18 Lifestyle Features Wednesday, September 30, 2020 This photo shows longboarder and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, Longboarder and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, also known as Longboarder and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, also known as also known as Jeab, braking during a practice session in Bangkok. Jeab, making a run during a practice session in Bangkok. Jeab, during a practice session on an unfinished highway ramp in Bangkok. ruising on an empty Bangkok highway, 63-year-old Nongluck CChairuettichai-the oldest member of Thailand’s longboard national team- says taking up the sport set her on the road to recovery from breast cancer. Diagnosed a decade ago, Nongluck- who goes by the nickname Jeab-had surgery and chemotherapy, her body withering to skin and bones. “But when you skate every day, you can feel your body becoming stronger and healthier... it helped with recovery tremendously,” Jeab tells AFP, as she straps on her knee and elbow pads. “Most importantly, it’s fun,” she grins. Jeab first picked up a board out of curiosity, after watching her son Soteera Longboarder and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, also known as Jeab, putting on whirl around the park. While most kneepads as her son Soteera makes a run during a practice session in Bangkok. novices initially tremble on the wooden Longboarder and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, also known as Jeab, walking up plank, Jeab’s good balance helped her for board sports. On a closed section behind, all the troubles and the conflicts an unfinished highway ramp during a practice session in Bangkok. push off with confidence. “She’s always between two freeways, she and her son in life.” At first, many other skateboard- been the adventurous type, so I was not stretch before strapping on safety gear. ers, and even her friends, tried to dis- surprised at all that she wanted to long- She tucks into a half-crouch on her courage her from pursuing the sport but board,” her 37-year-old son says. board, rendering her body more stream- she continued until she won accept- The mother of two says she became lined to whizz faster downhill. “When I’m ance. Only her family was supportive. “addicted” to the sport, which is typical- cruising, I feel free,” she says, as she Soteera says watching his mother ly dominated by teenage boys. She shows off a tattoo on her forearm that battle cancer made him realize how quickly became known in the capital’s roughly translates as “Longboard lover”. strong she is. “I’m worried about her small longboarding community and was “It feels like I am leaving everything because she’s old, but being too wor- competing in tournaments within ried until she cannot do anything is not a months. Last year, Jaeb qualified for good way to care for someone,” he Thailand’s national longboard team-the said. “She has to live her life.” Today, oldest member ever to join the squad. Jeab appears to follow the philosophy “She is an inspiration to a lot of people, tattooed on her calf: “Don’t wait to be especially girls,” team director Apichat cool.” Rocking trendy owlish frames, Rutnin tells AFP. “Now you can see she hikes up the highway for another more girls, from youth to adults, have spin downhill. At tournaments, she does started to be involved in board sports.” not focus on breaking speed records- the goal is peace of mind. “I skate for ‘Don’t wait to be cool’ This photo shows the tattoos of longboarder my happiness,” Jeab says. That’s all Every day Jaeb searches for new and cancer survivor Nongluck Chairuettichai, and that’s enough.”— AFP A tattoo with the message “Don’t wait to be cool” of longboarder and cancer survivor skate spots around Bangkok-a traffic- also known as Jeab, during a practice ses- Nongluck Chairuettichai, also known as Jeab, during a practice session in Bangkok. clogged metropolis with limited terrain sion in Bangkok. — AFP photos Crawford and Marie’s former wife, super- sarily result in trial. Brinkworth has said Elite Models model Linda Evangelista. Former BBC she was traumatized by the alleged journalist Lisa Brinkworth claimed that in assault, but was prevented from coming Paris fashion week goes October 1998, when she was posing as a forward by an agreement between the ex-boss probed model while doing an investigation, Marie BBC and Elite in 2001 following a sexually assaulted her in a nightclub. She defamation suit. Her legal team hopes ‘physigital’ to beat the virus was working undercover on a documen- this restriction on her speaking out can for alleged child tary into allegations of inappropriate sex- be a basis for bypassing the statute of ual behaviour towards models-many of limitations. aris women’s fashion week looks, “contains strong images that them underage-in certain agencies. Brinkworth’s lawyer Anne-Claire opened Monday just as the city some viewers may be sensitive to.” rape in France Brinkworth’s complaint is accompa- Lejeune welcomed the announcement by Plimited public gatherings in a bid “This collection is a mirror of the last five nied by claims from three former models Paris prosecutors on Monday. “This to slow rocketing virus infections in months,” Serre told AFP. With the of alleged rape by Marie in Paris when investigation will, I hope, give others the France. Like Milan-which finished Belgian master Dries Van Noten, she former top boss of one of the they were teenagers or young women. courage to speak up. This is an encour- Sunday-the vast majority of Paris shows has called for a major rethink of how the world’s biggest model agencies is US model Carre Sutton accuses Marie of aging first step and a relief for the vic- over the next nine days will be virtual, industry works. Their manifesto for Ato be investigated for rape and “countless” rapes in 1986, when she was tims,” she said. Marie left Elite Models, with frustrated fashionistas watching on responsible fashion has since been abusing an under-age girl as well as oth- 17, fellow American Jill Dodd of a rape in the world’s biggest modelling agency, in their phones and computers through signed by hundreds of other designers. er women, French prosecutors 1980, when she was 19, while Swede 2012 and is today head of the Paris- TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and the “The world around us has changed radi- announced on Monday. Gerald Marie, Ebba Karlsson claims she was raped in based agency Oui Management. labels’ own sites. Hollywood star Sharon cally,” Serre added. Fashion’s enfant former European head of Elite Models, is 1990, when she was 20 or 21. Pascal Stone declared the week open in a terrible of the moment, Demna Gvasalia ‘No forgotten victims’ video message, urging designers to rise of Balenciaga, said he also found him- Brinkworth’s documentary caused a to the challenge of better serving self asking if “fashion makes sense in stir when it was screened in Britain in “emancipated, free and bold women. the apocalyptic world in which we have 1999. It led to the suspension of Marie “Fashion has to be more fair, diverse been living since March”, when lock- and fellow executive Xavier Moreau. But and equal,” she said. Only a handful the downs began in Europe. they were later reinstated and the agency biggest brands, led by Dior, Hermes, However, the Georgian designer told pursued the BBC and other broadcasters Louis Vuitton and Chanel, are staging the industry bible Women’s Wear Daily of the program for defamation. The docu- real live shows. that he has since “discovered that even mentary, which filmed Elite’s activities With the vast bulk of international in times of pandemic, people want with a hidden camera, alleged that buyers and style journalists who usually something new. They even want it more under-age models were pressured into flood the French capital staying away to distract themselves from the horrors,” having sex and using drugs. The BBC because of travel restrictions, Saint he added. Even so, Salliard questioned told AFP it would not deny Brinkworth Laurent, Hedi Slimane’s Celine and whether it was worth persisting with access to its archives. “We have had Virgil Abloh’s luxury street brand Off- shows while the pandemic continued. “If extensive discussions with her lawyers to White have bowed out altogether. The there are no American and Asian buy- establish how we can make material lack of pomp of spectacle has led to no ers, and no journalists, what’s it for?” he available. We’ve always been clear the end of streaked mascara online from asked. BBC will co-operate fully with any criminal influencers mourning the loss of yet The Korean label Kimhekim kicked investigation,” it said. another proper fashion week to Covid- off Monday’s six digital shows, with the The step to investigate Marie came 19. “The last Paris fashion week which young Georgian Irakli Rusadze making months after a sex harassment probe was entirely digital left us all orphans,” his Paris debut with his Situationist was opened against French modeling fashion historian Olivier Saillard told brand. His slightly surreal film was shot agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a former associ- AFP. People crave the “theatre of the on the streets of his native Tbilisi, with In this file photo taken on September 3, 2001 the French President of Elite Model agency ate of accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey live spectacle”, he added, saying the his models buying potatoes in its street Gerald Marie (center) poses with candidates of the Elite Model Look contest on the Epstein.