I respect him, but he is different from me, someone who loves to ride, like Nate Adams and Robbie Maddison, we love to ride anywhere and anytime, not just one comp..
How was the X-Games experience last year?
I came back to X-Games Best Trick last year, I was so focused on it. It was my goal last year. Last time I was there was in 2008 with a flip doublegrab, but I missed it, and Jeremy Lusk won gold with the same trick. Maybe I missed it because it was my first experience there and there was so much stress for me. Also the ramp was so different. USA and Europe use different ramps with a different radius. Two years ago I was ready for Best Trick, but I didn’t get an invite from X-Games, so last year when they called me I was ready again to compete in Best Trick. This time it was good, I made my little technique mistake during the Special Flip but I still landed it. I was so scared and in my helmet I said “Tom I’ll never do this trick again”! I was so happy with my trick, not for the result, the important part for me was getting this trick close to perfect at X-Games. On my second run I don’t know what the judges saw in my jump, but they only gave me 88.00 - it was better on my first run (88.66), but they decided to keep me in fourth position. It’s difficult for me to understand how it’s possible that five people (the judges) can determine your life, because a gold medal changes your life for sure. After that I’ll continue to push hard and won’t think about results too much. Jacko Strong won the best trick with “Barhop rolling flip double grab”, for sure an incredible trick but Taka Higashino’s Rocksolid flip is amazing..
What do you think about ESPN deciding to cancel “best trick” for X-Games? why?
I don’t know why espn stopped Best Trick at the X-games. It was for sure a dangerous event but people loved it. Pretty much all the new tricks came out there. Some riders were practicing all year only for this event. X-Games loved the best trick contest until now. I think they got scared of the evolution of the sport. FMX will keep growing without the X-Games best trick contest.
You said Pastrana “Is Fmx”..what do you think about him?
For my unique inspiration in freestyle motocross, after my brother there is Travis Pastrana. I have tried to follow him, to get motivation from him over the years. It’s the same during this year too. Now it’s time for me and my brother to show people what fmx is.
To come back to the bmx idea, Mike “The Godfather” Metzger said that the future of fmx will be similar to bmx.. what do you think?
I think it’s a good idea, but because we need the power to jump the ramps and clear big gaps, the motorbikes are too heavy, so if you could use lighter bikes it would be better and easier for everyone, the body would be more equal to the weight of the bike. For example my body is small for a 450, Andre Villa and Travis Pastrana are bigger and taller, and they could do what they want with a bigger bike.
How does your family feel about freestyle motocross?
When Charles and me were young our passion was to jump bmx bikes in the backyard. Step by step we started to ride motocross and then freestyle motocross, but always with the support of our parents. They know we are happy living in Hossegor and our job is our life so they are happy! They don’t see many freestyle events, or follow the fmx scene.
“He is the winner of last years X-Fighters but I think he is too safe.”
LOKO 49