Welcome to another round of Comacan questions, this week we are joined by someone we’ve personally met on her travels through the area and a person we’ve seen skateboard all over the world online. Our guest today is a friend to the east of us, coming from Montreal, Quebec. We’re proud to share this week’s interview with Frédérique Luyet.
Photo: Alexis Adrian
How did you get into Skateboarding?
My brother sold me an old complete $20 to bring his girlfriend out in 2002.
What does skateboarding mean to you?
Skateboarding is so many things. Sport, art, mode of transportation. You can make and do what you want with it. It is what made me a more social person. I used to be a loner and peoples found me weird. I had hard time to figure out social rules, small talk, etc. In skateboarding, everyone is a little bit weird. We don’t need to speak much to understand each other. It made me travel and make friends in my city and all around the globe, get me into art and photography, made me be a leader with Les Vagabonnes let me see the city like a playground, get me into building stuff with Projet 45 and it was also how I survived because I was a skateboard teacher for 15 years before I decide to do welding.
Photo: Alexis Adrian
Do you have a favorite place to skateboard?
I have different favorites;
-Projet45 is my fav DIY. It is quiet, have lots of shade, bbq spot, garden. I go there when I want a variety of transition and shape but also want to chill with my friends.
– Vans park at the stadium have a beautiful big bowl and I like it when I want to challenge myself but no shade and there always peoples watching (tourist), plus it is big so I need to be prepare and have energy to skate at my best.
-The big-o is my favorite street spot but lately I been skating more real street spots with the Vagabonnes and Planche Collective crew where I am out of my comfort zone but I like it because I suck at it and peoples have no expectation for me to perform and I can experiment with goofy trix, take photos of my friends and just discover the city and relax.
Are you involved with any skateboarding projects?
I am involved with Projet45 doing the construction with the boys.
I oversee Les Vagabonnes and try to make women’s, girls and lgbtq+ peoples skate and feel they are part of a community. I also help a little with Planche Collective, Skateboards for hope and Association Skateboard Montreal.
Photo: Alexis Adrian
What do you like to do beyond skateboarding?
What I like to do out of skateboarding? Skateboarding, photography and skate art. But it is kind of part of skateboarding… So I don’t know.
Do you compete in skateboarding contests?
I competed just for fun for more than 15 years, but I did 1 year of serious contest for Canada Skateboard in 2019. I did the Dew Tour in California, Vans park series in Montreal, the World cup in Brazil, the Beach Games on Quatar, the Jackalope, Ash bowl bash, etc… At one point I was 46th in the world ranking but without sponsors, no proper training or training facility, being 2× the age of other competitors and not much money to travel, I was doing my best but I was out of my league. I am back at doing it for fun.
Photo: Alexis Adrian
What are some of your favourite parks out of all the parks you’ve travelled to?
Lee Side in Vancouver, the weird rock that is shape like a quarter pipe between Ottawa and Montréal, the metal pipe in the forest in Sweden, the vert ramp that use to be at Rye air field in Maine, the vans park in Sao- Paulo and the Vans park in California plus every empty pool I had the luck to skate.
Anyone you’d like to thank?
like to thank my brother Marco, Super Duper Skateshop who sponsor me, my physio and my friends.
Photo: Alexis Adrian