Aching bones and sleepy brains:
Nothing that a solid breakfast can’t cure, and soon enough your favorite team of sleep deprived reporters were back on track, throwing ideas and making plans for the day. After Wednesday’s opening rituals, the real stuff was about to start in Montpellier yesterday, and once again we made sure our lovely readers wouldn’t miss a thing:
So here you have it, with the full report on Day #2 at FISE: Read on!
Words: Freddy White
Photography: Kaspars Alksnis
While most probably nursed their proverbial hangovers in the morning after the late night opening session at the freshly built MIP skatepark, we got ready organizing content for all your favorite channels. So in case your aren’t yet following our Facebook page or checking out our Instagram feed for exclusive pictures and Stories, we strongly suggest you do give us a like, post a comment, or even share your favorite Photo of the Day!
That being said, and that work being done, we headed out for the Pro qualification round on the spine mini ramp, and it did not disappoint! The level of skating was incredible already, and it’s almost hard to imagine how the hell the 12 riders qualified for the finals are going to step it up from there! With perfect 540 TTS, huge flat spins and seemingly endless lines, Friday night already promises for an incredible show!
And that’s something we can’t wait to share it all with you too!
In the meantime, back to yesterday’s action as the pack moved on from the mini ramp to the first spot of the ESA, just a couple of tram stops away! Now if you don’t know, the original Evolution Street Attack event has been going on almost as long as the FISE itself: That’s 17 years of DIY contests organized by the local forces to bring all visiting bladers together for one crazy afternoon of actual street skating, and that’s precisely the kind of traditions we are happy to see stand the test of time!
This time however, it all started off indoors:
A hungry bunch meticulously dissected every bit of the MIP down rail with all sorts of technical tricks, going as far as to transfer to the ledges to step things up before hitting the second spot, an up-flat-and-down rail nearby. There, Antony Pottier wasted no time, and laced both a hurricane top soul and fishbrain as he disastered from the bank onto the last part of the rail, setting the whole crowd of 200+ on fire! The final spot was another down rail on a nice 15 stairset nearby, and there again all the top contenders were quick to lace their bangers.
Check this one out, and a lot more of these in the photo gallery below!
However, we woud especially like to use this space to send our thoughts and positive energy to Parisian street machine Victor Daum, who fell hard on a hurricane top soul and was knocked out cold right away. Thankfully, Victor wears a helmet and that arguably prevented this unfortunate event to turn into something way sinister: So please remember everyone, skate safe and don’t hesitate to wear safety gear when pushing your limits! And to you Victor, get well soon brother, and stay strong!
As for us, the day wasn’t yet over:
Taking a stroll through the FISE site, we chilled on the park for a bit, catching a glimpse of a few lines and transfers as some of the pros enjoyed a first bit of practice on this new type of course. Trying to avoid the late night madness again, we eventually took off to the old center of the city and enjoyed some relaxed drinks in the incredible, historical district of Montpellier. Nice change of pace for a few hours, before jumping right back into it on Friday!
So stay tuned for our next update, Day #3 coming live tomorrow!
In the meantime, don’t miss a beat, and follow #FISEblading2018 to check out all of our FISE coverage!
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