A native of Rennes, he is a champion of a discipline that is progressing year on year, combining acrobatics, gymnastics and juggling: freestyle football. Accompanied by our mascot, Damien Fily-Boyer aka "DamienFreestyle" went out to meet the people of Rennes in the city centre. It was a great way to share football, challenges and goodwill with young and old alike! In conjunction with this collaboration with the club, we meet a young ambitious artist who is already oozing experience.
Damien, can you start by introducing yourself?
Being born here, I consider myself to be a 'pure Rennes'. I started playing club football at the age of 6 at the Football Club de l'Hermitage Chapelle Cintré. I was already focusing on technique and enjoying dribbling. Unfortunately, I had to stop for personal reasons when I was 9. But I continued to train on my own at home. A little later, I discovered freestyle football on YouTube with an American, Tom Follan, who inspired me and made me want to get into it. I liked it straight away because it used the same tools as classic football but with a lot more freedom. I'm now 20 years old, so it's almost 6 years since I started freestyle football, I started in March 2016.
Did you evolve as the discipline developed in France?
When I started out, I learnt on my own by watching videos. I trained every day and progressed rapidly through perseverance. After a year and a half, I was contacted by Wassfreestyle. He's one of the pioneers, a three-time world champion who now has over 3 million subscribers on YouTube. He got me to sign with Speen, the crew he founded. That gave me a lot of exposure, especially on Instagram. Today, I've managed to make frestyle football my profession and I make a living from it every day. I take part in initiations, shows... I also earn a living from advertising shoots in France and abroad. Sometimes I even do shows at weddings (laughs) or birthdays - it's all very varied!
Freestyle is constantly evolving and the discipline should evolve even more over the next few years. When you see the arrival of breakdance at the Olympic Games, I'm convinced that freestyle could one day become an Olympic discipline.
This isn't your first collaboration with Stade Rennais F.C....
Absolutely, I've already worked with the events department several times for shows on the pitch. I've also been in contact with the players because it's a discipline that a lot of them enjoy. In fact, I think there's a fine line between football and freestyle. In the States, freestyle basketball players train some NBA players. That's something that could be developed in France.
Do you have a special relationship with the club, beyond the professional aspect?
Because I'm from Rennes and I'm passionate about football, I've always been close to the club. I've been going to the stadium since I was a kid. When my father took me there, I had stars in my eyes. Those are great memories. I consider Roazhon Park to be my home (laughs). What's more, even though I've performed in a lot of places, in France and elsewhere, I've always been proud to do shows here, it reminds me of where I come from and I'm extremely proud of that. When I was a kid, I used to watch the match from the stands and now I do freestyle football shows in the middle of the pitch - it's amazing! It's a source of motivation for everyone, you have to believe in your dreams and your passions, nothing is impossible.
Are there any collaborations or projects that have stood out for you more than others?
I've worked with a lot of brands and I've met some great sportsmen and women, Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona... I've travelled to several countries, notably Japan, and yet it's always the 'first times' that I remember, because when you're discovering something, it's exciting. My best memory is my first show at Roazhon Park in 2017. Then there was my first trip abroad thanks to my profession. It was to Spain for an operation with a major sports equipment manufacturer. I'm very proud of everything I've been able to do, but it's moments like that that stay with me.
You're still young, do you still have ambitions and dreams?
First of all, I think there's always room for improvement. I have to aim even higher in my freestyle. And, of course, I want to discover new countries, meet new people, continue to enjoy my passion and, above all, make those close to me proud - that's very important. It's satisfying to have succeeded in this business because my mother was very reticent at the beginning, it's something that the older generations find hard to understand. Today, we live in a society where social networks, Instagram, TikTok, are a lever when you have talent and it's mainly thanks to them that I manage to make a living from my project. I'm aware that I'm privileged. A lot of people work hard to stand out from the crowd and don't succeed. If I have to give one piece of advice, it's to always have a plan B, a spare wheel. This is a business where you have to take risks and make sacrifices.
