FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 1 | Page 101

GEE ATHERTON p. Sebastian Marko of getting on the podium this year? p. Fabio Piva Totally looking forward to it now. Last year was good but I felt that I slipped up a couple of times, but I learnt lots from it. I’ve had a good, productive offseason so I’m feeling fitter and faster than ever. I’m pretty stoked. Who are going to be the guys to beat this season? It’s hard to say. There’s always going to be last year’s top guys who are top of my mind but every year throws up some surprises and new talent which keeps us all on our toes. Though talking of new talent, young Taylor Vernon is going to be back out there with us and hungry to get stuck into those Juniors. I recently re-watched your slam on that cliff at the 2012 Red Bull Rampage. That looked like a tough few days for you man! How demanding is the whole Rampage experience for a rider? It’s physical. Being out there in desert conditions is demanding before you even start and the lines we choose, dig and ride have got to be wild if we are going to entertain the viewers and impress the judges. It’s such good fun but it beats you up. Sometimes you can have a relatively “easy” Rampage (2010 when I got 2nd place was a blas