was still
“ When Imy first bigupside-downI
on
Backflip, and
realised that I was about to come
round PERFECT and stomp this,
I started to cry like a baby
”
I can say that since 2010, everything started to
change a bit. I trained hard and was riding well.
I had no serious injuries and I started to ride in all
the major events in the world of FMX. For me it was
business as usual. The only difference was that whilst
I had been in the hospitals recovering, all the other
riders had been riding and improving.
Do you remember how you felt when you landed
your first Backflip to dirt?
Before the problem with my license we were talking
about earlier, I had done some Backflips into a foam
pit, and even threw a few combos. At this stage no
other riders in Europe were doing flips.
Then, after my string of crashes in 2006, an event
organizer called me and asked if I was doing
Backflips and I said “I had tried some backflips a
while ago, but if you pay me more money I’ll come
and do it right there,” and in the end I went and
landed my first Backflip ever to the ground during
the show, and then I immediately threw a Backflip
Heel clicker. It was crazy but I was sure of what I was
doing.
Then I trained properly in the foam pit and worked on
the long distance Backflip. I still remember the day I
first pulled it. It was Jose Miralles and his father who
motivated me to try it to dirt. When I was still upside
down on my first big Backflip, and I realized that I
was about to come round perfect and stomp this, I
started to cry like a baby.
What do you think about the level of FMX now?
50 | FreestyleXtreme
The level is really high, and everyone just looks
crazy. I do not want to reach the levels where the
risk exceeds all bounds. I care about my life. In
fact, I think X Games did well to take out Best Trick,
because it was a detriment to the sport. Just think of
the recent deaths that have occurred in exasperation
looking for the Best Trick Gold medal.
I mean Kyle Loza, who worked throughout the whole
year just to try his one trick? It was senseless and
X Games did well to
“ I thinkBest Trick, because
take out
it was a detriment to
the sport
”
risking too much. This certainly did not give the sport
a good image, and now he can finally get back to
doing what he did before, play the g uitar. For $40,000
and the medal, it’s not worth risking your life.
How did you feel when you won your first medal
in Best Whip at X Games Brazil?
I was very happy with my result in Best-Whip Brazil.
My first time at the X Games was in 2008, but I never
reached the podium, so for me this time it was like
I had won. I wanted a medal and I got one. When I
think about it or look at it, it gives me so much joy
because it’s the first one!
What do you think about Speed & Style?
I love Speed Style because it’s just the right mix
&
of Supercross and Freestyle. This is a glimpse of
the future of the sport. The thing I like most is the
intense concentration when you’re going fast in