FreestyleXtreme Magazine Issue 4 | Page 60

for a good ten years I never had a break, and I actually got to the stage where I wanted to quit riding; I was burnt out, I’d been screwed over with a couple of deals and I had poor people representing me. My career felt a bit toxic, like I was putting in 120% and I wasn’t getting any real structured help. I wanted to grow a brand and to do that you have to follow a structure. Now I’m sponsored by IMG, who are one of the biggest sports management companies in the world, and I’m really happy they are on my side. They have really helped me with what I’m doing and having them on my side has helped me have more free time. As I’ve got older, I’ve learned I can’t keep going flat-out. One thing I’ve learned in life is you have to have balance, because when you don’t, you get knocked down. Doing the dangerous stuff I do, you need downtime to help gain perspective. You can’t go down one road because other people want you to, then you find yourself taking a risk that isn’t authentic, or to your heart. One thing I’ve always tried to do is make sure the risks I take are the ones my soul wants to do - that I totally believe in it, that are authentic and organic. All my decisions in life are based off of that – that heart feeling. If my heart’s not in it, my head won’t be in it so I can’t do it. It wouldn’t make sense. really slows down I like to play golf - as boring as it sounds, it is so hard to hit that ball accurately and consistently (laughs) so I’ve been focusing on trying to do that a bit lately. My kid is into it too. I want him to ride dirt bikes and have fun, but I don’t want him to think he has to make it his job and survive by it, so I’m trying to let him see some other things in life which are slower paced. I want to help guide him through life so he doesn’t have to take crazy risks to prove points. For a while there was no end of the line to what risk I would take, and now there’s definitely a line and I’m trying not to cross it. In essence I’m trying to go up to the line and then bring creativity with me. There’s always room to grow when it comes to putting all that together! £ Maddo gaps Greece’s Corinth Canal in 2010 Getting back to the question, finding that balance has allowed me to now set days aside to go and do other things. I grew up surfing, skating and riding dirt bikes and BMX bikes, so I still try and get back to that a bit. I’ve been surfing quite a bit actually. I was out in Hawaii last year and found myself getting towed into a 25ft wave out the back of Pipeline, and although that was a huge risk that I probably wasn’t ready for, that’s just the stuff I like doing, being in the water or around action sports. When it W hat’s Robbie Maddison got lined up for the rest of the year? For the rest of the year I have a bunch of commitments lined up. I’m trying to help bring awareness to male teenage suicide. I do a fair bit of charity work, and try to give back, raise awareness and money by donating my old jerseys etc. So I’m always pretty busy working on that. Bike-wise I’m working with Red Bull and some other partners. The plan is to do some more big network jumps! Something I’ve always said is that Evel Knievel was a massive inspiration for me and I want to create events that make a stir like the ones he did. We have plans in play and I’ve been storyboarding ideas and concepts that have never been done before, so hopefully we’ll get that rolling soon. Then there’s the Air.Craft 2 project as well. Right now it’s not all about jumping on a plane to ride a bike at a show or event that’s already established - it’s about establishing my own events that require different partners and working relationships. It’s exciting stuff! I definitely need to put on the ‘business head’ from time to time and go into these meetings and convince the networking executives tha t this stunt is going to be good for their network. That’s difficult when it’s someone jumping a motorbike off of buildings or over highways, you know – how is that safe? But I’m trying to make them realise that… I’m Robbie Maddison and that is what I do! I work hard to be able to pull it off and my track record shows I can do it. Here we are man, I have big dreams and I’m pushing them forward to make them happen. I’m happy to bring a whole new side of excitement to the sport, and bring motorcycles and what we do as action sports athletes to the masses – in a big way! Thanks so much man. No worries brother, thanks for having me on. T 60 | FreestyleXtreme.com p. Predrag Vuckovic