Now we are going to take a look back to the beginning of summer 2011.
I was working and snowboarding in Lapland for the skiing season.
One evening I was just sitting in facebook when Ville "Hietalan Ville" Hietala sented me a message asking me to go to France to Chuyer freeride with him and Joonas. I didn't even have to think about my answer, 2 days later I had the tickets to fly to Paris with Joonas in the beginnig of may.
I had my leather suit and my fullface helmet in my huge backpack when we were trying to find a train from Paris to Lyon. It was really hot and the station was packed.
Our plan was to stay in Lyon for couple of nights and then Ville was going to pick us up with his car and we would drive to Chuyer, where the freeride was held. We had one night together in Lyon and we went out to have some fun. The doorman didn't let us in to some bar because of our skating shoes and we drank all of the beer from this small street bar. Finnish people...
When we got to Chuyer the next morning we had one day to explore the surroundings before the freeride so we just drove around the area which was basically huge hills all over!
We had an awesome day doing downhill just the three of us. Nice, long and not too steep hills. Chuyer is really small and quiet place, not much cars or people. Weather was great trouhg the whole trip. Only problem was the leathers, you really do not want to wear them when its hot and sunny...
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| Me and my pink leathers in Chuyer. |
We went camping to Chuyer in the evening and there were already some people waiting for the next morning and the freeride with cars and tents.
The french people were first really quiet and not talking to us but after some beers and snapch they turned out to be really talkative!
I was also exited to meet and talk with some of the french downhill girls!
The hill was beautifull!
3,5 kilometers of good downhill with couple of sweet hairpin turns!
I was also amazed of the people who were riding. There where lots of longboarders, streetluges, rollerbladers and of course the rollersuit man.
All of them were equally crazy and fun. They also were amazed that me, Ville and Joonas came from Finland just for this freeride. For them it was just one "normal" weekend. They propably should come to Finland and see the hills we have here, they would propably appreciate theirs more. The hill was deffinnetly worth going there. And also not too hard for DH beginners like me.
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| Getting riders back up! |
The reason I like freerides more than competitions is that you get to ride so much. Basically everyone rides down and the the truck comes and takes everyone back up and you do this the whole two days.
Also I get super nervous every time im compiding, in freerides the only person you are compiding with is yourself.
This was the first time I was riding a proper and long hill.
I was really nervous first but the experience was awesome and I gained so much confidence there.
After 2 days of longboarding, drinking and having fun with the french people it was time to go back to Lyon. I could have stayed for one more week!
Best part of this trip was the people. I hadn't spent too much time with Joonas before the trip and was a bit nervous how we would come along just the two of us for such a long trip but everything went better than exepted! We both have this layed back attitude about everything, we didn't plan things too much ahead. Just go where the road takes you. We were laughing trough the whole trip and we are still having some stupid inside jokes when we see each other. I also loved to have Ville there, with thease guys, I would travell anywhere!
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| Joonas and Ville ripping. |
Im already looking fovard going to Chuyer freeride 2012, and I hope I get some girls to come with me!
And of course my French lovers Joonas and Ville, can't thank you enough for making my first freeride in europe so special! Hope you'll come with me next year!
Chuyer Gold Trophy freeride 2011 Here is video from Chuyer freeride 2011!
-Roosa-Liida
