Interview with NIKITA teamrider Claire Essertel

Interview with Claire Essertel from St. Etienne in France . Interviewer: Oliver

Michelle Rushbrooke from Nikita Clothing helped to make this interview happen.

Spot by Nikitaclothing.com

Punk76: Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us something about your person, please.
Claire: Hi, I’m Claire ESSERTEL, I live in France near St-Etienne. I’m 29 and I have skated since 1997. I’m a graphic designer, I like to skate with my friends and play music with them, going to punk-hardcore concerts in the small bars in saint-Etienne and buying new discs.

Punk76: Claire, please tell us when you started skateboarding and who encouraged you to ride skateboard?
Claire: I started skating in 97 on my own, without knowing anything or anybody. I also didn’t know that there were no girls skating. The first year I was skating alone in the mornings and I was avoiding crossing other skaters. Then I started to move around and meet some other skater girls, we were 5/6 in France and cheered each other.

Punk76: Who is your favourite rider?
Claire: I don’t have a favourite rider, I am not so much into mags or videos, apart from old skate videos. I like the atmosphere out of them: real punk rock style.. Among the girls I like the style of Monica Shaw, Alison Matasi and Mimi Knoop in bowls.

Punk76: I once had a real bad accident in a Ramp, which means I will never be able to use my shoulder the way it was before. So list the worst bail (injury) you ever had.
Claire: I fell in the bowl of Marseille 3 years ago, the first day of my holidays! I broke a little bone of my ankle. This is the worst injury I had, apart from some sprains (ankle twist)

Punk76: What was the biggest success you ever gained with skateboarding?
Claire: The best contest I did was the European Cup in Montpelier in 2003, I was 2nd.

Punk76: How many times a week do you have to practise skateboarding?
Claire: It depends on the weather! I try to skate as much as I can, 2 or 3 times a week.

Punk76: What is the most difficult trick that you ever made? Are there any tricks you failed on?
Claire: At the beginning it was so hard!! I’ve jumped a pavement after 1 ½ year!!! It’s crazy! And it took me 3 years to do a flip!! Horrible. I would love to do a 3—6 flip, I get stuck on that trick.

Punk76: Do you have any favourite spots to skate at?
Claire: I love to skate “La Piste” in St Etienne, a street place with some banks and natural hip.

Punk76: Does skateboarding help you to reduce personal aggression?
Claire: I don’t have any aggressive ideas! But skating makes me feel good with myself.

Punk76: You’re a member of the NIKITA professional skate-team. How did Nikita Clothing find out about you?
Claire: A friend of mine introduced me to Nikita, so I sent them photos and videos then I became a member of Nikita skate team!

Punk76: What makes NIKITA so interesting for you?
Claire: Nikita was the first brand which showed that girls could practice extreme sports like skateboarding, snowboarding... I like the spirit “for girls who ride” made by girls who ride.

Punk76: Which sample from the upcoming Nikita Collection do you like most?
Claire: I like Belleville and Isobel denims (and so does my boyfriend!) and I like wearing the tops when I go to parties!! With Nikita you find clothing made for riding that are still feminine and this rocks!!

Punk76: I read on your bio that you’re a designer and a drummer in a punkrock band. Can you comment on that, please?
Claire: Yes! I’m graphic designer in a printing office, and I love my job. I have a part time job so I have time to skate and play music. I have been playing drums for 4 years and my band has existed for the last 3 years. When I was 18, I played guitar and sang in a punk hardcore band with 2 other girls, it was fun!!

Punk76: List a few websites you worked on.
Claire: My first website was “poseuz-crew”. I needed to show that girls could skate and show other girls that girl skaters existed. I did photos and videos of contests and sessions. I get on with this website but not as much as before. I take time for the website of my band : The Ditch! www.theditch.fr

Punk76: I was really impressed when I gave your band (The Ditch) a listen. What does your band name stands for?
A ditch is a skate spot, a concrete place for water but when it’s dry out we can skate it! The entire band skates so it an important side of ours.

Punk76: Your music is based on old-school-hardcore-music, which is good to me because I like old-school a lot. So may you introduce your band to our readers please and give them a highlight of what the band and your music is about?
Claire: We are 4 members, 28 to 35 years old, all of them are skaters. Thanks to old skate videos which show us good music and bands. Our songs speak about our life, our feelings, and our bad and good moments. And much more.

Punk76: When I think of Hardcore music I have to think about CIV, Youth Of Today, Better Than A Thousand, Comeback Kid, Turmoil, Uniform Choice and Missing 23rd. Which bands can you list as your personal favourites?
Claire: I like a lot of bands: Minor Threat, Dag Nasty, Gorilla Biscuits, The First Step, Betrayed, Have Heart, CIV, In my Eyes, Refused, Nations on Fire, Battery, 59 Times the Pain, Circle Jerks, Champion, From Ashes Rise, Tragedy, Paint It Black, NRA, Vitamin X, more and more!!!!

Punk76: Everyone in the band is riding skateboard. Is everyone a pro, like you are?
Claire: Everyone is riding and they are very good! They have been riding more than 20 years but no one is a pro!!

Punk76: I wrote my diploma about the “changing of the woman role” in 2006. To me this is an ongoing theme. My impression is that the industry lay its focus on the “new self-assured and athletic female role”. In the last years more and more girl-dedicated sites came up, like Coolgrrrls/ Girlpunk/ Vans - for Girls/ Wakeboard and Skateboard camps for girls. NIKITA is the first snow/skate/surf brand only for girls. What is your impression on this development?
Claire: It’s very good for the girls! Now, girls can see that brands support them. It’s better to progress and it push them to be better. Brands became aware girls have good things to show.

Punk76: Thanks a lot to Claire and Michelle from NIKITACLOTHING.com for having made this interview happen

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