MEETING WITH CHLOÉ SEYRE​

MEETING WITH CHLOÉ SEYRE

At the four corners of the world, Chloé Seyrès  shines a spotlight on French skating across a multitude of disciplines. A multidisciplinary champion and historical ambassador of Flaneurz, of whom we are very proud. At the beginning of the adventure, she was also part of our group of beta testers.

We met this early user. For her, roller skating is an essential element, and she shares her story with us.

/You seem to have explored many areas of roller skating, can you tell us a bit about it? How would you describe yourself today if you had to introduce yourself?

In a few words, I've dabbled in ramp, freestyle slalom, freeskate, roller derby, and rollerdance – and I skate indiscriminately on inline skates as well as quads.

Otherwise, in a few more words… 

I have almost always skated, but it was around 11-12 years old that my Sunday afternoon hobby at the Bordeaux Park turned into a passion. I started by throwing myself into ramps, before attending a freestyle slalom demo and falling in love with the discipline. I did it for 10 years, during which I met amazing people and traveled a lot.

I hung up my inline skates at the moment when the phenomenon Whip It hit France. While I was researching, I learned that the Paris RollerGirls had just been created, 2-3 months earlier, and I jumped at the opportunity. I played for three years in Paris, then I moved to Germany where I joined the Berlin Bombshells for a year. 

In the meantime, I participated in the first two World Cups in Toronto and Dallas, then I briefly joined the New Skids On The Block from Montreal before returning to France for studies – and to play half a season with the All Blocks of Mérignac.

After these few chaotic years, I returned to Montreal, this time for good. I reintegrated Montréal Roller Derby a few months, before retiring to refocus myself.

After this interlude of contact team sports, I returned to my first passions with rollerdance, a more creative and technical discipline. I had already had a glimpse of it in Paris, where I co-founded the crew SkateXpress with other skaters, but the twists and turns of life had not allowed me to delve deeper until then.

/What is your best memory in competition? Can you tell us about your achievements?

In slalom, there are three disciplines:

/The Classic: pre-prepared choreography

/The Battle: a bidding of technical sequences by groups of 4 riders

/The Speed: speed duels in three rounds

The classic and the battle make up the "freestyle" part, while speed is separate. In terms of achievements, I was ranked number 1 in the world in speed from the creation of the monthly ranking until my retirement (January 2007-September 2010) and almost the same for freestyle. I have 4 world titles, 3 European titles, and 8 French titles across these three disciplines combined, along with many victories on the international circuit..

On the side of beautiful competition memories, I experienced so many events and emotions during that time that I am unable to limit myself to just one. Some first times remain special: my first French championships, in Bordeaux 2002, where I won the title in junior classic against… only boys; my first international podium, in Lausanne 2003, in the mixed category; my first competition in Asia…

Some titles mean more to me than others: my 2nd world title in classic, in Barcelona 2006, where I broke the record for the highest score, at a time when tricks still earned points. ; my world speed title that I snatched from bluff in Singapore 2008; and my two consecutive European titles in battle, in Moscow 2009 and Paris 2010, of which I am particularly proud because the competition was very tight.

Beyond the rewards, the relationships I’ve built, especially the group of friends from the French circuit and the SebaTeam, remain the most nostalgic memories of that time.

As for the anecdotes and achievements of roller derby... With the Paris RollerGirls, I participated in the 2nd French match, "Bons baisers de Paris," against the Petites Morts, and in the very first international meeting. (friendly) on French soil against Team Unicorn, which we won to everyone's surprise! With the Berlin Bombshells, we were one of the first European teams to travel to the United States to participate in a tournament and climb the rankings, thanks to which we were able to join the WFTDA Division 2 championship!

/You who are a historical ambassador, how did you come to know Flaneurz? Did you believe in the project directly ?

I met Flaneurz in its very early days, when Florian was testing with wooden boards. I really hoped that the project would succeed, because this kind of hybrid business had never succeeded before... and the result exceeds my expectations!

In a distant time, I had detachable roller skates (Hypnos): from a skating perspective, they work, but my rolling part has already detached in mid-jump; and from a walking perspective, you quickly feel like an astronaut. Conversely, I also had shoes Heelys, that were suitable for walking, but were just another rolling gadget. And these are just two examples among the many that have existed. Flaneurz is truly the first system that works for both walking and gliding.

/What does it mean to you to be part of our ambassadors?

It means being part of a family promoting a project made BY riders FOR riders. A project that truly meets our values and needs, because the designers are also passionate users.. 

/Between us, do you use your Flaneurz daily? If so, how?

I use my Flaneurz to dance, I love the fluidity that sneakers bring. I also really appreciate having effective AND stylish shoes. With Nike AF1s on my feet, it's hard to make a fashion mistake!

"I use them to get places quickly WITHOUT taking public transport and WITHOUT being burdened upon arrival (just slip the rolling frames into your bag, and off you go!)."

/To conclude, would you have any advice for someone who might be hesitant to start this practice?

"There are different ways to get into the world of skating, and with a bit of luck, one of them will feel more accessible to you than the others... For example, you can take beginner classes to be guided and build confidence (especially learning how to fall)."  et à t’arrêter +Wear protective gear; ask one or more friends to join you; scout skate spots in your city and ask questions to get direct advice; or, alternatively, find a quiet place to make your 'mistakes' away from prying eyes; and look up and analyze videos.

Don’t hesitate to follow Chloé on all her social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram et Youtube.