In the summer of 2007, French freestyler Clem Keym’s mother signed him up for a summer camp. What seemed like an innocuous move would change his life forever. It was at this camp where Keym got his first glimpse of freestyle football through Coco, one of France’s freestyle pioneers. He was immediately hooked.
In the decade since then, Keym has went on to become a four-time doubles routine world champion, performing alongside France’s top talents, including the one and only routine specialist Gautier.
Keym’s freestyle flow comes from a various array of influences which range from hip-hop to Tae Kwon Do. Well traveled, the 24-year-old has gained valuable experience through his veteran career.
“Freestyle has taught me to always believe in my ideas and potential, and to follow my intuition,” Keym said. “By traveling around the world I’ve met so many different people, and it allows me to have a full vision of how the world is going on.”
In addition to performances and competitions, Keym is playing an instrumental role in the upcoming documentary, Around the World, which chronicles the history of freestyle as well as some of the world’s most recognizable and skilled freestylers. After its Kickstarter failed to reach the goal of €49,000, hope was lost and the project was to be scrapped. However, according to the movie’s Instagram page, Australian production company Bronte Pictures picked the documentary up and it is scheduled to go into production in the spring of 2018.
For Keym’s Freestyler’s Playlist, he uses a variety of hip-hop tracks from around the world to get him in his training zone. Keym usually doesn’t plan out his training routines, he just “freestyles” them. Like many freestylers, the music he plays has a big influence on how he trains. However, Keym says that when the right song comes on, it’s like he becomes one with it. It helps him be as creative as possible during each session.
“When I get this fusion, I start entering into a trance,” Keym said. “I’m in another reality. It’s hard to describe this energy, you must feel it. And during these sessions where I’m not using any thought at all, it lets my subconscious express itself. Eighty percent of my tricks come from there, which is why I started recording all my training so I can find them again. The thing is, if you stop your session to perfect a trick, you leave this trance and the connection with your subconscious.”
It’s no wonder Keym’s routines continue to be some of the most original and entertaining in all of freestyle.
Follow Clem on Instagram and listen to all of our Freestyler’s Playlists here.
