Anthony Rocci interview
Hi Anthony ! We are on the 2017 FISE Montpellier building site and you are the shaper ! Can you introduce yourself in a few words ?
A.R. : My name is Anthony Rocci, I live in Lyon, I'm 27 years old and during the MTB season I'm in charge with my team of making the FISE World Series courses.
How did you find yourself working in the construction of MTB courses and how did you start working with the FISE ?
A.R. : First of all, my initial job is machine driver so I'm driving all sorts of public works vehicles and in MTB if you don't shape you don't ride ! So whenever I could use mechanical diggers we started to build courses in our area for guys like Louis Reboul, Simon Pages, etc. Over time we have evolved and now it's been 8 years of making the FISE course in Montpellier. Back in the days, I started with Pierre-Edouard Ferry, the first year, then he stopped and I was the one in charge from then on.
What's the difference between building a MTB line for an event compared to a practice site ?
A.R. : First of all, with an event's course, you're stressing about the time because obviously there's a date when the course must be ready. Add to that the fact that it should be rideable by pretty much everyone, even if sometimes 3% of the riders don't like it. The course should also be good to throw tricks until the end, we also need to make sure the spot can be covered with tarps in case of bad weather so the spot can be rideable the next day. At home, we have more time but the machines are expensive.
You are four guys in the MTB team... Four riders ! Please introduce the other members ? How does it help you guys to have this double Rider / Shaper hat ?
A.R. : So with me I have Nico, Jeremy and Mehdi. Mehdi Gani is 6th on the FMB World Tour and Nico is top 20 I think. They are very good riders, Nico is very versatile, he rides in park, dirt, street. Mehdi is stronger on big contests where it's about throwing big tricks. It's cool to have different visions, I've been riding for 10 years, in DH, Freeride and Dirt. Mehdi and Nico may have a more general vision of contests knowing that they ride all year long but on my side I have the shaper's eye since almost 10 years now. Jeremy also helps us a lot since he builds all the wooden set ups ! And it's better to work as a group because sometimes you're stuck into something and by taking a bit of distance you realise things won't work. Now we know, we have our way to work and things are simpler.
How did you come into MTB ? Did you practice a similar sport before or did it come to you in a natural way ?
A.R. : No when I was 12-13 I started with racing, after that I rode DH, doing the french championships, Rhônes-Alpes and everything. Then we started to ride dirt with Anthony Tomassi in Lyon, which was followed by an emergence of riders like Granieri, we were meeting all the time. More riders came later like Louis Reboul so it really was a big group, that is actually still around nowadays even if some guys don't ride as much as before. But we always manage to meet up and ride. And now there's Simon, Louis and Mehdi who ride everyday. Personnally I work more but they really only ride their bikes.
The FISE World Series tour dates have been announced in Budapest and this year there will be MTB on all stopovers ! Does it mean you'll be the Shaper of every course ?
A.R. : Yes I will shape on all stopovers. They are not always super exciting courses for the riders but we deal with it ! Usually the first editions are more difficult because the contacts are not always there since we have new cities but year after year things are getting better and better ! The land is always the same but we manage to improve the course in a way that makes it rideable and suitable for tricks.
Do you advise the FISE team ?
A.R. : Yes we try to as much as possible, beyond that it depends on the locations and the time we have. For example this year we'll have a bit less time but we're trying to arrive a bit earlier and get the right contacts.
As a shaper and rider, how do you see the MTB Slopestyle evolution in terms of tricks, course, etc. ?
A.R. : Good question… The evolution of the courses, I believe it will always be bigger and bigger, for example last year we were starting from an 8 meters drop, this year it's 14 meters high in order to come faster on the big air and go on with a good line. But the evolution of the sport will be in the tricks ! The courses won't evolve that much, especially in the city. For example, the BMX Parks can evolve because the riders pedal all the time so they can make new set ups. On our side, we need momentum at all times.
Do you have ideas of new, more innovative set ups ?
A.R. : Yeah we have many ! But we would need slope. We always have many ideas when we shape but in general in Montpellier we won't really be able to make new set ups. We will change two or three things, but to make something unseen before is more difficult. But last year in China for example, we had a pretty unique course with a U-turn on the stage structure ! The evolution will come more from the riders, the tricks and they will definitely go into BMX mode.
We should make a stopover in the mountains then ! Wouldn't it allow for a true slopestyle line ?
A.R. : Yeah, sure it'd be killer ! But then again, is there such a need to see the course evolve ? May be not ! Look at Snowboarding for example, the courses don't evolve that much, it 's still big airs, curbs for grinds. But this year on the BMX Park they have managed to bring some evolution because there are more ramps unseen before !
Thank you Anthony, have a good contest and the end of the construction job !
Photo credit : Valentin Lecaille
Interview : Valentin Lecaille / Jihan Khadir
