Interview : Daniel Wedemeijer
Hey Daniel! Nice to see you here once more in Reims. How do you feel after winning in Canet?
It always feels good to win a competition. But for me it’s more than that – I really come to FISE Xperience because it’s fun. It’s for sure that you always want to win, but you have to go further than that. For me, FISE is about having fun before anything else.
You come to the Virgin Mobile FISE Xperience Series each year. Is there something in particular that brings you to come back to these competitions year after year?
I remember when I came for the first time in 2010, I really wasn’t good at all and the riding became more and more serious for me. FISE is both something serious and fun all together. I’m always happy to come back – once you come to a FISE event, you always want to do more!
You also come to a bunch of other FISE events: you came to Algeria, to the ALUNA FESTIVAL… is there a particular vibe that motivates you to come?
First of all, I would like to thank the FISE organizers. It’s a real chance and pleasure to be called each time to come on events and I can’t thank them enough for that. With the years, FISE brought me to travel in pretty incredible places and beautiful countries. Each time, it’s a real cultural shock: you fill your head with new things and you learn so much from those travels!
BMX is my passion, I ride every day at home but I can’t thank FISE enough to have brought me to travel to so many places. Malaysia, China, Algeria, Andorra.. so many places I could discover thanks to BMX but mostly, thanks to FISE.
What do you think of the BMX riding level today? On the FISE X tour? At the FISE World?
The level is just insane. A few years ago, you would see a new trick here and there, or sometimes a new original line… Nowadays, it’s just insane: you’Re going to have three, four new tricks or line on each event. BMX progression is in constant evolution and the guys ride with more commitment than ever. It’s really good for the sport because it motivates the others to push themselves even more and that’s what we need for BMX to keep growing.
As for FISE World and FISE Xperience, I see them as two distinct competitions. The FISE X tour is a bit more like the European championships, and we can see many riders from Belgium, England, or Netherlands like me.
The FISE World Series is really on the international level, and even more now with the UCI and this association that will allow BMX to grow even bigger. There are people who think it’s not a good thing, but I personally thing it’s a really good way to develop the sport even more, and that’s also thanks to FISE.
What would you have done if you were not a BMX rider?
You need to know that I worked for 12 years at a florist. Today, it’s mostly thanks to FISE that I became the rider I cam now, and of course thanks to BMX in general. I still need to do things on the side though.
I remember one year I had to come back home on Christmas day and as soon as I got to the airport, I went to the flower shop. I wasn’t scheduled to work but I wanted to and my boss didn’t really understand, but I still went in to work! I still love it, it’s nice to do something different.
For example, it wasn’t only BMX at the Aluna Festival: there was a whole different vibe and that’s what we have to do sometimes. It’s not just about BMX, but everything surrounding it.
Could you give us your definition of what is the Virgin Mobile FISE Xperience Series?
The FISE Xperience spirit is all about having a good time! And it’s the best thing ever!!!
