FAT BMX Magazine - Daniel Dhers interview - Profiler

Profiler : Daniel Dhers interview

Posted by Bart on 2008/12/4 21:10:00 (1365 reads)

Name: Daniel Dhers
Age: 23
Hometown: Caracas, Venezuela
Sponsors: DC Shoes, Red Bull, POC Helmets, Albe's, Team Blowin' it, Woodward.

You almost had a clean sweep in park at the 2008 Dew Tour series. What happened at the last stop?
Daniel: Well everything was going according to plan but I landed a little funny on the quarter before my second trick and my foot slid so i wasn't able to get the speed to jump that box again, I still did all the tricks I wanted to do but that pedal cost me the clean sweep. Talking with Bestwick we have agreed that there's some sort of bad luck when you try to win all 5, it has happened to him twice and me once and with the level of riding this days is definitely gonna be even harder in the years to come.

What other contests did you win in 2008?
Daniel: FISE, Jomo Pro, Masters, Bike Nights, 4 Dew Stops, X Games, LG Championships.

People weren't sure you were going to grab X-Games gold in Superpark this year, was it hard for you to adapt to that course?
Daniel: I wasn't sure either, when the talk came up about the course being more like a concrete skatepark with big bowls and bigger quarters I thought it was gonna be better for Vert riders but when I got there it wasn't as big as I thought it was gonna be. I liked how fast was it, I focus on finding a straight line to the quarters so I could to my tricks, a bunch of the riders were disoriented trying to find lines and most of the big names didn't even make it in. I really like different courses, after riding so many contest it gets boring if the layouts are similar so Im glad that the course was something different and more challenging, it might have not been the best for TV since there was more carving around but I liked how it put the riders skills to a test.

You've touched vert a bit, do you think you could represent vert for Venezuela if vert is the only discipline at the 2012 Olympics?
Daniel: Yeah I think so, I didn't ride vert as much this year but is something I'd like to try more later down the line, Vert is gnarly so I respected a lot and I better build some extra muscles before I go full force in it, even though I joke around with the older guys calling it the retirement plan in BMX, it is all love.

What if "real street" would make it, do you think you could hang?
Daniel: I don't know anymore, I don't ride street as much as I use to and I just don't see the point on jumping 3242343 stairs to flat, I like the technical side of it, combos and grinds and stuff like that. I rode a brakeless bike with pegs recently and it was cool to street dog it around, if I put more time into it I might have a chance, especially if we are talking about the Olympics because I'd like to represent but for now I just do it because I like it and not to get the street cred and competing.

Is it hard to stay on top of things in Park or do you feel you could do two disciplines very well at the same time?

Daniel: Is definitely hard, I don't think much people could win both events anymore, I know if right now I enter street or vert I probably wont do too well there and it could even take away from my park riding since your body wears out too much, just think while you try to do both there's people that just focus on one, maybe Nyquist or Guettler could do it on dirt and park but I doubt someone could repeat the good ol' Mirra park and vert dominance days.

How does Steve McCann do it?
Daniel: I don't know, I notice he distributes his time very well between events, he doesn't take as much practice on anything as any of the other riders so that could be a little disadvantage but he's so skilled it doesn't seem to affect him too much, I know he rides road bikes too so that helps with the cardio but after every event he disappears for a couple days, maybe he has a secret rejuvenating chamber we don't know about.

Where do you live during the contest season?
Daniel: In the airplane and Woodward east.

How is it there?
Daniel: The airplane sucks but Woodward is cool, it of course has it's pros and cons. During summer there's always people riding and stuff going on but Im barely there to enjoy it, during camp's off season it's not as noisy and it feels like a ghost town but is also nice to be quiet, after the dew tour season is over you can notice not much people ride as much,

I'm not gonna call names out but it sucks, good thing the dingo was around and I had a riding partner everyday, Oi.

For how long do you go back home in the wintertime?
Daniel: This is the year I stayed at camp the longest but I try to be home from November until March, I don't really like the cold...

What's the latest toy you bought?
Daniel: Hmmmm I just got and Ipod Touch to watch movies on planes and I got a PS3 but I gave it to my brother.

What do you spend time on when you're away from your bike?
Daniel: Reading, listening to music, checking the internet, thinking on riding, eating (like 5 times a day), texting, organizing my room, traveling, partying and the good ol' bitches and money.

If you could invite 3 people to watch TV for an evening, who would it be?
Daniel: probably 3 chicks if possible, I don't like cock infested places.

What would you watch?
Daniel: It'd depend on my intentions with the ladies... hopefully I'd be busy not watching the TV...

Do you watch many BMX videos?
Daniel: Not anymore, the lastest videos iI watched was the Levi's one and I just watched the Nike video online, I want to watch End Search though, I heard it is amazing but I guess not owning a TV is a factor on not watching videos anymore...

Do you analize your riding on tape?
Daniel: Hahaha, not really. I watch the contests sometimes but not to analyze myself, I guess the only time I analyze my riding would be at camp since we have cameras on the foam and resi area and if I want to learn a trick that's the best way to perfect it.

Do you feel like a professional athlete or do you feel like just someone having fun riding his bike?
Daniel: I guess at this point I feel like both, I now have responsibilities with my sponsors and I guess that'd be the professional side of it but I still enjoy riding my bike a lot, not because the season is over I'm gonna stop riding, I do take time off but I try to progress in a way or another every time Im on my bike, I don't just go to contest because the money otherwise I wouldn't be going to Europe as much, I still like riding as much as when I started if not more.

What's a trick you've been working on and nobody has seen yet?
Daniel: Ooooh you are stepping in the danger zone right here buddy, this is the time to be professional and not share this info!! haha. Alright I'll give you something... 720 bars to table, 720 can can tire grab and this new spin thing I can't really talk about...

By BdJ

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Anonymous

Posted: 2008/12/3 12:58