Andrew Pohlmann: Interview with the man who came from out of no where.

Last season it was evident in the local Alberta riding and racing circles that there was a new kid on the block. After sweeping the BC cups and some Canada Cups in sport men he made a really break through performance at the Redbull Psychosis race where he took an impressive second place to Tyler Morland in Pro. So people are starting to wonder who the hell this guy is and where he came from.At twenty seven year old Andrew is an ex-street bike racer who has made the move out of the city, to small town Canmore and pursued a job in the biking industry and a career in riding. I am surprised Andrew had the time to answer some questions for me.

So Superbike is your background?

Yes

Can you tell us a bit more about it?


I raced for about three years at my local Atlantic Motorsport Park outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was just one of those things that anybody would do to have fun, I just happened to be good at it...

Ok pretend I am dumb, what exactly is Superbike racing?

Superbikes are unlimited horsepower motorcycles on an asphalt track with speeds that reach over 280kph.

What did that teach you about riding pedal bikes?

There are many things similar to riding bikes such as controlled sliding or drifting, balance is a very important one but most of all I think in both disciplines, braking has got to be the most important. It allows you to keep your bike underneath you. Oh, some guts help too.

So what can we expect from you in 2006?

I plan on doing as many of the Canada cup and BC cup races as possible and have some bike camps planed through cycles Lambert for younger kids and young adults through the summer. But other than that I just plan on riding as much as my pocket book allows me to do, hopefully I won’t have to work too much.


Any tricks up the sleeve?


Tricks are sort of a new thing for me, always looking to make my bag bigger so I guess you’ll have to wait and see!

You are also being featured in some print magazines now? How does that experience differ from racing, and which do you plan to pursue more?

Yes, there is a lot of work behind the scenes but at the same time can be very repetitive when doing photos. Being in print magazines is very important as it gives me the chance to be noticed and to help out the people that are helping me. I hope to pursue both, travel and do as many races and comps as possible and when I'm back home in Canmore I'm lucky enough to have John Gibson in town to head out and take some fantastic photos. I have been helped out by quite a few companies this year and they expect to be recognized. I would like to help them out as they did for me, getting them more magazine exposure, but most important is the riding because without that it wouldn’t be much fun.

Which companies are you representing in 2006?

I have been helped this year by The Bicycle Café, John Gibson, MRP,Giro, Kona Bikes, Utopia Optics, Block 8, Dakine, Race Face, Industry Nine Wheels, NRG Enterprises, Beast Gear and still have more to come.

You have seen some major sponsorship success in such a short time, why is that? Are you in the mob?


I have worked really hard over the winter with a 2006 riding resume I sent out to dozens of companies hoping for the best. It seems to have done the job along with the help of some special people in the bike industry which I’m very great full to have helping me out as well. It’s very hard, you just need to have a chance and to back it up, then you have to make sure you don’t blow it.

You also work in the industry, what do you do?


Yes, I work as a bike tech at the Bicycle Café in canmore working all winter and as little as possible in the summer to keep a roof over my head. The less I have to work the more I get to ride...

Do you think your position in the industry also helps to make some connections?

Connections are definatly an important thing. These people already have known you for awhile and have some trust in you so there isn’t going to be as much questioning. It doesn’t mean that you have to be in the industry to make it happen, it just takes more time. I also went searching for sponsors unrelated to anyone I was dealing with and it does happen, you just have to have a well put together resume and some patience.


So where should we expect to see you in 2 years? How far do you want to take your riding?


In 2 years from now I would like to see myself in the biking industry making a living, traveling around the world, maybe doing demos or marketing but most of all would like to be riding. I think I have a long way to go with my riding, I’m always learning how to react to different circumstances and I think I’m only getting fitter and stronger. I hope I have many years left in me to enjoy. I’d like to take riding as far as it will take me...

You have a great attitude! What would you tell some one trying to break into riding as a career?


Some tips for getting into riding are just to love it and to ride as you would for fun, don't pressure yourself into doing anything that you don't think you wouldn't enjoy.

So who are your heroes?

I can't really say I have any heroes but I do enjoy watching people like Bearclaw and Paul B ripping it up in the park and I also like to see what new riding Wade Simmons finds every year.

Who in your riding circle pushes you to ride harder?


I always like to ride with people that have a different riding style so everyone learns from each other. That person for me is my buddy Nick Quinn. We've gone on the best riding trips ever, two weeks at a time and we never get into arguments. He’s definatly a ripper...

So you left the big city to move to a pretty small town, what's has that been like? Has it helped you focus?


I wouldn't say that it has helped me focus but I do have to drive a lot less every weekend that I go riding. Canmore is in the mountains so you can go out your back door and you can be riding some of the most technical riding you do all year. The only down fall is that you have to hike most of the trails to ride them so you definatly have to be more dedicated.


I know a lot of riders feel the need to move to B.C. to access some more riding. Do you ever feel the need to leave Canmore to advance your career?


I thought about it at one time but I think you still have to keep in mind that you need a comfortable home and I think Canmore does it for me. I don't think it would advance my career to move away, it is only a short drive to go to some key riding spots in B.C.


So an Alberta boy for life?? What about your career in the tech side of things? Any plans to move more into the industry side of things when your career on the bike is done?


I think I will always like to be involved in biking, but I hope your not looking at the end of my riding career already... there is much more to come.

Hahaha….Andrew it’s been a pleasure talking with you. I think you have wise advice for everyone and I am sure after reading how down to earth you are, everyone is wishing you the greatest success in your 2006 season.

Cheryl Beattie, Bicycle Café Kamloops
cheryl@bicyclecafe.com
www.bicyclecafe.com/kamloops