Doug Parsons: How did you get
started riding dirt bikes?
Nate Adams: I got my start
basically from my dad, he’s been
a flat tracker and a dirt biker
his whole life. I just had a love
of dirt bikes and I know a lot of
that came from my dad having
bikes. I just remember my whole
life loving dirt bikes, even before
I was old enough to talk, I just
remember loving them.
When I was eight years old my
dad finally caved in and got
me a bike, a 1983 CR50 off my
neighbour up on our street and
that was it - that’s what got me
my start.
So once you got your dad to
cave in and get you a bike, was
there support from mum too?
My mom was not into it (laughs)
she had the same look on her
face as when my dad came home
with BB guns for my brother and
I. My mom I don’t think was really
into it for the first few years, until
I was a teenager. I think when she
saw that I was serious about it
and trying to make it something I
could do for a livelihood she was
on board.
How long after that did you
decid to start practicing
Freestyle MX?
I started messing around out on
the practice tracks during days
off practice, or out in the desert
riding around, taking my hands
off the bars and doing No Footers
and Heel Clickers. I was on an
80cc at this time but then I started
riding my brother’s 125. When I
finally made the switch full time,
I started to be able to do Double
Cans, Saran Wraps, and Heel
Clickers.
This was during the video era with
the Crusty Demons and Moto
XXX films, which were getting me
pumped up to go out there and
try these tricks. I would go to the
tracks and still do motos but I
couldn’t wait to hit that one big
jump on the track or the table-top
and do tricks.
44 | FreestyleXtreme.com
Then FMX started taking over my
riding and I was having so much
fun doing it and learning new
tricks. I started out doing some
local freestyle shows at races or
Supercross events. A couple of
years after that, I sent in a video
to the IFMA circuit to try and get
a spot on their tour. They sent
me a reply back and said I could
come ride practice at the Houston
Astrodome at one of their events.
So I loaded up with John and
Robert Distler who were already
signed up for the event and we
drove out to Houston and I rode
my first contest. I rode practice
and then they let me ride in the
event where I ended up taking 7th
place.
I’m a dirt
biker and this is
what I do!
I remember it like it was yesterday,
the IFMA people said: ’hey why
don’t you come back, in two
weeks we have another event in
Salt Lake City.’ I remember there
was another round after Salt Lake
in Denver and I remember riding
both events and just like that I
was on the tour like a regular and
I was doing it. It seemed like I was
trying to break in for years and
then real quick I was all in, totally
doing it.
Fast-forwarding into the future,
having been in the mix now
a solid 15 years, how many
medals have you stacked up?
Yeah, I did my first IFMA at 15
years old and I’m turning 30 this
Saturday so yeah it has been
about 15 years. I think I have 19
medals. I should probably know
this (laughs). But I think after this
last X Games year in 2013, I’m at
19 medals.
That’s awesome, and you also
hold the most medals out of all
X Games athletes, right?
(Laughs) I should know this one
too. I think that is correct though,
I remember someone, maybe a
reporter saying that to me last
year at the LA X Games. I’m not
sure who I passed up, I think it
was maybe Pastrana but every
year riders are going to be adding
on medals so I’m not sure how
long that record will last for.
Hey, that’s badass, own it!
Switching gears a bit, how was
the transition from two-stroke
to four-stroke? It seems like a
70/30 mix out there with it being
70% four-strokes now?
Initially I was kind of scared of it
for a couple of years and I held
off switching. I think I made the
right decision because it ended
up taking me a couple of months
to adjust to them when I did make
the switch.
And you know obviously the first
day I’m taking it easy and the
second day I’m doing Flips. By
the third day I was doing 360’s
and riding the bike perfectly, but
when I would go to contests for
like the first month or two, when
you’re in the moment and you
have to make a decision or react
instinctively, I was a little off. I
remember in Rome for X-Fighters,
there was this double double
line, actually it was a six pack. I
over-jumped the first one, went
straight into two-stroke thinking
and just pinned it to make the
next one, (laughs). I remember I
did a Cliff Hanger and I couldn’t
see the landing - I overshot the
landing by so much, landed super
hard, almost ripped myself off the
back of the bike but still got back
on the gas enough to make the
third one.
So it was a period of time where
I had to adjust to those reactions
that you make without thinking
about them. I had to reprogram
my instinct timing I guess you can
say. It took me about two or three