles (217-157) Gent Cuberdonnas
May 4th, 2013 / Paris

That was one hell of a double header!

I have not had much time to write lately as I have been VERY busy in the real life, so that my report is coming a bit late and will not be as thorough as usual. But I still wanted to write a few lines about that reboosting event.

It was a sold-out double header taking place in Paris, with both our teams playing --and WINNING-- in front of the craziest and most supportive public ever. The venue was on fire as never before! MOREMOREMORE!

In addition to all the buzzing and excitment, it was our first game with our BRAND-NEW JERSEYS which we were given on D-Day! The whole league has now BLUE uniforms, the red'n blue days are over!

Starlight Express UK Tour

I did it!

I finally saw the legendary skating musical

Starlight Express

 By mere chance, I happened to be at the same place at the same time as the UK company. Our respective tours met in Bristol and I jumped on the occasion to go. With the friend I went to visit, we took the last two cheap seats that seemed to have an acceptable location (my bet) and I am glad we did, the view from the upper circle was perfect!

Originally created in 1984, the show has evolved a lot since then and has known multiple versions.

I saw the simple version on a common stage, with the rollerskate races projected in 3D on a big white screen. There is a far more demanding, challenging and physical version in Germany with a dedicated venue, specially designed for the show with a track encircling the public for the  race parts.

The show has been rearranged over the years, and as a result, its soundtrack is quite varied, going from cheesy pop-ish love songs, to funky disco songs, including rock'n roll, blues and even hip-hop pieces.

Skatexpress at Charity Ball

Me and two of my rollerdance partners, Jim and Marjo, had committed to perform an act at the Charity Ball of MAGliss'XS, the profit of which is going to go to the "Toiles Enchantées" association, fighting for cinema to be available to hospitalized children.

"When children cannot go to the movies,

the movies should come to them"

REHEARSALS

The ball was a skating night with an ice disco preceeded by a show, and took place in the ice rink of Asnières, in the close Parisian suburbs.

Who's Next: Snow (Hey Ho!)

The winter 2013 Who's Next fashion and ready-to-wear show was held on the occasion of the Parisian Fashion Week, at Porte de Versailles, just like this summer.
For a thorougher description...

The Winter version of Who's Next was indoors only, contrary to the Summer version where we were treated with bales of straw... which was +1 for the summer atmosphere but -10 for the slipperiness!
This time, snow was covering the whole city outside, while a strong tropical climat hung heavy inside thanks to the heating and the spotlights. Those same carpeted grounds with conceiled sewer drains underneath would make us trip at random, but hey ho! We knew what to expect!

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!"

3 Stripes Challenge: La Main Vs. Adidas

There is this video challenge to win this undefined and unclear sponsorship with the brand. The aim is to prove that you have a great social network in enhancing your friends to go on the brand's website and like the video of your crew. The video with the more <3 wins.

As explained in a previous post, for the challengers, it is above all the opportunity to get free visibility and create a buzz.

I presented you earlier the western spaghetti movie remake "Le Ref Sifflera Quatre Fois" by the Paris RollerGirls, and now I am going to introduce the video of the second crew I am part of. No preferential treatment!

FMyLife #4: Teres Major

Rollerdancing session on the Docks of Paris...

Guy who'd been observing us for 30 min, leaves and says: "By the way, you've got a wonderful teres major. It's the muscle just here [points finger on my TM]. Yours is just perfect. Have a good evening!" 
 

Why do I never get hit on in conventional ways? FML.

 

RELATED POSTS:
• FMyLife #1, #2, #3

• Dark Side of the CERS

RollerCon '12, Las Vegas: Night Life

Last year's RollerCon was an Epic Fail for me. Remember...

This year was faaar better and I could enjoy all the facets of the event. At least the two main ones: Day life (i.e. skating) and Night life (i.e. partying).

At first, I had decided that I was going to the RollerCon for a special purpose: SKATING.

...But then I started to take an interest into the EVENING schedule.

1. The whole thing about standing in lines to attend classes and wearing full gear on was part of why I only bothered attending on-skate classes the first 2-3 days, when it was not yet totally crowded. (see part.1)
2. The other reason was that I was sore all over (I confess) because it was the first time in 8 months that I was doing REAL derby moves. No matter how hard you train off-skates in rehab, there is nothing like the real thing. At least, I was glad I had the time to loosen up a bit on skates with my resuming of rollerdancing a couple of months before! 
3. The last main reason why I got more flexible with attending on-skate classes, was that I also had a go at partying (I confess too) and that it obviously became harder to be effective at day-time...

La Grosse Rollerdisco de Paris at La Main Jaune

The ONWHEELZ rollerdisco party was back yesterday evening and took over a mythical place in the Parisian history of roller-skating for a very special occasion...

Created in 2007, the OnWheelz is coordinated by my rollerdancer friend Jim and it is none other than the reference skating party in Paris.

It is not settled in a particular place because we have no roller-rinks in Paris (even in France, I know it is sad) so that there are only one or two events organized per year. It used to take place in a sports hall that we, derbygirls, know pretty well by now as it is our bout place.

Unfortunately for the event, the hall went from private to public, which means that it has to close at a "decent" time at night if it is to be booked... but midnight is more about starting than stopping partying.

Last year, the bet was taken to create a "before party" followed by a roller derby demo [video], but partying with the sunlight filtering through the roof windows lacks rock'n roll.

Who's Next: Violent & Funky

Who's Next is a semi-annual show presenting trend forecast collections and up and coming designers. Lasting 4 days, the event is huge and covers 6 halls with women's and men's wear, urban wear, leather, shoes and accessories.

All the stands of clothing brands are displayed in the halls. In order to liven up the atmosphere, some Dj stands are scattered here and there and you can have a drink, a snack or even a full meal if you are ready to pay the price.

The halls are all carpeted in white, in order to "hide the hideous damaged floor". Indeed we quickly realized that underneath, there were various traps to avoid: cracks, holes and sewer drains for the most common ones... And like any white public floor, it didn't survive the first day and turned into a black-spotted carpet.

Lipsticks & Mouthguards

 "Rouge à Lèvres et Protège Dents" was the title of the bout opposing the Paris Rollergirls B Team, the Quedalles, to Anvers's One Love Roller Dolls (10 A-players out of 14) on Saturday 14th, for the Titanic's 100th anniversary and my dad's birthday.

It was organized in Lille, half-way between the two cities, on the occasion of the "Quinzaine de l'Entorse" (Two weeks of the Infringement Association) in partnership with the "Rencontres Féministes" (Feminist Encounters Association). These Two Weeks, the aim of which is to highlight links between arts and sports, have been perpetrated for a few years now...

With Wonka, we were put up at one of the organizers' apartment, a two-storey place she shares with  three other flatmates. Great place, great people!

Rollerdancing in a Pig Sty

Seems that it is the series of music video clip publications! Springtime is inspiring...


Here is the clip of the song "Pig Sty" by the Kid Bombardos, a band from Bordeaux, staging my rollerdance crew in a street basketball court remembering the previous night's party.

I must say that I'm a bit sad not to have taken part in it because they look pretty badass!


You may have recognized some of them from other music clips here and there... but this new one is my favorite by far!

 

Derby Invaders at the Disco

 Remember the OnWheelz disco party of last June?

Well... it went like this!

ONWHEELZ 11JUIN 2011 from rollerjim on Vimeo.

Holidays in the U.K.

I haven't been very talkative lately because I was on holiday in London. Ten days to chill out, go shopping at Oxford Street, clean out second-hand CD shops, smoke chicha, ride motorbikes, but above all to SKATE!

I usually go to England every summer -- Don't ask me why I don't go spending my holidays in the Spanish sun just like every normal French people... My rebel side tells me to go North when everybody goes South. The weather is not worse than in Paris... after all England in the rain is just a myth (okay, I convey that sometimes it's not).

For three years there's been this annual freestyle skating event called SkateLondon in which I used to take part. This year SkateLondon hosted the European Championships and I decided to go as a visitor (yet, I ended up as a judge to give a hand for the Classic, but this is another story...)