Interview: Antoine Bizet

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INTERVIEW: ANTOINE BIZET

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Hailing from Versailles, France, Antoine Bizet has been making waves in the freeride and slopestyle scene lately, most notably for his uncanny ability to flip his downhill bike as if it was a hardtail. His double backflip at the Nine Knight's contest earned him the Best Trick award, and his backflip followed by a front flip at the Taxco Urban DH race in Mexico gave him another best trick win. We caught up with the Kona rider after his busy season to find out more about this past year, as well as what he has planned for the future.


How did you first get into mountain biking? Who introduced you to the sport?

One of my older brothers brought me to a bike park some riders built in my town, two minutes from my house. Before that I used to be a hyperactive kid, digging massive sand castles on the beach and riding my supermarket bike as long as possible and never getting tired. I had so much energy! Then I was a gymnast and with all of my friends we used to ride bikes and go to the gym... I have the same training now that I'm a pro.


When did you realize that mountain biking could be a career for you, and not just a hobby?

I never realized it, I mean since I was a kid I always said I would become pro, and then it just happened, little by little. When I finished school in 2011, my parents wanted me to go to a university, but I went for three days and then said I would spend the year being half sushi driver, half bike rider. Was good training and healthy Japanese food the winning combination? No. At the first contest of the year, Whitestyle 2011, I broke my collarbone on an icy no handed flip drop, and two months later I broke three vertebrae. I received workman's compensation for my injuries and made twice the money than when I was working, although that wasn't really the plan. I decided to stop my bike career and study journalism for the next year. But in July of 2011 I bought a Leatt Brace, went to Chatel Mountain Style and finished second. My first pro sponsorship with Kali Protectives and Kona Bikes began, which jump started my career.


What would you be doing if you weren't a professional mountain biker?

I wanted to be veterinary doctor because I love tropical animals, but the studies are quite difficult. I could have been a journalist, but I have too much energy I think. I could have become an opera singer too, I have some skills... Well, I really have no idea.


Since your hometown is relatively flat, where do you go to get comfortable on big mountain terrain?

There isn't one set location. I have freeride in my heart and even if all the places to ride bikes were straight uphill where I live, l would ride my big bikes because that's what I like the most. But I have a few 30 second downhills at home, and even if it's kinda flat it still has some of my favorite jumps on Earth. I love the flow of my lines. Begin with pedaling hard to get the first road gap and then you're on the line. The jumps get bigger and bigger, and at the end of the main line there are two 17 meter airs (50 feet). It's the kind of line that is very freeride, you don't feel the need to do tricks, because the whole line is a big adrenaline rush. I used to go to the Cheptain Dirt Camp too, a sick bike park one hour from Versailles. I learned to control my big bike on very big and technical jumps, and then a few freeride trips in the Alps and in Whistler helped me to deal with steep lines. Everyone rides hardtails in my place, and I ride everything, which is a cool thing.


You've mentioned that your gymnastics background helped you get comfortable flipping a bike. What do you do to continue adding new tricks to your repertoire? Do you have access to a foam pit or a water jump to learn new tricks on?

I love water jumping! I can even do it on a cold Christmas day. Having fun while training is the best. A big lake with friends, music, towels, slopes and some big kickers is my perfect riding afternoon. The hardest part is probably to stay focused on practicing the tricks more than just having fun and going as big as possible.

I go to the gym few times a week too, the competition trampoline helps me train, although switch double whips or bike flips are harder with wheels. Stay tuned for videos of them soon on my fan page. The dirt in Versailles is pretty good, we have soft landings all winter to work on our tricks, and I can train on airbags or in foam pits too. My favorite foam pit is the one at the La Poma bike park in Spain, but I prefer airbags or water jump to work on bigger moves. I felt like I flipped too much this year, so even if I love it, I'll try to show more diversity next season by doing some cool rotations as well as my flips.


The 2012 Red Bull Rampage was your first experience with the steep terrain in Utah. Although this year's Rampage didn't go as planned, you still put out a video full of impressive desert freeriding with Nico Vink. Are you getting more comfortable on steep, natural terrain?

Yes, I stayed a long time in Utah and loved it. It's always scary when you're not used to the cliffs but with perfect grip and amazing bikes, you realize all you can do and ride. I'm definitely getting more comfortable, but the hardest thing to deal with in general in big mountain riding is the wind. There are big cliffs on the lines, but the ones on the side of the ridges always seem to be way bigger.


What happened during your run at this year's Red Bull Rampage? What would your run have looked like if you completed it?

I had really bad luck. I remember saying to Thomas Genon before my run, "Everything is sketchy on my line, I'm sure with bad luck I could crash on the first part at the top.' And it happened...

I built a big steep double drop line on the top and wanted to go to the Sender, flip the smaller (Binggeli's crash) drop on the first run, and go for the big one on the second. Then after the big landing I wanted to flip a few times on the next jump I built and then wanted to front flip at the end... I don't like to speak about what I didn't do, so see you next year Rampage.




This year you won Best Trick at Nine Knights with a double backflip on your downhill bike. Before this season, it had been a few years since you last did a double flip, correct? What made you decide to start doing them again?

Yeah, I first double flipped at 15 years old. But since I broke my vertebrae a few years back, I wanted to double flip only if I had the perfect conditions, and this year I rode the airbag a few times during winter and spring (thanks to the Rlimite crew) and got my rotations perfect. I then did some at Crankworx Les 2 Alpes and Whistler. Finally a freeride water jump session made me realize it was almost as easy on my Entourage as it was on my Shonky for double flips.

At Nine Knights I over rotated my first double flip try with the Entourage so I took my Carbon Operator I just got, and landed it four or five times during the week. Stoked! The feeling is always way better when you land your tricks with a big machine.


Is it difficult to go from doing flips on a downhill bike and then switching to your dirt jump bike?

It's very different but I'm used to it, the biggest difference is not the weight or the size but the suspension. You have to compress very hard on the downhill bike on the kicker before you throw the rotation, because if you don't you're on the soft half of the suspension so it's harder to throw the bike.




You went down to Taxco, Mexico, and ended up winning the Best Trick contest. What was the best part about that trip?

That was such a relaxing trip after the end of the FMB season and for the first time I discovered the race world in Mexico: Mexican stairs, beers, pools, dogs, kids (the two last ones are part of the track). Then I was pretty stoked, after missing Redbull Rampage, to finish my season with a cool back to front flip. This one on a pretty freeride step-down, with a 50/50 rock/dirt landing. $2000 prize for Vegas! Nahh, just joking.


You've been able to travel around the world over the past few years. Where have you found the best food?

Every time I'm traveling, all I can think about at lunch are the warm, crispy, beautiful, delicious French baguettes waiting for me at home. I really like pancakes though, we don't have them in France.


What have you been doing since your busy contest / travel season ended?

I stayed in Utah until December, went home, and spent some time with my family and friends. Then I dislocated a finger, so I had time to build a sick slopestyle training place for next FMB season and organize a video series with my sponsors that's going to be out soon called From Bizet With Love. Only the 2nd episode of the 2013 season (shot only in France) had subtitles (you can watch it online). This year we'll shoot the whole season all around the world so I hope you'll see it and like it.


Where would you go if you could travel anywhere in the world to ride?

I've never been to Kamloops, Canada, which looks similar to my place but better. I'd like to visit my teammate Graham Agassiz one of these days for sure. New Zealand looks awesome, and the deserts in Where the Trails Ends look sick too. Morocco, Thailand, Spain... And South France has a few epic spots I want to ride. We are planning some road trips to shoot with my Ion teammate Nicola Pescetto.

What are your plans for the 2014 season?

I want to shoot a big part with "La Nuit de la Glisse" (a French extreme sport movie series), shoot some freeride videos with pro cameramen, ride Whitestyle, and finally send some big tricks with my big bike. I want to ride the FMB World Tour too, and to get consistent good results in every contest and to perform a show for the spectators at every contest.

My main focus is my video series 'From Bizet With Love" which is going to follow me everywhere during my season, and show my coolest adventures of the year.


Any sponsors you'd like to thank?

For sure, all my sponsors do a great job supporting me. My Kona bikes are all incredible. Kali Protectives has the sickest rasta kneepads, and the lightest full face helmets on the market. ION clothing sets me up with awesome clothes for biking, surfing, and winter sports (without their wetsuits I wouldn't have surfed three weeks ago in France!) Thank you Adidas Eyewear for my sunglasses and goggles that never fog up. HT Components for my extremely light yet incredibly strong pedals. And finally Leatt Brace for their carbon neck brace that takes care of my vertebrae daily. Thanks again, you all rock.

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Interviews Antoine Bizet