Fred bonus: "the Roller Parade is a great help to the police..."

02/A ON DISPLAY by Anne Hustache, Albert Baetens, Fanny Bouvry and Thomas Ghysselinckx photos Arnaud De Cremer and Alexis Haulot ANIMATION THE BELGIUM ROLLER TOUR STARTS THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 3 FRED BONUS: “THE ROLLER PARADE IS A GREAT HELP TO THE POLICE..." Precise technical gestures, zero tolerance, Frédéric Bonus-Plumridge, known as Fred Bonus, is one of these roller kings who, during the weekend, frequent the Bois de La Cambre. This June 3, he will take the reins of the Roller Parade staff. The skater tells us the success story of his favorite sport. You seem to have been born with rollers... Fred Bonus: I started 20 years ago, doing "quad" skating, the old-fashioned roller skates. At the time, I was a loser, I was 15-16 years old and I skated alone in the streets. Sometimes, I would come across another lost soul, like me. We bought our equipment in a shop on Rue Bara, which sold American products: frisbees, yo-yos, etc. We were outlaws: we couldn't circulate on the street or on the sidewalks. We had to wait until January 2004 for roller skating to finally be recognized as a road user, just like cycling. When did you discover inline skating? I lived in London and California, where I learned a lot. At the time, each country had its style, its "skating touch." I could recognize a Swiss skater from an Englishman from afar! Today, roller skating has undergone globalization and there are fewer national specificities. One day, in London, I tried the first inline Rollerblades. I had the sensation of flying. But, in fact, it wasn't really an invention: the wheels of the first roller skates, invented around 1890 by a Belgian, were already aligned! Back in Belgium, you started the Roller Parade... Three years ago, I was one of the most experienced skaters in the capital... Carl de Moncharline, who launched the event, spotted me and asked me to take care of the staff. I then recruited the staff members on the ground, during the first Roller Parade. It wasn't necessarily about choosing the best skaters but those who could keep their calm... role. And, today, we have the luxury of being able to select the staff and choose the best ones. Finally, the police officers who supervise the skating event have also progressed. You also take care of their training... Yes, three months a year, I train the volunteers. The roller police must be able to manage the flow of skaters. It's difficult for them because they are in uniform and people are just waiting for one thing: to see them fall... In any case, this Roller Parade is a great help to the police. It allows them to get closer to the citizen. And vice versa. 8,000 PARTICIPANTS What memory do you have of this first parade? A memorable memory. Carl and I, we had set a goal: if we gathered 150 people, our mission was accomplished. Just before the start, Place Poelaert was packed. There were a good thousand participants. We couldn't believe it! And how has the parade evolved since then? We are reaching peaks of 8,000 participants. The level has improved. In the early days, people would arrive on Friday evening with new skates that they would unbox on site. Today, more and more people are skating correctly. It's nice, even if we've lost that little underground side. The staff has also evolved, it has become more professional. We are 135 to supervise the event throughout IT'S ROLLING FOR THE POLICE Can we dream of a roller patrol in the police then? The authorities do not object. The police already patrol on rollers in the Bois de La Cambre. But the topography of the city of Brussels does not necessarily lend itself to this mode of transport: too many cobblestones, too many slopes... Paris is the Mecca of roller skating, with its wide, flat boulevards and super-smooth asphalt. What are your favorite routes in this "tourist" circuit? Hard to say... When we pass through the city center, maybe. People on the terraces applaud us. There's a hubbub rising in the street, the friction of the wheels on the ground, the shouts... The atmosphere is friendly, and there's no elitism, unlike other events of its kind in Europe. And then, a lot happens in the procession. Couples form... There was even a wedding! (FB) LIKE ON WHEELS This June 3, the Belgium Roller Tour resumes its summer habits: roller enthusiasts will start the first Brussels roller parade of the summer. Every Friday until September 30, it will be the same ritual... The departure will be from Place Poelaert, at 8 p.m., if it doesn't rain. Participants will cross the capital, following a variable route of about 20 km. Two conditions are required to join the procession: know how to control your speed and brake. Children can also take part in the adventure as long as they wear protections (also recommended for adults!) It is also possible to rent rollers on site (10€), from 7 p.m., or at the Twin store, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For those who wish to vary the pleasures, finally, the Belgium Roller Summer Tour makes a stop, in July and August, in other cities: Monday in Hasselt, Wednesday in Ostend, Thursday in Namur, Saturday in Mons and four Sundays in Koksijde. Belgium Roller, 02/227.27.24, www.belgiumrollers.com. Twin, chaussée d'Alsemberg 414b, 1180 Bruxelles, 02/346.97.98, www.twin.be Photo: Alexis Haulot 02/01-07 June 2005 6