The end of an era! Martti Kuoppa announces retirement!

Very sad news this evening, this just broke on the junglerider website! Argueably the most progressive rider of our generation is calling it a day! I am pretty shocked, didn’t see this coming! Let’s take a moment, and remember what Martti brought us not only this year but the last 21 years! Thank you Boss! Hit the link for Martti’s words on his decision.

Martti Kuoppa: Boss! from rjs on Vimeo.

Martti Kuoppa: Boss! 2.0 from rjs on Vimeo.

http://junglerider.com/2011/12/20/thank-you/

Part 2 just added… December 2st…

http://junglerider.com/2011/12/21/just-lil-something-to-add-on-the-subject-of-retirement/

32 thoughts on “The end of an era! Martti Kuoppa announces retirement!

  1. i’m shocked and saddened i guess when you reach a peak in progressive riding there is no more goals to aim for ,wish him well for the future Martti you brought us some of the best tricks ever seen , hope Jungle rider will continue ,happy xmas bro 🙂

  2. He’s done more than his share. If he wants to stop, so be it. We’ll always be here to welcome him back. Martti- It was nice to have met you and best of luck in your new life.

  3. Definitely the leader of the new school for most of the 00’s. We knew that Martti was going to shock the flatland world the first time he visited Athens in 1998, when he was 19. It was insane just how progressive he was. I’m sad to see him move on but I can understand – flatland requires an enormous amount of focus and energy and time to just be good, let alone pro level GREAT, at it….almost to the total exclusion and neglect of other, also important parts of life. These things become more important as you get older, and after spending the majority of his life focused on one thing, I can relate to how it might be appealing to try something totally new and kind of forget about bike tricks for a little while. Bob Haro, Joe Johnston, Andrew Faris and a bunch others went this way as well, so he’s in good company and leaves an amazing legacy. Good luck wherever you go Martti, it was fun to ride bikes with you.

    -Darren

  4. Man people are talking as if martti died or something , personally i commend him for knowing whats best for his life and following it through and like every other great rider whose quit his endless streams of footage from yesteryear will forever be a click away for reference . Big up the boss youve done more than enough , time to rest!

  5. Nah i take martti as a sincere character id say this is him calling it a day, i respect him more for making this decision and sticking to it ,

  6. Thanks for all you’ve done, Martti.

    I hope you decide to tell your personal story of what dedication to progression did you you as a human… There’s an even greater contribution captured in that.

    Peace

  7. Back in 2001 i read this interview of Martti in Ride,it was probably the first flatlander interview i read so far and i was riding for just one year!i remember the way he talked about flatland..so serious.. and i think subconciously that got me influenced to take it seriously too…and in that interview said that when he no longer progress he would stop riding and disappear and no one will ever see him again..it was a bit scary,his words,but really it could get you understand and respect the reasons he was doing it.Now reading these news i still can’t believe it cause it seemed so far to happen from the moment i read it,but 10 years passed since then and it seems like yesterday..whatever! Martti, good luck with your new life and thanks for all the inspiration,it sounds too dramatic i guess and i don’t really like it to end that way.. cause inside me i sense and i hope for a “comeback”…let’s see 😉

  8. Hopefully he’ll take a few years off, find himself and return. In the meantime good luck to you and I wish you well.

  9. I don’t know what to say other than THANKS MARTTI! Wish you could find peace and balance with life and riding, but ultimately it was the extreme sacrifice to ride and progress that makes you so great and makes slowing down not really an option. So much love and respect for what you have done. And we will be here trying to catch up for a long time…….
    Best Wishes.

    Brian Rybak

  10. Man, The Jungle rider tombstone seems kinder poignant to me right now…
    Does martti know something we don’t!?
    Flatland Freestyle is still there for you Martti.
    Huge Thanks, and all the very best to ya Mk.

  11. “I felt that I was doing it for myself to check out how far I can take the game but when I started publishing these videos on youtube I felt that I am oblicated to motivate other riders and show them ”a better way”. It all got mixed up in my head and I was in a position that I could not relax at all because new tricks where haunting me moment after moment.”

    I wondered if Martti posting so many progressive clips in a short period of time would take their toll on him or at least contribute to him getting burnt out. I think is sort of to be expected. I mean, for him to get to his next level would just take time. To learn next level tricks, and new concepts that he’d really struggle with now just can’t really be learned overnight. When you feel like you’re obligated to put clips of yourself out there each week I just don’t really think you can feel free to really explore that. Martti is a guy that seems to enjoy re-inventing himself because he’s creative and likes to keep it fresh. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he went off the radar for a year or two then came back, take some real time off.

    I’ve always been super motivated by Martti, and I felt like I got a lot out of him in terms of motivation. Perhaps instead of people getting bummed on him not riding they should put more energy into their own riding to motivate themselves and others (as to follow his example).

  12. i saw my mother ride a bike for the first time in my life when i was 20 years old! and that was two years after her stroke. so i dont think martti will forget how to ride:P no doubt, guess santa needs a helping hand up north!
    RESPECT to Martti! Living legend!

  13. Enoy the music boss. enjoy your new path. enjoy the new year and holidays. Thanks for all your motivation. You are a special kind to this sport. Hit us up when your in L.A>!!!!

  14. Martti, hope you find the inner peace that you so deserve,i was so stoked to have seen you ride at southsea and level vibes in london way back and even though you were riding for yourself you infact pushed so many of us to try our hardest and push ourselves way beyond what we thought was possiable.peace

  15. just want to say thank you martti really and wish the very best in all your endeavours.

    still remember the first cologne contest I went to and seeing faris, day smith, the japanese crew, frenchies and whatnot (kun on a oldschool threaded GT, anyone?) and yeah, just stood there and gazed with the bike in my hand and who comes along and says “what´s up? how are you? to a newbie? right Sir Kuoppa. And besides his massive contributions just want to say this shows he has always been and will always be a super sound character and a massive role model to thousands out there, that I´m sure appreciate all the contest runs and video sections as much as possible. gotta say thanks to jason brown and chad johnston here as well for showcasing that greatest of all talents. funnily also remember the thing manos quoted and still have that mag and the cream interview safely stashed away, priceless. linkt, infinite pieces = quamen at its best.
    100% positive he´ll still continue to ride, just not in the limelight.

    big up to the boss, eh!

  16. Martti!~ You will be sorely missed, pushing people all over the world to ride. Such a strong guy, you will succeed in whatever you do!

  17. George and R-diggy, I remember that Martti quote from the Ride interview as well, but I also remember Martti saying somewhere that he’ll be riding until 2030 along with Alex Jumelin.

    I can empathize with the feeling of being burned out on Riding as I’m sure any rider can, and everyone should definitely Ride when they want, and how much they want, but to declare you are quitting forever is a bit overly dramatic, and close minded.
    It allows no option to create a lifestyle that is freestyle which may or may not include riding in the future.

    Martti has always seemed to be very interested in progression, and to take time off from Riding can be progressive, but to impose un needed limitations on your future saying I am quitting Riding for good is not progressive or realistic. If you are inspired
    to do something or have the urge to do something in life you should allow yourself the ability to do it.

    Anyway, don’t film for the internet, don’t ride until your hands are shaking, don’t ride by yourself. If all that is causing you to hate riding. Just ride when you feel like it, ride with other people and hang out. Ride for fun, and don’t worry about progression or
    proving yourself. You can appreciate the sport totally differently from a different perspective.

  18. yes i still have the ride us mag with his interview on the green quamen, and there is a quote,” when i stop progressing and start to become oldschool, i will disapear and nobody will see me again” funny how this quote i remember and seems rather poigniant now

  19. Yes Jason Jay Z also retired thank god we don’t need wack pop rap hardly valid here no comparison MK is a genius Jay Z is just crap

  20. only found out recently that Martti has retired.
    Just wanna say huge Props Marrti for your inspiration and motivation.
    My brothers and i first seen you ride on props best of 1998 and then
    your compo in props 37 to the tune of rookie by boysetsfire just got
    us hooked on flatland, so cool man. Best of luck in the future from
    your fans in donegal ireland. Props

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