The day Danny MacAskill dropped his ‘Postcard From San Francisco’ video, he put aside time to reply each query we might throw at him. Here’s what the world’s greatest trials rider needed to say.
GearJunkie: What did you like about San Francisco?
Danny MacAskill: It’s sort of a cliche reply, I suppose, however attending to exit to Alcatraz was fairly cool. It’s fairly an incredible place; little bit sinister. We filmed in Chinatown, and there’s a extremely iconic skate and BMX spot up on this bridge. We, in fact, sampled a few of the superb Chinese meals as properly.
Do you practice particularly in your driving, and the way do you do it? Weights? Trampoline? Gymnastics?
If I’m sincere, I don’t do any weight coaching in any respect. My coaching is primarily driving. I trip the trials bicycle simply for one or two hours a day only for enjoyable. And today, what I attempt to get loads of is my e-mountain bike — my Santa Cruz Heckler. (Santa Cruz is the present bike sponsor for Danny MacAskill.)
I do normally one or two batteries a day and typically three or 4 batteries. That manner, I get to trip a lot downhill. It’s pure, enjoyable adrenaline and it retains me bodily feeling good, and it’s much less punishing than my trials bike. Then once I get again on the trials bike, I really feel like I might rip the handlebars off!
Do you rollerblade?
No, I’ve by no means rollerbladed. Where I grew up was a bit of too tough on the bottom for rollerblades. That’s how I obtained into bikes as an alternative.
You grew up on the Isle of Skye. How did your upbringing there have an effect on you?
I lived in a small village of solely round 200 folks. There’s just one highschool on the entire island. That offers Skye a extremely cool group really feel. Because we both grew up collectively as youngsters or, you realize, households throughout. It’s fairly cool to have the ability to journey the world and get to see new locations and cultures, however I nonetheless spend loads of time again dwelling.
What’s your favourite factor to do besides trip bikes?
I’m utterly hooked on browsing the web searching for music on YouTube. The present style I align with essentially the most in the mean time is early ’90s trance and techno. There’s lots — lots — of cool stuff in there. I extremely advocate utilizing the YouTube algorithm for music looking out. It’s like having a DJ serve you up superb tracks you’d have by no means discovered in any other case.
What’s on the prime of your playlist proper now?
Desire (Icarus Mix) by Icon. It’s obtained an incredible vibe. It’s a bit of sooner than most stuff I’d take heed to, however I like to consider what it could have been like within the golf equipment again within the day — and even to at the present time. It’s an immense observe.
Did you at all times like driving, and do you bear in mind your first bike?
The bicycle’s at all times been one thing I’ve been into. I used to be at all times fairly an energetic, or possibly extra hyperactive, child. I’d be climbing the timber in my backyard, climbing throughout my home, leaping off the very best partitions I might.
I sort of took that power to my bike once I was younger. My buddies and I used to make use of our bikes to cycle across the island and to highschool. I used to have, like, a course on my manner dwelling: all totally different curbs and banks and driveways. I’d simply be leaping off every thing I might discover, racing my buddies dwelling. It was good enjoyable.
Do you ever simply trip within the bike lane?
My commuting goes out to trip my e-bike within the hills or my trials bike within the streets. So I’m not typically driving “A to B.” And if I’m sincere, I don’t typically use my bike to go to the retailers in Inverness as a result of every thing I’ve is admittedly considerably too fancy to lock up. I ought to actually get a motorbike I simply use to commute.
How do you get in the correct psychological state to do high-injury threat tips?
I truly use music as a sort of device to trick my mind — or to distract it — from what it’s considering. You’ve obtained the rational aspect that’s desirous about having already realized the trick. Maybe you’ve realized it on mats or with a foam pit. But then, on location, the instinctual a part of your mind’s going bananas! Thinking you’re going to harm your self, you’re chilly; it’s moist, you’re drained. You’d quite be again in mattress.
So I play tracks like Industry by Nathan Micay. I mainly watch for the best a part of the observe to return in, and I attempt to use that in my head like a begin gun — to attempt to trick my mind to eliminate a few of the concern and change it into dedication mode.
Worst damage you’ve had? Worst damage you’ve averted?
Back in 2009, I tore a disc in my again, dropping off a 12-foot drop to flat a number of instances. I didn’t truly discover it on the time. But then I broke my collarbone 3 times in a row over the following six months. My core actually weakened, after which my again went to shit.
The worst damage I’ve averted? You’re dealing with falling to your loss of life sufficient instances that that’s not likely within the equation anymore. But I’ve in all probability jumped 18 or 19 toes to flat earlier than, fallen off my bike, and been tremendous.
Any rider you’re watching tremendous carefully?
Ryan Williams, who rides for Nitro Circus. Every day he blows my thoughts. He does timeless issues. I like to recommend him as a comply with — I can’t even describe the tips he’s doing. Bike flip entrance flips? All types of loopy stuff.
Who is your favourite athlete to observe in any sport?
That is an effective query! For me, it’s a motorbike trials rider referred to as Toni Bou. Completely mind-blowing. Have a glance on Instagram.
Is there wherever you haven’t ridden however actually need to?
Japan, for positive. I’ve at all times meant to go over there, however I’ll get there at some point.
How a lot did you and Red Bull need to pay to trip in Alcatraz?
I don’t know precisely, however I needed to return there 3 times as a result of I couldn’t land the trick! So no matter it was, we would have needed to pay it just a few instances.
Thank you, Danny MacAskill, in your time!
