Jean Yves Blondeau and Yvon Labarthe were invited in Spain for a soap box race at Seares.
Shares is a bit far from the Alps. It is a village on the North coast of Spain. The region is called Asturias, it is on the way to Compostela. We made the road with Yvon Labarthe after breaking the world speed record in BUGGY ROLLIN at Mont Ventoux of 116 Kilometer per Hour.
good cider
We arrived in the early afternoon, and we were greeted with cider that is poured over the shoulder. Every one went drink before 3pm. It was not possible for Jean Yves to make the first descents in the afternoon. Yvon Labarth courageous and unconscient tried the downhill after the welcome lunch but he finished on the roof in the scenery. The reception was hardly too warm.
crash place
If the road was not very exciting, the people were nice. The road had one difficult turn situated down in the village. So it was the place where all the villagers were waiting for crashes. And crashes were a lot.
out of space
With our hi tech profiled equipment, we felt a little bit like astronauts in the soap box event.
We made Speed record of Rollerman 116km/h in 2008 at Mont Ventoux. We were on our way travelling from Izoard pass to Seares Spain. It was agreed that we would use any mountain good to roll. Indeed we had a lot of scouting some lost narrow mountain roads. We knew Mont Ventoux’s reputation from long time. But this was the first time to see it from very close.
Yvon makes every one go faster
It is impossible to go slow when Yvon Labarthe is on the same road in luge. And by simply testing the road it changed quickly to become a chase for speed record. The decision was taken in a blink. Obviously every one was prepared to this eventuality.
gps says 116
You need to have the helmet in the luggage, the friends to drive the bus and hold the camera, the good weather, and few people on the road. Everything was there. The road is almost a straight line over a mile and a half, with a pin on the right and rocks to accommodate a straight wipe out. Braking is important. And the safety distances eat the speed that is gained just before braking. It was still a reasonable descent where we were not in the risk margin. Three years after the previous record of 110 km / h at Oberwiesenthal, it was good news to celebrate the progress of the armor and the pilot.
The col de l’Izoard is famous amound the cyclist to be one of the most difficult pass of “tour de France”. If it is difficult for cyclist it is good for downhill BUGGY ROLLIN. So it is a place that hosts very nice events. And Rollerman at Izoard pass France was good thing to do. The pass has different visual spaces, green valley direction Briancon, stone and cliffs on the wild side.
Two sides of a coin
Sensation made by rolling of the sides of Izoard is very contrasted. On the north side, the long green valley offers long straight fast lines. In opposition to south side where the mountain drops violently to the deep valley. While the road tries to stay on the rocks it would not be a good idea to miss any curve. This side is a struggle to survive.
The video of Rollerman at Izoard pass France
It is also the place where we made the film speed warriors with Nicolas Bonnefoy.
Jean Yves Blondeau went as Rollerman at Darnetal French championship
Not the best place but he best men
Situated in normandy, Darnetal is not the most mountainous region of France, but it can be the one that houses the worst band of irreducible riders in Braie. Not exactly the same place as where Asterix and obelix use ti live but strong mind people are running interesting events. This is why the region sometimes hosts a major competition. It was the championships of France. And we were there and Yvon Labarthe too.
Rollerman at Beaufort to make pictures that will stay in memories.
Jean-Yves Blondeau,BUGGY ROLLIN rollerman
Rollerman and Danny Strasser at Cesana Torinese Italia.
We were on the road with Danny Strasser Through Italy to film the Cesana Olympic bob track, and looking for jumps on pass streets. We were able to enter the Olympic track of Cesana with the help of Nicolas Bonnefoy and Stefano Bombard. the track turns like a square. every turn is segmented in several parts. so it makes this track very special.
the pictures of rollerman at Cesana Bob Track
the map of the track
Rollerman et Danny a Cesana Torinese
red on Chaberton
The film of rollerman at Cesana Bob Track
Rollerman at Beaufort french alps.
Aftreward we went to Beaufort near Mont Blanc for the film “Just a dream?” made by Danny Strasser Staring Jean Yves Blondeau. The story is a guy played by Jean Yves Blondeau who is exploring ruins. He finally finds a street and drew that someone is rolling on.
Pictures of Corentin Fohlen of rollerman at beaufort.
During the filming Corentin came to make some pictures of rollerman at beaufort on Cormet de Roseland pass. The road is slaloming on the south side of Mont Blanc.
Sarajevo Challenge is a movie. After the rehearsal of the Bob track training with Philippe Auerswald and Danny Strasser, Red Bull has launched a series of Bob bobsleigh races in Sarajevo. It was the first international competition in Sarajevo since the Olympic Games followed by long years of horror of the war.
a bubble of oxygen where everything is broken, where people fight to recover everything that can be sold, where food is not yet a thing assured.
New leisure life ambassador
The Sarajevo Challenge is to bring new hope and pleasure in life, Rollerman is the Ambassador for peace, that people learn to live happily together again, for ever, sharing the challenge of sports instead of anger of heavy past.
Jean Yves Blondeau presented his dancing show of BUGGY ROLLIN on Daft Punk music in Suzhou. Rollerman Choreography in Suzhou was his first time in china with Seba for a show in China. It’s a new era that is opening with China starting to rollerblade, with its opportunities, and its magic encounters, Chinese beauties touched for an instant, but which, until then, have always been too short, and have lost in the labyrinth of translations or electronic networks whose non-compatibility is controlled by the state.
Understand is not easy
It takes a lot of time to get a blur idea of what happen in term of behavior and relation between people in China for a lost french man as Jean Yves Blondeau. He would act more efficiently if he could get the key of communication with the great people of china.
This release of Rollerman in Neox is dated from june 2008. But the pictures looks like 9 years earlier ISPO 1999, the one used in Berliner Zeitung.
Because the journalist met jean yves in 1999, the article says that Jean Yves goes 70 km per hour with the nose at 5 com from the floor. 20 kilo is the weight of the suit. Thirty minute of practicing BUGGY ROLLIN is equivalent of two hour of intensive sport. 31 wheels was used for the pink suit with 6 wheels skates. This carbon prototype was a 27 wheels. “The BUGGY ROLLIN is a living transportation machine”, that is right ! “The best thing is to roll on the back” is also true. There is misunderstand about braking. It says “braking is the hater thing”. In fact a wheel suit is braking all the time, the hard thing is to let it go longer.
Kyung Ae tried the BUGGY ROLLIN suit in Pundang near Seoul, in the parc of the in line skate club that she used to manage “Baram Sori” (the noise of the wind). She was a talented skater, so much that she was one of the first slalom coach in Seoul. As good skater, she could use her skills to learn BUGGY ROLLIN very fast.
Step By Step
After a first stage on the flat, she tried from a short slope. Anyway it take time to get good training. Later in France she had special downhill training in the alps. And finally she went to freeride in the famous Vallee de la Jeunesse in Lausanne. That day Gilles was discovering BUGGY ROLLIN. You Can see it in the video called debutant First step.
the video
You can find more picture here and her profile here
Kyung Ae pictures
KyungAe on the back
KyungAe spins on back
KyungAe
fixing
hello
Maybe she got stuck on the back once she landed. We came to relax the muscle of her head whit holding the helmet up. We got a lot of question about how tiring it is for the neck to lye on stomach. But the real difficulty is when someone stay too long on the back. The general construction of the body is not designed for that.
One day, Jean Yves Blondeau received a phone call. “Hi it is Jody from HHALLIWOD, We want you to make a movie with Jim Carrey, can you come?” Of course he could come. Here are the secret pictures of the preparation of the movie.
show how to wear
Get the suits ready
There is preparation of the new back with no wheels, because the production of the movie decided that it is not necessary to roll on the back. You can see a picture of the old workshop in which the grand father of Jean Yves was also working. Kyung ae shows how the shoulder pads work to the hollywood stunt spec makers.
Wheels Matter !
Stock of GREEN matter wheels, Jean yves wanted to have this wheels since several years, the movie was the right moment o get a stock. even if we did downhill with great peed and strong brakes, we should have new wheel at each close up shot for the beauty of the picture.
Kyung Ae helps Monica to set the suit, because in USA it was not welcome that Jean Yves takes care of woman chest on Monica, even if he is the master.
Progressive training by Jean Yves Super stunt coach.
the training started inside the parking lot of Warner Bros because of bad weather. The parking lot was specially closed for that. We would take the elevator to go up and make downhill after downhill. Jean yves was putting cones on the floor to draw specific curve that monica train to brake and changing direction. Afterward,we rent several road for training. The first was a museum in L.A. Second was a private road outside the city, and last was a lost high way in the mountain to train for speed.
going up with car
The next pictures are from the private road. It had a steep straight and a sharp right curve at the bottom. It was difficult for Monica who crashed in the canalisation on the side of the road. Scary but no pain.
Big trucks on tight hairpins
It has been decided that the film road will be protected with hay balls. Big trucks arrived. And “the street has more hair pins that the hair of Dolly Parker”
electric car
Many camera cars
The electric camera car was used only for one subjective shot. We also had a Mini that could keep the speed and brakes.
You can see back stage of Warner studio wit fake street perspective one sided building and old fashion ER outdoor set. As you see, it is not made in Chicago.
Hush !
The last pictures are secret shot of the stars at work, even if the Production promised to give official shots it never happened.
Hair strike.
next are shot of Jean Yves and Monica on the set. Jean Yves has long hair wig because he also double Zoee Deschanel as she jumped over the camera. Helmet of Zoee was one sise smaller as jean yves. But with the wig, the pins that holds the wig were getting in the skin of the skull, that was not comfortable. It is pure stunt work routine. Then on the last brake, Jean yves did a drift with head very close to the floor and the wig wrapped around the elbow will in a split of a second, that was pulling the head on the side. It was not possible to watch where to go anymore. Risky stunt work. It was a happiness to come back to Jim double sequence.
new back with no wheels
with long hair
old workshop of grandfather
show how to wear
happy stock of MATTER
help to wear by girl
JY and monica
with dave the medic
with Kyung Ae
brief with stunt women
going up with car
hold tight
ready to start on highway
expiant details
check with security
go
rehersal village
hay balls truck1
the master
hay balls truck 2
electric car
back stage ER
fake subway
with ZOEE’s wig
before go
check the frame
ready to jump
paint work
waiting
favorite run
Rollerman precision drifts
Each take is controlled after each run. There was camera crew at the outside of a curve where Jean Yves was drifting braking at full speed. The concept was to be as close as possible of the camera. After the first shot, Jean yves came to check if the crew was happy of the shot. “was it good? was i close enough?” he asked. As answer, there was a silent. He went so close to the camera that every one was shocked to be crushed and speechless. then after few second someone said “yes ! YES it is good enough ! ” That was precision drift !
mercedes with Russian arm. checking for trajectories
Camera on wheels for men on wheels
Many camera véhicules has been used for the run shoot. One mercedes Russian arm, it is a crane on the top of the car. There are 6 person in the car for operating directing and driving the car. They were struggling to keep the pace of Monica and Jean Yves because it was a real downhill it was fast. At last left hairpin the car went on 3 wheels, every one thought it was going to crash with the director inside. Thankfully not ! But they were scared. and they stopped try to chase Jean Yves with the Russian arm, They said “It is enough, we have it”, and moved to the Mini.
