Skate: "Break the clichéd image of this universe", Marina Correia, longboard dancing world champion

"It feels good," launches Marina Correia, officially longboard dancing world champion since Monday, in the sponsored women's category, with a broad smile. “Being recognized as the best for the 2020 edition makes me very proud. “Due to the health context, the world longboard dancing championship, So You Can Longboard Dance?, which usually takes place in the Netherlands over a weekend, was held online. Candidates were evaluated through their video performance.

The ingredients to win? A setting that makes you dream, Nice and its Promenade des Anglais at sunset, fluid steps, impressive figures and a bit of speed. All to lively music. “The juries asked me if I had accelerated the video, they were impressed by the speed in which I chained my movements. But as we can see with the people around me, there is no modification even if we had to carry out at least thirty tests before succeeding in the video. »

"I throw myself on the board and let my body express itself"

Marina Correia was born in Cape Verde and arrived at the age of 14 in Nice. Three years later, she embarked on the discipline, out of curiosity. “I had two college friends who had boards and rode them. One day I wanted to try. Now it's my passion. I never travel without. I smile by myself, I'm so happy when I'm on my longboard. »

Her story with this sport changed when, after a presentation of new boards in a store in Nice, the Sector9 brand offered her one while offering to sponsor it if she posted videos. She explains: “At the beginning, you need a lot of mental strength. I started by doing a few small dance steps, then trying to grab my board. But tricks are very technical so you have to be patient and believe in yourself. For a year, I trained on the Prom, at Opéra Plage where I watched a lot of people doing it and little by little, I evolved. I think what challenged the brand was my motivation but also my style. Five years later, she reached nearly 14,500 subscribers on Instagram.

Her style, she expresses it through her practice. “I put on my headphones, I get on the board and I let my body express itself. When I move forward, there is nothing that matters. It's a whole way of life, it's art. »

“A victory for all the little girls who need representation”

The longboard dancing scene is growing, thanks in particular to the visibility on social networks. Despite this growth, it is still a battle for Marina Correia to establish herself in the field. “I fight with other athletes through projects to break the clichéd image of this universe. No, it's not a game, no, it's not just for white, male people with caps and baggy clothes. I also have my place as a black woman and this victory is for me but also for all the little girls who need representation. This is the first time that a black woman has won a world championship title in this discipline.

A distinction that reacted on Twitter, where 6,344 people follow her. When she proudly announces her victory, emphasizing the uniqueness in relation to her skin color, some Internet users criticize her "for not being black enough". She retorts by publishing: “I am mixed race by my Cape Verdean and Brazilian origins, but I am a black woman, with black parents, a black family. »

Despite this wave of insane comments, the longboarder is focused on what she has won. “It means nothing to me, it's maybe 5% of the messages I received. I had a lot more love and support than hate. But it was important to make that clear, to gain representation in the community. »

She develops: “Representation is very important. I realize that I am an example for little girls, they tell themselves that they too can do it. At their age, I didn't see anyone who looked like me on TV. »

In commitment and sharing, Marina Correia is also considering an alternative to her sporting career. “I think about my health, if I break my ankle for example, what do I do? You have to think long term though. That's why I started a degree at the University of Modern Literature in Nice”. She already has her head full of projects: “I would like to organize longboard sessions with children in hospitals or orphanages, to change their daily lives. »

In the meantime, the student gives lessons on the Promenade des Anglais on weekends. To contact her, go to her Facebook or Instagram.