The Viki Gomez Interview part 2

Interview: Effraim
Photos: Viki Gomez/Red Bull Content Pool

I feel like I have already done the intro for the interview in part 1 so lets keep this short and sweet and get right into this…

It was great to see a banger ultimately decide a huge contest like the Red Bull COB, how long did it take you to get a link such as the steamroller kickflip to halfpacker ready for a contest?
The floor was super cool, and I know that I can pull this combo in good floor having the right mindset. I really appreciate that the judges understood how hard it is to pull a kick flip, because it’s so special and hard trick! I learnt that from MK, kickflips are hard and require a strong mind, and this day my mind was strong as never before.

Tell me how you go about putting your combinations together, what are some of the things you consider? Like before the Red Bull COB, how did you decide on your combos?
I was practising completely different combos for COB. But the day of the contest I couldn’t pull them together so I decide to change the plan, and go for a kind of tricks where I could feel more relaxed. This way I could be “one” with my bike and be able to control my nerves, enjoy and make the crowd happy.

Besides Red Bull and obviously representing Fenix Bikes, who else is supporting you?
Well, right now I have got a lot of new sponsors, especially after winning the COB! I signed for G Shock Japan (I am sponsored straight from Japan), Arnette Sun glasses (this is a very special/exclusive team with sponsors like Dani Pedrosa, Moto GP rider), Levi´s (amazing Streetwear line of fashion), Orbea bikes (They are going to make true one of my dreams that you will see coming next year around May), Suelo (Now this brand belongs to Jykk Japan and I am sponsored with all the parts also designing new parts) and DCShoes (Being part of the VIP Family of a brand made from riders). Editors note: More on Orbea Bikes soon…

Wow you must get a ton of goodies each month, thats awesome! In my opinion, you are the most stylish rider out there right now, so let me ask you, what is style for you?
Thank you Effraim! I heard that a lot from riders and I am really happy and thankful if its like this! I am just natural with my bike, I follow a natural way of moving according to my feelings and then magic happens! I am pretty transparent person and it shows in every aspect of your life.

Speaking of style, what music are you into?
Any music that is good is welcome. I will always like anything that has beauty and spirit!

How concerned are your sponsors with you being in the public eye with edits, or are they more concerned with you riding shows?
I am lucky enough with my sponsors to be seeing as a BMX Flatland Legend! They know the love and passion I put on my bike, they know I have won a lot of contests, made my own innovative bike company, made my own contest like Flamenco Flatland, and they support me because they trust me, and they like that I come with new ideas all the time.
For me life is about coming with new ideas, not only about tricks, but also about projects and exciting business. I give a lot of advices and ideas to my sponsors, I connect good people together of different business of fashion, music, cinema, festival organizers, bike manufacters, urban culture, shops, etc.
My shows are all about showing Flatland in my own way, they way I feel, the way I love it and always representing it in the right way! I don’t feel like a BMX rider at all, I feel more like an artist on wheels with a business mind, lucky enough to travel, make connections and meet amazing people around the globe! I am very interested in others people life’s who have nothing to do with BMX but with art, music, fashion, culture and business related.

What if any are your practise rituals on a normal day?
Wake up, say thank you for a new day and take this day as it comes! Sometimes are riding days and some others are projects and email days. Some others are days to disconnect and many of them are busy days somewhere in the world riding with my bike. The only ritual is to follow the vibe of the day, so whatever you do will be the right decision and then you can take the most of it!

Does that change leading up to a big contest such as the Red Bull COB?
Yeah definitely! I can easily say that I have nothing else to proof in contests terms. But I will always be competitive. I have won a lot different contests in the past but this contests is definitely the best ever and any rider´s dream! I have won it three times and every time I realise I am so stoked.
It makes me realise that your life can become magic if you really wish it with love and passion for what you do! Realizing this makes me understand that I have a powerful tool in my hands! And now I know I can use this magic power in everything I wish to do in my life!

The COB win in japan marks ten years at the top of the sport for you, it’s crazy now to think of you as a veteran, but a veteran who is pushing new styles and concepts, so do you have any words of advice to the older generation of riders out there that maybe think they are to old to compete?
I realized that Flatland is like wine! It just gets better with age, and as any good wine it needs to be kept in the right conditions. So I just have been taking a lot of care of my self in health terms because I just wanted to ride so life gave me all the ways and opportunities to keep on riding! I never got old in my heart, therefore I never lost the passion and love to ride and as long as you feel as happy as the first time you ever rode then nothing will change! Only your experience will makes you more mature and wise so you will ride even better. This is my philosophy of riding.

After japan I heard you took your brakes off, what made you decide that? Have you accomplished all you want to contest wise, onto new challenges?
Riding with brakes the way I ride it feels for some reason much harder than ride with no brakes! Links with brakes are all about waiting for the right momentum to make the link in the exactly right moment, and it’s very limited time to react properly. I have been lately feeling claustrophobic about being locked in this momentum so I decided to scape from it and find in brakeless riding the freedom to choose the momentum to make the link.

Tell me about the “freestyle concept” Viki? I noticed you change up your combos all the time. How does that work in regard to contest preparation?
In order to freestyle you need to have a lot of tricks, and for that you need to practise a lot of tricks. So everyday I make sure I make at least some tricks of every style possible out there. During warm up and then it comes the “conceptual” combos. I mean, for example kickflip is a concept, so I try to make a combo with 2 or 3 different kickflips mixed. Then whiplash is another concept. I try to mix forward and backward whiplashes. Then XF is another concept, and like this over and over all the time with many more concepts. At the end Freestyle happens when you can improvise and mix these concepts. It takes time to get this level, but my priority is to be a complete rider with a lot of variety of tricks and styles.

This has been truly awesome. Any final words of thanks, shootouts etc Viki?
I want to thank you Effraim for this interview and congratulate you for the daily work on Flatmattersonline.com!
I want to thank from my family, friends, and specially the big support from my girlfriend Alexa who has changed my life into a dream during the last 3 years! She has been and is my best friend, manager, supporter and lover!
And last but not least I want to thank all my sponsors for supporting and believing in me! Red Bull, Orbea, G Shock, Arnette, Levis, DC and Suelo! Also the new spanish ageny called “Step family” company for helping me to grow much more in Spain! Thanks Red Bull international for all the great trips and invitations worldwide! Thank you all the riders for the support and nice words on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! You all give me the motivation to keep on!

Let’s finish off this interview with some questions from you all at home, (these are the questions Viki answered..)

Reader questions:

Navid asked : 
How long are you planning to ride flatland? (personal riding, not competition nor progressing, just riding)
I have a deal with Jesse Puente who is about 8 years older than me. Whenever he stops I will take his age as a refference to stop. But honestly, do you think JP will ever stop riding?

Uzumaki asked: 
What is the name of the reggae song you rode at, at your qualification run rebeljam?
Ask Michael Sommer, he was the Dj. I just asked him for a Reggae song.

Sven asked:
Do you think much about the future? What are you going to do for a living when flatland won’t pay the bills? Any plans like Terry Adams to invest in houses and live from the rent, etc? It´s cool to live the BMX dream, but what comes after that?
Flatland is not paying me money wise only, it s giving me everyday opportunities to travel all over the world, design bikes, being a marketing and team manager, make conexions, come up with ideas and concepts. And the most important nowadays: Lifestyle! Giving me knowledge everyday to learn a lot about the business of entertaiment and marketing. So my philosophy is to keep learning and progressing. I know life will show me the way as always! Nothing comes after the BMX dream. Life is a dream and I just keep on living.

2) Why did you move to Luxembourg? Girlfriend? Do you have any plans to go back to Spain? Do you ride alone in Luxembourg? Do you have an indoor spot? You know the winter can be harder there than in Malaga.
I moved because I have been following my girlfriend during her studies the last 3 years in Stockholm, London, Madrid and now Luxembourg. It has changed my point of view in life and I am very open to live anywhere new and exciting in the future! It helped me to become more sophisticated and cosmopolitan.
For me Winter and cold has become a positive thing. I appreciate the good weather, and when is bad weather I stay positive and patient. I have an indoor spot where I ride alone, so I am very lucky! I love the feeling to be able to ride when is super cold outside. It’s a nice feeling that I never experienced before.

Pugloaf asked: 
Longest break you took from riding? Any tips for pivot tricks?

I think one month is the longest break I took, and it was because I got injured in my ankle. I am addicted to ride so if I stop it s because something had happened.
Regarding the pivoting, just put your feet/foot in the top of the pegs and feel the flow.

Adam D asked: 
When you picture links/tricks in your head, is it from a side point of view like your watching a video, or over top of your bike like what you would see while your actually riding?

When I invent a new trick or link it’s from the same point of view as what I see when I ride. But when I want to practise freestyle in my mind I see it from outside like watching a video.

Julien Politi asked:
Do you ”practice”, or do you just ride? I mean is there any precise riding pattern that you stick to to maintain this high level, or do you just freestyle without planning anything?

I practise basic routines everyday of whiplash, XF combos, kickflips, backwheel, spin both sides and then I go for the tricks I am practising at that moment. Freestyle comes only sometimes and it’s amazing when it happens!

Byke asked:
Who designed what with KGB?

I mostly took care of all the designs, accounts, orders and legal paperwork since Martti took care of the whole marketing campaign, relations and web page.

And why did you decide to go separate ways?
Well, KGB was our university, and we really learnt how to manage a freelance job. It was a time to move on progress, and KGB wasn’t the answer for our demands so we decided to move on and find new ways. To establish a bike company might take at least 20 years to have a respectable name in the industry. Despite this, we made some noise in the industry and had an amazing funny time! I encourage people to try their own thing, you will never loose even if your profit is zero. You will win knowledge and life surely will payback with money in the future. Believe in yourself and don’t be afraid to risk, because at the end you will profit more than you can imagine right now.

If you missed part 1:

https://www.flatmattersonline.com/the-friday-interview-viki-gomez-part-1