This week I will also be introducing you to a free runner and a skateboarder; so keep coming back to check out some of the cool interviews and video we have waiting in the wings. First up today though is BMX rider James Ivett. James is from the UK and is a talented 22-year-old with a huge passion for riding his BMX all over the world! He features in two of our three videos…
Hey James, welcome to Nokia Connects!
To kick us off, can you tell me how long have you been a BMX rider for?
I’ve been riding for nine years now. I was originally born in Blackpool but after moving around for a bit I ended up in Basingstoke where I first started to ride. At the age of 13 I bought my first bike (Mongoose Fuzz Utah) and started building small ramps and jumps outside the house, I was so psyched about getting that bike.
via BMX Videos
Who do you look up to in the world of BMXing?
I’ve always been a massive fan of Van Homan, the guy is a beast! He was my hero when I was younger and he still is now. Van is still dominating and killing it in competitions – he can do some crazy stuff.
How do you think mobile technology can improve the way you enjoy your BMXing experience?
Well I think mobile phones have made my riding experience a lot easier. My mates and I use social networking to tell each about good riding spots whether I’m at home or abroad. Smartphones are really handy when I travel, geo tagging makes it easy for me to find the lads in foreign lands and I’ve always got my tunes on when I’m in transit!
In your eyes what is the most impressive trick you can currently do and what trick do you wish you could do?
Well I jumped a 12 foot gap recently for Ride Magazine, got a bit of whiplash but it was so worth it. I’m not interested in the technical stuff, I concentrate more on having fun on my bike rather than getting stressed about all of the new tricks that people are performing around the world. I love rails, gaps and generally landing tricks with big drops from high up.
What kind of training do you do to prepare for new tricks/master new ones?
My day job is being a CAD technician and I’m hoping to be a civil engineer one day so don’t really get a lot of time to train. I work to ride. I work hard so that I can travel the world and have fun on my bike. When I was 18 I wanted to move out and be independent, I think training is all about getting out there as much as possible to try new stuff out, I’m a bit of a gym hater if I’m honest! I can’t reiterate enough how I just want to ride!
What is it like riding with your twin brother?
It’s quality, he is my best mate, he knows exactly how to get on my nerves though, we’re both into the same things, we have the same passions and he is a good laugh. I think he is a better rider than me. I travelled to South Africa recently with my sponsors, I’ve also been out to the US but unfortunately I can’t take him everywhere with me. I live with my bro and my other housemate Dave back in Basingstoke, I don’t see much of them, Dave sleeps a lot but when he isn’t sleeping he works with my bro in mechanical engineering!
Here is James with his bro:
via Lights Out – Newbury – James Ivett from B’Stoked
Can you recommend any BMXers or BMX videos for us to check out on Nokia Connects?
My mate Rob is unreal on a bike, a proper show off, he is really good at riding but he is an underground rider who doesn’t have any sponsors. He just loves to ride and isn’t too interested in the competitive stuff. We both recently featured in a video together and I was just really happy to get him involved – my bro even came along for the ride.
What was your favourite part of the week filming with Nokia in Barcelona?
I loved being under a lot of pressure in Barcelona, my heart was really pumping making sure we got everything right in the shoot. I like to scare myself, when you are at the top of a rail you are hoping to god it doesn’t go badly! Everyone was really nice and the weather was good so I can’t complain, I’m just not looking forward to going back to work but will be good to catch up with my friends.
Here is a video that James is pretty proud of from his recent tour to South Africa:
via Mongoose in South Africa from BMX.COM
Stayed tuned to Nokia Connects on Monday to see James in even more action from the streets of Barcelona!