Taïg Khris in the Spotlight

At 28, this inline skating prodigy has won every major competition on the planet. BRUSSELS ▼ A Greek sculptor mother, an Algerian theater director father: the blending of cultures gave birth to a fine baby in the Khris family: Taïg, multi-time world champion in vert inline skating. You know, those young rebels who perform incredible tricks on a curved wooden halfpipe... Not content with being one of the best in his category, Taïg Khris displays unfailing good humor and kindness. He discovered his sport while strolling around Paris in his free time. Free time he had in abundance since his parents never enrolled him in school. "My parents always let me enjoy the present moment. My brother and I discovered inline skating when we were only 5 years old." "We were walking near the Trocadéro in Paris when we stumbled upon young people on roller skates. The atmosphere was wild. We went home and asked our parents to buy us roller skates." Since then, Taïg Khris has never taken them off. He even revolutionized the sport by inventing a multitude of tricks, each more acrobatic than the last. That didn't stop him from struggling, and even stopping skating for two years. Until August 1996, when he finished 5th in an international skating competition. "I found out about the event two months prior," Taïg explains. "I registered quickly and went to buy inline skates. I had never used them before and trained like crazy for two months. It was after this competition that I signed my first two sponsors." Two sponsors who would help him cross the Atlantic and finally face the Americans. "The US had developed their sport in parallel, without really worrying about what was happening over here. Same on our side. It's only been about ten years that we've been interacting. And honestly, I remain convinced that the French still have a head start." Yet, few manage to actually make a living from this sport. Most chase sponsors. Others have a side job. Taïg Khris remains an exception today in the small world of the ramp. "Staying at the top for eight years, avoiding injuries and monotony, I guarantee you it's not easy. In France, I know about ten guys who manage to make a living from it. But our status is slowly evolving. The goal today is to raise awareness among young people. To show them that you can make a living practicing this sport. To show them that this sport is above all synonymous with freedom." And to practice what he preaches, Taïg Khris travels across France to meet young people. Some roller schools already bear his name. And Club Med has also opened roller schools in some of its holiday villages. This ever-growing fame has even translated into the release of a video game bearing his name, available on X Box, Game Cube, and Play Station. Pretty cool for Taïg, who spent a good part of his youth playing video game consoles. Proof that not going to school sometimes has its perks...