If you are looking for an original sporting activity to do and you like roulette, the Wheel’s on Fire association is made for you. In addition to offering freestyle roller skating sessions for amateurs and professionals, the association also shines with its results in regional and national competitions. So what is this new structure that has arrived in Tours? Reporting.
First, for beginners, what is freestyle skating? As its name suggests, freestyle skating is a roller skating discipline, which is divided into several categories, combining acrobatic figures, jumps, slides and technical figures.
There is, for example, the “classic” category (or also called “Classic Freestyle Slalom”), which is based on performing a choreography by slaloming between blocks placed in a straight line. Here, the skater must perform technical figures to the rhythm of music for two minutes.
We can also talk about the “battle” category consisting of putting several skaters into competition who must execute figures, each more impressive and technical than the other, on a slalom line. Unlike “classic”, there is no prepared choreography, favoring spontaneity and challenge between competitors.
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Like a phoenix rising from the ashes
The birth of the Wheel’s on Fire association is relatively recent. Its creation was caused by the closure of the roller freestyle section of the Nordiks de Touraine roller skating club, due to a lack of supervisors.
Saddened by this abandonment, two mothers of young skaters decided to open their own structure. Béatrice, one of them, is today its president: “The young people, who were extremely motivated, were really saddened by this stoppage, so we said to ourselves that it was not possible to stay like that. We then made the decision to continue to bring their passion to life and to recreate an association.”
After the official creation of the structure in November 2023 and after having wandered outdoors for four months to train, Wheel’s on Fire skaters now have the opportunity to offer two slots in two different locations, namely the Ronsard gymnasium at North-East of Tours and the Rotonde gymnasium (near the Sanitas district).
Between leisure and competition
Freestyle skating is far from just a fun activity for some Wheel’s on Fire skaters. Among its recruits, the association counts a double French freestyle roller champion in classic and battle but also national elite skaters (among the top 10 best skaters in France).
For the club, the competition calendar will be busy from January. This is what David, trainer at Wheel’s on Fire, explains: “We have roughly one competition per month from January to June/July with the French championship. But the problem is that, each time, it’s not next door: one day in Brest, another in Biarritz… Let’s say it takes you on a journey.”
But for the coach, the goal is not to collect medals. Here, we ride first to have fun: “I emphasize a lot on the importance of having fun when participating in a competition. I don’t care if you’re first, last or in the middle. The important thing is that the skaters tell me that it was so good and that they want to do it again!”
Don’t worry, if you want to join Wheel’s on fire but competition is not in your plans, the club’s doors are still open. During the Wednesday and Friday slots, all members practice together. “It mixes happilyexplains David. I go through the blocks to help everyone at their level because we must not forget that it is an individual sport. So my job is to guide everyone so that everyone can improve.”
One more degree
Today, the association has around ten members. In terms of competition, the next big stage will be November 9 and 10 with the French championship which will take place in Brest. To support the club during the competition, you will be able to watch the events live on the YouTube channel RF.tv France.
