The Anniversary Interview: Chloé Seyrès

THE ANNIVERSARY INTERVIEW: CHLOE SEYRES

When and where was your first competition? 

My first competition was in Bordeaux (fra), my hometown, for the 2002 French championships. All my friends insisted for me to register… I was a bit stuck, no choice, so I did register. I was the only girl in the Junior category so I competed with the boys. I was coming out of the blue and to my surprise I got the 1st place! It was the beginning of a new chapter of my skating life, entitled “Competitions”.  

 How would you describe your 10-year skate evolution? 

I “celebrated” my 10th anniversary of slalom-skating in May this year (2011). But I’ve been skating for much more than 10 years. I used to do ramp-skating before, that was my first “specialization”.
As for my 10 years of slalom-skating, I evolved with the discipline, trying to be aware of every novelty or trying to be ahead of them. I was part of the first wave of the “new” school: inline skates had become popular in slalom-skating and we could go along the cones the way we wanted (we could go back and forth on the line), and the bases of the new generation tricks were coming.
* The major turning point was in 2006 when Europeans became aware that there was another living entity of freestyle slalom in Asia. At first it was hard to comprehend their vision of freestyle but then it started to become clear and we tried to adapt stuff here and there.
* The other turning point was the creation of Battle competitions, which showed a different and complementary way (to Classic competitions) of using freestyle. Classic competitions had taught me how to be squared, build optimum combos and learn choreographies by heart. Taking part to battles enabled me to loosen up and let go. Two complementary qualities.
* And the last major change was the experience I got from taking part to more and more competitions and travelling to different places: I learnt how to cope with stress, how to share tricks and how to conceive different ways of freestyle linking.  

Which year/s would you say was your golden year/s? 

Luckily, I had a couple of “golden” periods. I’ll keep the two main: Spring-summer 2006 where I decided to train excessively and where I added the brand new technical tricks of the moment to my skating. It proved to be very successful, I won a couple of international competitions and my ticket to the Seba Team.
The second was winter 2008 – spring 2009. I unlocked a door which I thought was closed forever for me, leading me to that “letting go” thing I was desperately seeking. I felt like as if I was invincible: I won two out of three categories (ending up second for the 3rd) at the Singapore world championships, and three months later the Battle European championships! My body was overused but my mind was iron.

How would you describe your skating style?

In my dreams, my skating style was a blending of movements with great amplitude executed with both power and smoothness, articulated with original and complex linkings (by complex I mean full of details, not heavy). That’s what I’ve been trying to reach for. And I wanted it to show and to FEEL like that. I know I can still improve my style to get closer to my ideal, nobody’s perfect and there’s always some unfinished details. But at least I know that I took the path I wanted!

The question that everyone is eager to know the answer to, why did you retire from competing?

For so many reasons… but to make it simple, I overdosed! So I stopped training to recover.
The main reason is that I started not to take pleasure anymore to go to competitions, travelling all the time… It was some kind of routine and I wanted to break it.
I was also tired to freestyle all the time, not because I felt like skating but because I had to train to stay on top and to prepare for the next competitions. It was more obligation than pleasure in the end. So that I got overused in the last months and my health went quite bad.
And… I’ve been part of this world for 10 years, I know it, I needed to see new worlds while there’s still time! ;)

Do you feel that now you’ve retired, more concentration will be with your band Akouphen?

We decided to re-form last summer. We’re only two now but we’re more motivated and creative than ever! We’ve nearly finished to compose our second album, which will be called “ELEVEN”: It will be out in 2011, there is going to be 11 tracks (and one bonus-track but this is secret!) ..and it’s Akouphën’s 11th anniversary this year!
Now that I’m more settled, I can go for recording sessions one week per month. We’re doing an exciting job! Our work is much more mature than before, I love it!
There are 4 demo previews of the album in streaming on our facebook www.facebook.com/AkouphenMusic and on our website akouphen.free.fr … Check ’em out!  

What’s next for Chloe Seyres?

Chloe Seyres is not retired (3rd-person talking… Man, t’was time to quit!) !! She’s just left for another galaxy, that of Roller Derby, and she’s getting more and more involved in it. [3rd-person mode: off]
I changed to another skating sports (skating cannot get out of my life so easily!) but a team-sports in which you have to score points — a brand new experience for me who have always done artistic individual sports! So now I’m part of the Paris RollerGirls (http://www.facebook.com/ParisRollerGirls || http://www.parisrollergirls.com/ ) and I wear quad skates, pads and short pants! I’m starting to write a Derby Diary www.kozmicdiary.blogspot.com if you’re curious, but I’m not regularly filling it yet.
Anyway “never say never”: I might be back the day I miss freestyle too much ;)

Anyone to thank for the success and experience you’ve gained from slalom competing over the years?

There are so many thanks… that I won’t say any because I will always forget someone and I don’t want that someone to be sad or jealous!

Links

The interview of Chloé Seyres in Russian

Written by Keanoush Zargham
Pics: Keanoush Zargham