With Jiang Yifu
Although China has not yet developed high-ranking athletes in the extreme sport of bicycle motocross (BMX), amateur rider Jiang Yifu hopes to see his home country become a leading contender on the track one day. He also aspires to be part of the breakthrough crowd in China.
The Shanghai-born Belgian is back in Shanghai, where he spends his days working as an office assistant and his nights practicing the sport - just having fun. He is currently perfecting his most difficult stunt: the tail whip, which involves jumping in the air and swinging the entire body of the bicycle around 360 degrees.
"I love BMX so much - it is such a cool sport, and it makes me feel powerful," said Jiang. "It's a feeling you can't really understand unless you practice it."
The 22-year-old is also preparing to attend the 2009 KIA X Games Asia, the region's biggest action sports competition. The event opens in Shanghai at the end of April and runs until early May. Top athletes from 30 countries will compete in BMX freestyle, aggressive in-line, skateboarding, sport climbing and MotoX - which is expected to bring out some of the world's best riders. Before the action gets under way, Jiang talked to Shanghai Star Weekend about his passion for BMX.
Q: When did you first become interested in the sport?
A: When I was 10, I saw young boys BMX riding from an American movie. I thought it was really cool, so I started to learn my first stunt: the bunny hop. I kept jumping and couldn't stop - it was so exciting.
Q: Have you ever been seriously injured?
A: I haven't suffered any serious injuries, so I am very lucky. But, one time during a contest, I injured the back of my head, which led to a slight cerebral concussion. I lost my memory for 24 hours. It wasn't serious though ... and I didn't give up.
Q: Is Shanghai a good place to practice BMX?
A: The gap between China and other countries is quite large. In Shanghai, many people think that action sport isn't good and they see it as extremely dangerous. At a road show here, I did BMX and some people thought I was from an acrobatics troupe.
In China, action sport isn't listed as a career like other sports. Because we don't have much financial support from the authorities, many athletes here treat it as a hobby. Players have to support themselves by attending commercial road shows. I've attended a lot of these and have earned some money - all of which I've spent on new BMX equipment.
Q: Will you continue with the sport forever?
A: Most people in Shanghai think BMX is a crazy sport that only hooligans do. But, actually, it isn't. It's a healthy sport. My ideal life is to be a white-collar worker during the day, but practice BMX after 5 pm.
(China Daily 04/24/2009 page13)
