Martin Schenk

Sponsors: Monster Energy, YART, MP Suspension, Goldentyre, Auner, DVS, Forty8, Skullcandy

Contests: not really interested in rankings, doing a big new trick for the 1st time is the best feeling!

Your most memorable day on the Bike, and why? So many great days… my 1st flip on dirt in Sweden in 04 was rad, so many good riding buddies present cheering me on! A plain perfect day…

What/Who influenced you the most in biking? Style wise The Godfather Mike Metzger, loved his completely different approach and fresh ideas. Helping me progress my riding the most were Libor Podmol and Alvaro dal Farra. Thanks so much for all the help and great sessions, guys!

Whats on your Ipod? LOTS of stuff haha! No, really… But my heart I sold to Heavy Metal decades ago. Nothing even comes close to pumping me up like Metallica, Amon Amarth, DevilDriver, Manowar, …

Last memorable Party and why? Pretty much every aftershow party of any big event because the vibe among the riders is just different than anything else I have seen…

How do you avoid to hurt yourself? Noone can completely avoid it but I try to keep injuries to a minimum by not riding tired, staying fit&going to gym and most of all understanding better and better every year I’m riding when to go loose and go for it and when to walk away to fight another day

How and where do you train on new tricks? Mostly the Daboot Super Park and at Libor Podmol’s house

Waterramp, foampit or BAGJUMP™? And why? Water sucks for a motorcycle and the Bagjump™ now after the first ever FMX test session has to be modified a little to increase safety for bad landings so right now I’d go for foam.

New tricks learned on BJ? Any contest-winning tricks? Just 1 test session so far… but let me use a Bagjump™ permanently at my riding place and ask me again when winter comes haha!!

How much more progression is possible, will double backflips be standard next soon? Please explain where FMX is going and what we can expect in the next years. I feel like actually the progression is still only beginning. The risk is obviously rising but since training possibilities like foam pits/Bagjumps™ are getting more and more common I’m sure we’re gonna see super scary stuff landed when fresh blood youngsters come to the table that started flipping their bikes at the age of 8 or even earlier with experienced riders showing them a fast and safe way to progress…

Last words? I hate to see FMX becoming so clean and „family-friendly“. I understand the higher the risks the more seriously you have to be prepared both mentally and physically and it’s easier to get by by blowing sugar up big company’s asses and getting paid to look like the fresh-out-of-the-box-perfect-son-in-law. Still I prefer to ride for fun, expressing myself being a monkey and not looking like a nerd from a glossy catalogue sporting this season’s most trendy rainbow colors with the public image like a member of the 7th Heaven family. FMX was born by wildcats showing their disrespect against the rules and politics of the racing scene We shouldn‘t forget about those roots and preserve some of that I-don’t-give-a-shit attitude in FMX. Keep it raw. Peace.