PORTRAIT OF A WORLD CHAMPION AMBASSADOR: ALEXIS CONTIN

PORTRAIT OF A WORLD CHAMPION AMBASSADOR: ALEXIS CONTIN

The community of our ambassadors is growing. After introducing you to Najete Kada, French champion in figure skating, we are pleased to welcome Alexis Contin, world champion in speed skating and Olympic athlete in speed skating.

Becoming a high-level athlete requires aligning your passion with the desire to surpass yourself. 

/A WORLD CHAMPION IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE

/Can you tell us about your journey?

I have been roller skating since my early childhood. More than just a sport, it is a true passion. The desire to go faster and the competition with other skaters have driven me towards a high-level career. I have been fortunate to dedicate 15 years of my life to this pursuit of excellence.

I am a 12-time world champion in speed skating on roller skates. At the same time, I have won 3 world medals in speed skating on ice and finished 4th in the Olympic Games. The most important lesson I take from this career is the necessity of immersing oneself in one's goals without reservation. I believe that the beauty of sport lies in this intensity of personal commitment.

/What are the differences/commonalities between ice skating and roller skating?

The necessary physical qualities and the gliding sensations are almost identical, even though the spacing differs from one practice to another. In terms of equipment, there is also a similarity with molded shoes to the athlete's feet and carbon in the design of the skates for both disciplines. This material is a real advantage due to its lightness. Moreover, it would be interesting for Flaneurz to develop a platine premium in composite. On the other hand, the race format between the two sports is very different: Ice is based on timed races and a greater management of effort than for roller. 

/A PASSION PRACTICED DAILY

/How did you find out about Flaneurz? What do you like about the concept?

I discovered Flaneurz by chance while searching online for a mobility solution for my trips in Paris. My schoolboy dreams have come true! For years, I dreamed of rolling home. Making the journey to school with a pair of shoes in my backpack is not practical, just like keeping a pair of rollerblades in class. I like this concept because it is simple. I hop off the train, clip on my rolling part, and unclip once I arrive at the office. It’s funny because no one notices that I come in on rollerblades. Moreover, my pair of Lacoste fits very well with my daily practice while remaining sophisticated..

/What does it mean to you to be a Flaneurz ambassador?

I thought that riding in Flaneurz would mainly improve my daily life. It's much more than that; I've reconnected with sport/pleasure. For a long time, roller skating was my job, and now being able to move easily in my daily life thanks to Flaneurz changes my perspective..

/Since you became a loafer, how do you feel?

The handling is really easy. I use my Flaneurz whenever the weather allows and for all kinds of travel. For my rollers, I called on another one of my partners.: Lacoste. The result is stunning! The audience I meet can't believe that my shoes have become my main means of transportation..

/How do you see the future of roller skating?

It's difficult to respond. Roller skating goes through periods of cyclical development. I believe that the public's interest in effective green mobility solutions will enable a new cycle of development. The integration of roller skating into the Olympic program would be a real plus, but these political decisions are not easy to anticipate in advance..

The community of wanderers is growing, and we are thrilled to have a world champion ambassador among us, sharing the values of the Clique: the pursuit of excellence through quality of its products and the sharing through its s.

The Flaneurz Clique thanks Alexis for his availability. Feel free to comment and ask your questions at the end of this article.

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