Yesterday, the Sietse Van Berkel FM Interview and today, Lionel Cardoso aka Freestyle Tactics talks in detail about how different breathing techniques can help boost your performance and your life.
“Very often we talk about how to do a specific trick. But there are essential non-riding related techniques that will change your game. One of them is breathing. Indeed, we very often focus on specific riding techniques but forget about more general physical techniques like strength and endurance. This episode is inspired by yoga and Qi Gong where breathing is an essential part of the work and the main way to bring energy, calm and focus to the body and mind. You will discover how deep breathing will help you take your life and your riding to the next level.”
At the FiseWorld in Hiroshima, Japan last month it was on my list to catch up with the Flatmattersonline 2018 Breakthrough Rider of the Year, Sietse Van Berkel!
Sietse is one of those riders that has been on the brink for a number of years, last year he stepped up in a big way blowing the flatland world away with his final submission for the Master of Creativity finals and taking a well deserved win.
I dig into what went into his Master of Creativity entry, his horrific head injury that followed, from being the MOC winner to judging. Winning the FM award, his elegant style that is like no other, getting on Four pegs and Deco, his mindset training for contests and some surprises came out throughout the interview that I won’t spoil.
This is pure gold, is down grab and cuppa and listen to what Sieste and I have to say in our one hour 14 long conversation that taught me a lot and hopefully you at home listening.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s time for the Sietse Van Berkel Flatmattersonline Interview!
00:57: Winning the Flatmattersonline Breakthrough Rider of the Year Award.
1:36: Master of Creativity and a certain type of person to truly go in and give it all you got.
3:43: Strategy going into MOC?
5:12: Mindset going into Round 2 of MOC?
6:33: Keeping your Round 3 banger quiet and off social media.
6:50: Outside of MOC if you brand new trick do you save it or does it go straight on instagram?
7:18: How do you feel about social media?
8:22: For all of those that don’t know you, who is Sietse Van Berkel?
8:57: Coming from Holland, how much did the event Flatground inspire you and effect your life?
10:25: How did you get into Flatland?
12:31: After Flatground, BMX Cologne?
15:01: Your elegant style of riding?
19:41: First Bike?
21:21: Being in a music band?
22:42: From winning Master of Creativity to judging MOC?
23:49: Is it hard to enter Master of Creativity and not being sure of what you did was original?
25:14: Getting injured really bad right after MOC?
28:59: Did the injury at the pump track make you realise you cant afford to miss sessions on Flatland? No more pump track?
29:28: Climbing influences Sietse’s style.
30:14: Geting on Four Pegs BMX?
32:37: Getting on Deco?
33:20: Anything specific about your bike set up?
34:34: Out of MOC this year, any plans on a Welcome to Deco edit?
35:53: Outside of riding, what do you do?
37:21: In Utrecht, how are you riding spots?
38:20: Getting a ticket for riding at a spot, he’s rode at for years?
42:20: From winning the MOC 2018 to tackling the 3 minute run. How do you prepare for a contest?
44:20: What inspires you with flatland in the modern day?
46:14: What is flatland?
48:00: Do you have a set amount of hours you ride?
52:33: How do you feel your riding will develop in the future, do you think you found your style?
55:10: With the Dutch culture, I was curious would you say you are a competitive rider?
56:20: What were you thinking during the Fise finals in Hiroshima, as flatland fan or?
58:27: Do you think judging MOC would help your riding?
1:02:00: What pulls you to watch an edit nowadays?
1:05:08: You runs workshops, what do you tell kids about what you do?
1:06:47: Styles varying country to country.
1:09:00: Certain riders settles not fitting contest format?
1:10:15: What’s your favourite things about the flatland culture?
1:11:24: Was it scary returning to ride flatland after your injury?
1;12:47: Do you stretch before your ride?
1:12:56: How do you feel about having your name on the Fm award for Breakthrough Rider of Year?
1:13:42: Any final shoutouts, advice for beginners or anything like that?
Now I wouldn’t normally give this video a Must Watch tag as I already gave it for the video premiere of Nice Nice Very Nice. But, this section I am sure will come back to in years to come discussing the groundbreaking moves Pedro does.
Truly Pedro is a man on his own path and doing his thing, the one footed hitch has sat untouched since Martti Kuoppa did it on I believe one of Jason Brown’s videos (RIP). Pedro found a way to hold it longer (1:52), if you have ever tried it you know the difficulty and also the one footed spinning version is jawdropping in difficulty at 1:11 and if thats not enough the ender just hurts my brain and knees watching, how do you learn this backpacker on the knees move?! Pedro is the man, as a culture we should celebrate this section! I feel like a kid watching Dorkin’ again.
What was your favourite line on the section? Let’s discuss this….
Congratulations to Alex Jumelin won the Fise Experience contest this weekend in Monteux, followed on the podium by Raphael Chiquet and Joris Bretagnolles. Fise Experience is the feeder event for the Fise World Series that runs in France throughout the year, and is gaining in popularity and so keep an eye on this contest series as it grows. It turned out to be a great weekend for the Jumelin family with Alex’s son Nathan winning the Amateur class at the Fise Experience, good job Nathan!
At the Fise World contest in Hiroshima, Japan I sat down with last years Master of Creativity winner Sietse Van Berkel to discuss winning the Flatmattersonline year end award for Breakthrough Rider of the Year. Hold tight for this one, not to be missed.
Congratulations to Owen Bohm who won the first round of the 2019 Master of Creativity, head over to the MOC instagram for all the entries. Stoked on the level of entries this year, once again it was a an honour to judge the event along with last years winner Sietse Van Berkel and Martti Kuoppa.
Today we have a Must Watch treat from Simon O’Brien and Stewart Munro, thanks Stewart for this exclusive!
““Landscapes 3” is a new full length video showcasing some of the best flatlanders from around the world. Featuring Aaron Frost, Chris Vasileiou, Erin Fricke, Keelan Phillips, Keita Uchino,
Kio Hayakawa (fresh on Colony), Masato Ito, Mates Tuček (look out for his clip!), Thomas Deschenaux, Mateus Beckmann, Nick Watts, Steven Hearn (great to see Steven back), Varo Hernandez, Shinichi Kiba and Simon O’Brien (that opening backwards halfpacker kickflip line is no joke!).”
The annual King of Concrete is taking place 2-4th August at Southsea Skatepark. I will be once again hosting the flatland contest on the Saturday in the infamous roller rink. Four Pegs are already down to support the event with prizes, hope to see you there for a full weekend of BMX!
If you are paying attention to social media, Kio Hayakawa is one of the most progressive back wheel riders on the planet right now and just got a well deserved hook up with Colony! Congratulations Kio! Can’t to see what the holds for this bad ass, who wants a welcome edit?!
Who else, but Matthieu Bonnecuelle to stall a backwards hitch one footed on the tyre! Matthieu made a big impression at the Fise World in Montpellier.
Melissa Zucchiatti was at the Fise World in Montpellier covering the event exclusively for Flatmattersonline. Peep the gallery here, with captions to boot. Thanks once again Melissa for doing this, as I was tied up judging all weekend.
