How to master motofreestyle. Tips from top riders

Motofreestylers collect ten thousandth arenas all over the world.Leading Russian riders Vladimir Yarygin and Alexei Kolesnikov told RBC Sport about how to start practicing one of the most spectacular sports.variation of the "Superman" trick

Motofreestyle is one of the brightest categories of extreme sports. In this discipline, riders use ski jumps to soar up on motorcycles, perform various acrobatics in the air and land carefully on the ground. From the outside it may seem that FMX is extremely dangerous and requires incredible dexterity, effort and skill from athletes. This is partly true, but with a responsible approach to training, motofreestyle becomes a sport in which, like in many other sports, including the Olympic ones, there is a place of danger, but it cannot be called reckless.

History of motofreestyle

Freestyle motocross (from the English Freestyle motocross - FMX) is a relatively young sport that appeared in the 1990s in the United States . The prerequisites for its formation began to appear in the 1980s as part of another spectacular motorcycle discipline - supercross. This is a type of racing on motorcycles of the class "enduro" (designed for off-road riding) over rough terrain with jumps and other difficult obstacles.

FMX started right there: some Supercross competitors wanted to diversify their races, especially the winners who wanted to cross the finish line in spectacular fashion. The first was the "Whip" trick - it was shown by Guy Cooper in 1985 at the finish line. Ryder accelerated his motorcycle and turned it 90 degrees in the air, flying sideways for a while. This was appreciated by both the spectators and the competitors, who then also began to come up with new tricks. It quickly became clear that the emergence of a new discipline is a matter of time.

Alexey Kolesnikov performs the Back Flip Tsunami trick (Photo: Alexey Kolesnikov)

It is difficult to say who exactly became the “face” of motofreestyle and popularized it. However, the credit goes primarily to the American motorcycle racers who developed tricks in the second half of the 1990s. An invaluable contribution was made by Robert Knievel, the legendary extreme sportsman, who not only made many breathtaking jumps, but also brought something even more important to FMX: distances and flight trajectories were calculated from his achievements, and changes were made to the design of springboards. All this allowed extreme athletes to precisely control the angle of departure, speed and accuracy of landing.

In 1998, a group of enthusiastic athletes organized demonstrations at the "X Games" (the largest extreme sports competition), which led to the formation of the International Freestyle Motocross Association a few months later. And in 2005, the International Motorcycle Federation recognized FMX as an official sport. And it was then that motofreestyle came to RUSSIA.

Types of competitions in motocross

In total, FMX distinguishes six main categories of competitions that are held in Russia and other countries:

Motofreestyle: athletes must perform a series of tricks in a certain period of time; Best Trick: Thrill-seekers must demonstrate the best and brightest trick from their arsenal; High jump: as part of the competition, athletes compete in plank jumps; Whip competition: Athletes must demonstrate the best performance of the Whip trick; Race & style: racing competitions where the speed of the track is taken into account, as well as the demonstrated tricks; Freeride: Race & Style, but on open mountainous terrain. How to master motofreestyle

Vladimir Yarygin (Photo: Vladimir Yarygin)

Vladimir Yarygin

Vladimir Yarygin - the first in Russia to do a back somersault, made a jump from one moving BelAZ to another.

Bronze medalist of the 2018 Russian Motofreestyle Championship.

Chairman of the FMX Commission in the Russian Motorcycle Federation.

Any motorcycle sport begins with learning the basics of riding a motorcycle - this is an important part of basic training. The most ideal option: move to FMX from motocross. This is how I started, devoting 8 years to this sport, after which I started jumping. This experience allowed me to understand the behavior of the motorcycle in the air, how fast to approach the jump and how to brake in short distances, which is very important. Therefore, I recommend devoting a year to motocross, after which you can choose a discipline to your liking.

As for equipment for starting classes, then you need to focus on your capabilities: either buy new ones in stores, or look for something fresh on bulletin boards. There are two things to note here. Firstly, it is worth giving preference to brands of the top segment - this will reduce the risk of injury. Secondly, it is advisable to choose a motorcycle from a Japanese manufacturer - they are the most reliable.

Crossfit workout. How to exercise effectively and safely. Lifestyle coach advice

Before starting training, a warm-up is required. Here I single out two areas: psychological preparation before tricks and warming up the muscles. With the second task, the usual stretching for all muscle groups will do just fine, but many professional athletes use a percussion simulator. We also definitely inspect the motorcycle: we evaluate the pressure in the wheels, all fasteners and spokes, and also check the gasoline and antifreeze in the tanks. After that, you can start rolling on a motorcycle, but just before leaving, we definitely check the gas tank valve - very often they forget to close it. But on fresh motorcycles with a four-stroke engine, there are no such problems.

Mastering FMX starts with basic drills that lead to many tricks. First, you need to master letting go of the steering wheel. This way you can learn to keep your feet on the motorcycle. The exercise will also give you experience in the flight path. The next step is to spread the legs on the motorcycle in different directions. With it, you can catch the moment when your feet should be on the footboards before landing, which will help in mastering difficult tricks. After that, we study releasing the legs to one side of the motorcycle. This is a more difficult exercise, but it will teach the rider to navigate in space when flying next to the motorcycle, not over it. Also, the athlete will learn to accurately hit the footboards with his feet, which is very important.

It is worth noting that every beginner aims to do somersaults. There is no need to rush, as this is one of the most difficult tricks in FMX, for which you need to prepare in stages.

Alexey Kolesnikov (Photo: Alexey Kolesnikov)

Alexey Kolesnikov

Alexey Kolesnikov is one of the founders of freestyle motocross in Russia, a master of sports in motocross, a winner of various international competitions.

Champion of Russia in FMX in 2017, two-time winner of the IFMXF World Championship stages in the “Whip contest” category.

Before you start FMX, I recommend mastering the basics. You need to perfectly manage a motorcycle: properly brake, sit, stand, bend yourself and tilt the vehicle, control it in the air. Motocross is ideal for mastering these skills. It will be better if you conduct classes under the supervision of professional athletes or coaches.

As for equipment, the situation here is standard. I recommend renting the necessary equipment first and trying out this sport. If it does not suit you, you will not lose money and your time.

The next most important question is the warm-up before the training part. It is important for athletes to develop muscles and ligaments, paying special attention to the back, as it has a large load. But you need to make sure that your warm-up does not turn into a full-fledged workout.

The motorcycle should not be prepared before training, but long before them. It is important to ensure that it is always serviced and in good condition - your HEALTH depends on it. I pay attention to the tightness of all fasteners, the tightness of the chain and its condition. Also important is the correct operation of the suspension and the correctly set steering wheel. After the motorcycle, we move on to the equipment - it should be clean and tidy. Before races, I always make sure that the gloves are dry and the goggles are wiped and adjusted. It is also mandatory to use a full set of equipment.

Alexey Kolesnikov performs a variation of the Superman trick (Photo: Alexey Kolesnikov)

To take your first steps in freestyle motocross, you need a good motocross base. He will teach you how to properly remove your hand from the steering wheel, as well as to do it on time. The situation is similar with the legs, which are the basis of balance in the air. After mastering motocross, you can move on to learning tricks. In the early stages, I recommend:

Heel Clicker - clap your feet in front of you Can Can - transfer your legs to one side of the motorcycle

These are the tricks through which you learn to feel the weight distribution on a motorcycle in the air.

As for participating in FMX events, the most difficult thing is the competitive races in the spirit of the X Games: long tracks with a lot of jumps that you need to overcome with the maximum number of bright tricks. This is where motocross, supercross and freestyle motocross skills come in handy. Moreover, the athlete will need a strategic approach to planning their journey and a lot of concentration. The competition for the best trick will be simpler: the athlete has one ramp, one takeoff and one landing.

Finally, I note that a decrease in motivation is a common phenomenon among both beginners and professionals. In my opinion, this is absolutely normal. Personally, I can advise to be distracted by other sports or leisure activities. It is important not to sit still and try something new. But there is another side of the coin: if a beginner needs additional motivation at the very start of training, this is a very dangerous situation. Perhaps this sport is not for you, which is also absolutely normal. Each person is unique in their own interests and created for something specific. Therefore, it is worth continuing to look for what will bring maximum pleasure to you.