Marina Correia was born in Cape Verde and moved to France at the age of 14. At 17, she began freestyle longboard dancing in Nice, along the Promenade des Anglais. "Longboarding is a discipline between surfing and skateboarding, the dancing part comes from surfing and over the years it has become more artistic and creative.” In 2020, the 23-year-old rider was crowned world champion in longboard dancing.
 

Marina is unique, as is her style. “It’s not me who says it but other people. I have a particularly wild style. You expect a girl to be gentle and delicate in her movements, whereas with me, my style is elegant, smooth but also very wild. My movements flow very quickly. Speed is about adrenaline, freedom and using your body. I try to push it further and further, to exceed myself. The way I express myself on my longboard is my true identity.”
 

For Marina, being part of the ML Crew is a dream she never thought possible! "From our first meeting I felt completely comfortable. I’m sure we’re going to do great things together.” She also adds, “I find Maurice Lacroix’s mantra, ‘Success is a journey, not a destination’, very beautiful.” We all have different paths in life and life is a journey. Success is exactly the same. ”
 

The notion of time passing is very philosophical and thought-provoking: “There will never be enough time, but there’s enough time to do beautiful things. The relationship between time and me is that I don’t waste my time. I try to make the most of every moment, to do what I enjoy and make each moment more beautiful. Negative things don't fit into my schedule. I always try to focus on the positives and move forward. There are 24 hours in a day and you have to make the most of every second. ”

Stéphane Waser, the managing director of Maurice Lacroix, said: “Marina is genuine and passionate. Her discipline, maturity and background are impressive and she fully shares our values. We are delighted to welcome her to the ML Crew. ”
 

Marina also wants to pass on her passion to young people in Cape Verde, her home country. “As a citizen of this country, I’d like to see what I can bring to the young people there through my discipline, how longboarding can help them grow, as it has helped me grow and live my life to the full.”

(Images © Maurice Lacroix)