Free ride: women conquering the top of the bill

Universe of freedom, self-transcendence and limits, does free riding still come up against a more insidious barrier, that of a form of sexism? Reading the program of the International Free Ride Festival held in Capvern until tonight, the question emerges. Two films out of the 21 broadcast between Thursday and this evening were directed by women. It is these two works that also highlight sportswomen. This is the case of Selected Fragments by Alicia Cenci, which retraces the committed career of Elisabeth, world freeride champion who is taking advantage of her title to come out.

“What we are all looking for are films that take us somewhere else”

Also, to ask the question of the lack of visibility of women in freeriding is to throw a stone into the pond at lunchtime for the jury. “We did not manage to have parity within the jury, admits Bruno Delaye, the director of the festival who has had real success since Thursday evening. It is true that it is an environment which remains quite masculine, more by example than surfing which is perhaps more accessible. However, it is a different and important sensibility at the time of deliberations.”

Editor-in-chief of a snowboard magazine, Dutch Mirte Van Dijk has not only worked with athletes and sponsors, but has also done several expeditions around the world herself. “Today, we have changed a lot of things in the language to put men and women on an equal footing, she slips. But we are not here because we are women, but because we have accomplished things. It’s this performance that must prevail. There are women, but often behind them. You can accomplish a lot by being creative. For me, it’s something that suits me to be behind the camera. Nowadays , it’s easier to be accepted. Even if you still have to work, people want to hear your story. Afterwards, you have to be strong, face or ignore the negative comments. But that’s the same for everyone. world.”

Another woman on this jury, Marion Pujo Valentin, takes an outside look at the world of freeride, having worked in advertising and marketing for over twenty years. “I have a different eye on images through this experience, explains this child from the Aure Valley. We see in our discussions within the jury that we find ourselves very quickly on the essentials, men or women. We have different points of view, but we come together on things that touch us and bring us together. I, who don’t belong to this world of board sports, am delighted to be confronted with such different perspectives. Me, I’m going to look for an angle, a story, images. The fact that there are no or very few women on screen, it is moreover the men who made the remark. But in the end, this that we are all looking for, these are films that take us elsewhere.” This change of scenery certainly goes beyond the war of the sexes!