Getting to Know Nick Pescetto

Feb 13, 2016
by Olly Forster  
Getting to Know Nick Pescetto


NICK PESCETTO



Thanks to a renegade group of like-minded riders, who, much like the pioneers of freeride before them, became weary of where their sport was going decided that enough, was enough. Raising their middle fingers to the masses, they went back to the mountains from which they came and the FEST Series was born. Reinvigorating the publics appetite while simultaneously changing the perception of what freeriding on a mountain bike means and looks like, events like the FEST Series and the Red Bull Rampage are leading the way for one of mountain biking's most progressive elements. The riders leading that charge represent a creative, passionate and highly driven force with a plan to push the boundaries further and deliver something to blow the minds of both the fans and the industry alike. One such FEST Series regular who personifies all of these traits and more, is Nick Pescetto...


GKT feature

Who is Nick Pescetto?
A freelifer.


Where are you from and where do you live?
I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, before moving to Genova, Italy when I was 4-years old. I then moved to Barcelona when I was 19 to study at university and ride dirt jumps, but for the past 3-years, I've been travelling all over the place. Right now, I'm in Bali (Indonesia) and I feel like I'm going to base myself here for the next months.


Who do you ride for?
For fun... Oh, and ION, Hope Tech, Scott Bikes, the Chatel Bike Park, Melon Optics, CPGANG and I really want to thank the Bali Bike Park and The Chillhouse Bali for all they have been doing for me lately!


Where are you happiest?
Wherever I can ride good jumps, surf, party and have nice people around me that give me good vibes. I'm pretty happy here in Bali...


What’s been your favourite race/contest venue?
Every FEST Series stop is way better than any other contest and the vibe can't be compared to anything else.

Nick Pescetto
Nick Pescetto

Nick Pescetto mid roll.
Nick Pescetto

Where are your favourite trails?
I like to ride Kamloops, Retallack and all around BC. The La Poma Bike Park in Barcelona has the best hard-tail dirt jumps out there and lately I've really enjoyed riding in the jungle here at the Bali bike park. I like any trails as long as there are jumps, berms, good flow and it's not too rough.


What are your strengths?
If I'm motivated to do something, I'll give it more than 100% - I get energy and motivation from many things other than biking and I always try to stay positive no matter what the situation is. I learned that not having a calculated plan for everything and following the natural flow of of things, makes life that much better and way more enjoyable.


What are your weaknesses?
I can be disorganised and sometimes I forget things, especially when I focus on too many things all at once. Sometimes I don't like it when people tell me what to do too...


What’s been your worst crash over the years?
I broke my collarbone at Nine Knights 2-years, 3-weeks before going to my first Red Bull Rampage...


What’s been your luckiest escape?
I had a huge crash riding a chute in Spencer Bridge, BC. I was going too fast, went over the bars and I ended up inches from this hard rock wall at the bottom of the chute. The crash was like a ski tomahawk and it actually didn't hurt too much, but when I saw the photo and the video later on, I got really scared!


Which bike from over the years, conjures up the best memories?
All of the bikes I've used at FEST Series events.


What is your bike set up right now?
I just keep my forks and rear shock pretty stiff, so it's easier to ride jumps on and to carry speed through compressions.
GTK feature

Views: 21,950    Faves: 124    Comments: 2


Who’s your favourite riders?
Andreu, Aggy, Sorge, Matty Miles and Louis Reboul.


Who or what inspires you?
People that are always happy and bringing the good vibes with them. People who are motivated, stoked and work hard for what they want.


What do you enjoy doing away from bikes?
I surf, ski powder and play golf. I also do a lot of filming, editing, photography and running CPGANG with my best friend, Luis Biscaldi. CPGANG started about 10-years ago when we were 14-15 years old and it was originally just our crew of riders back in Italy. Now we make clothes, which we sell online, create videos, photoshoots, have parties and we kick it with whoever rides hard and likes what we do. It’s fun to see where it's going because we just do it for ourselves and we show our own vision of bike riding and living life.

Nick Pescetto boosting the hip at Chatel

What are you listening to right now?
Wiz Khalifa.


What’s your favourite movie?
Scarface.


What’s your favourite non-bike website?
Stabmag.


What’s your favourite motto or saying?
It's not a motto, but I say "dude" and "man" a lot.


What grinds your gears?
Very beautiful ladies...


What makes you happy?
Big flowy jumps, throwing whips, flatspins, glassy waves, good parties, smoothies, powder (snow), cliff jumps, sunsets, good food, stars, happy people,
Antoine Bizet, good music (not necessarily all rap), big mountains, sweet wine, big waves, travelling, movies on planes and very beautiful ladies.


If you weren’t a pro mountain biker, what would you be doing?
Probably try to be pro at another sport like surfing or skiing I guess… Oh, or maybe a rapper!


If you were in charge of the sport, what changes would you make?
I would put all the big budgets into FEST Series and CPGANG. Jokes aside, I think that most of the big companies have lost their faith in freeride and it's very hard to get support from them. Even if the value of video views, social media and media coverage is high, they don't seem to care about it and they rather invest in enduro or downhill. In my opinion, the FMB helped kill freeriding because they tried to represent it by organising dirt jumps and slopestyle events - which I have nothing against and I think the trick level is amazing and I respect those guys so much, but these events have little to do with freeride and the bikes used are not what the main market would buy since they are all on hardtails or some prototype slopestyle bike you can't buy.

Rampage and FEST Series are successful and well followed, not only because the riding is insane, but also because the riders use full suspension bikes that the fans can recognise themselves making it easier to get more motivated to ride. I think the FMB should change its name to the SMB (slopestyle mountain biking) World Tour - it would make much more sense and it would match perfectly with the events they organise.

Nick Pescetto

The enduro hype has a lot to do with it too. Companies should realize that enduro is just a very successful form of competition and that no one is gonna get stoked watching an enduro video or photo, since you can go much bigger, faster and look way more radical on a long travel full suspension bike, sailing over huge jumps at speed. Enduro is just mountain biking in its very essence - you go up and you go down - and if you wanna make a cool video about it, you need a story behind it that will make people wanna ride... Like an adventure or an expedition to a remote place.

People might hate my opinion, but this is what i think. I hope the FEST Series and the smaller companies that are coming up can really make a change and bring freeride back to the spotlight. I think mountain bike freeride is a very young sport and this is still a transitional period. What I see coming, is that new companies will rise and focus only in freeriding. I guess there is one bike company that has been doing that these past few years and they have been quite successful. I actually have so much more to say, but I'm gonna stop here.

Nick Pescetto s ride

When you hang up your riding shoes, how do you want to be remembered?
A happy guy that was having fun.


What does the future hold for Nick Pescetto?
A 9-foot swell coming tomorrow, filming at the Bali bike park in 2-days and then flying to Japan in 3-days to ski powder for a month. I've been working on a video part from Bali, which I'll release at the end of February.


MENTIONS: @cp-gang / @SCOTT-Sports / @hopetech / @bikeparkchatel / @FRNZ



Author Info:
ollyforster avatar

Member since Jun 8, 2005
78 articles

68 Comments
  • 119 6
 Awesome. This guy knows what's up.
  • 29 4
 Make a vid with him maybe?? see how he handles UK mud?? love your work
  • 54 0
 id probably die hahaha (nick)
  • 5 0
 @cp-gang love this guy for this comment. Mud is a leveler, although I suspect you'd do alright! That whip photo sequence is insane btw
Pimp
  • 4 0
 Living the dream we are all jealous good luck good vibes be safe rock on brother
  • 3 0
 @cp-gang - Yo nick! we've got plenty of prime greasy slopes here at the moment. Let's do it!
  • 1 0
 @cp-gang @caldwellvisuals You definitely should. It'd be sick.
  • 47 2
 "I think the FMB should change its name to the SMB (slopestyle mountain biking) World Tour."

This guy knows his stuff
  • 19 1
 everyone should read this intervew
  • 9 1
 the "if you were in charge" answer was great. Theres a lot of that that I agree with. I think that freeride has more interest in it now than a few years ago so hopefully it gets more support
  • 2 0
 @russthedog: I think Nick is really right about what promotes the sport. No one tries to promote snowboarding with melow riding on prepared pistes or some easy lift assisted powder riding. The sport is promoted with events and films that maybe 1000 people on earth can do. I think people also concentrate too much on competition events. Especially since MTB is a sport that can never be brought to a place convinent to the masses like Skateboarding or other X-games approved events.

Also I agree on the mishandling of Enduro. Those bikes are awesome but instead of making them silly racing machines make them bikes that can be used on epic adventures. Ffs it's a great bike you can take to an unknown place without any prebuilt trails and still have fun. Why not promote that?
  • 14 0
 I kind of like his points. I view downhill and freeride kind of as the Formula 1 of mtb. "regular people" want to see dh and fr, but ride allmountain and enduro. Look at Santa Cruz, no real enduro team, yet they sell tons of enduro bikes because of their marketing with downhill riders.
  • 5 0
 This. Yes.
  • 3 0
 they got CG tho
  • 3 0
 SC support a lot of Enduro riders/ teams/ events, even if it isn't the very biggest names the majority of PB hasn't heard of
  • 5 0
 Yeah that is the point, no really big names in the top ten. Still they sell loads.
  • 13 1
 One of the steeziest riders in the game rn! Much respect and cant wait to see what he was planned for the upcoming season
  • 12 0
 Wise words on the industry Couldn't agree more
  • 12 0
 Powder (snow) lol
  • 2 2
 no cocaine but weed for sure Big Grin and that's cool!
  • 7 0
 Dude's nickname should be "Honeybadger" because he does what he wants and doesn't give a shit. Case in point - Scarface is his favorite movie.
  • 4 0
 Freeride has never died for me, but it would be great to see it and it's attitude make a comeback to the mainstream. Too many people worrying about Strava times, competition, the latest greatest whatever, keepin' up with them Jones's, and hatin'... Just the opinion of another "freerider livin' the lifestyle".
  • 9 1
 Great dude for sure. Keep shredding dude
  • 2 0
 "The enduro hype has a lot to do with it too. Companies should realize that enduro is just a very successful form of competition and that no one is gonna get stoked watching an enduro video or photo, since you can go much bigger, faster and look way more radical on a long travel full suspension bike, sailing over huge jumps at speed. Enduro is just mountain biking in its very essence - you go up and you go down - and if you wanna make a cool video about it, you need a story behind it that will make people wanna ride... Like an adventure or an expedition to a remote place."
100% agree.
  • 5 0
 I wonder who he is referring to as the one company that is only focusing as freeride???
  • 3 2
 Probably Deity?
  • 13 0
 YT Industries ?
  • 4 2
 I dunno how it could be YT as a result of the addition of aaron gwin.
  • 5 2
 Probably Scott because he rides for them and they do make a free ride bikes
  • 8 1
 Aside from Nick, Scott sponsor Brendog, Kyle J, Vinny T, Nico Vink, KC Deane and of course Paul Bas. That's a pretty good freeride line up right there!
  • 10 3
 if he didn't want to mention that brand, it's obviously not his sponsor, you geniuses.
  • 4 2
 Or he was being understated rather than saying his sponsors are the best, like every other rider, you genius.
  • 1 0
 In retrospect your probably right as while Scott do have perhaps the largest roster of freeriders and make freeride specific bikes they obviously don't support only freeriders
  • 5 0
 In retrospective hindsight, I think he is being doubly underoverstated with respect to misunderestimating the gravity of this anti-freeride sentiment.
  • 2 0
 it's probably YT. the news about gwin going to YT weren't officially out at the time the interview was held.
  • 2 0
 even when the YT-Gwinny news came out, Nick commented "realest in the industry"
  • 4 0
 Another vision of our sport and the ideas that are mine about the FMB , enduro. Fest series are benefit to the Freeride. I Like the man and the rider.
  • 4 1
 Damn, I was so hoping there was going to be a rad video in this article. Much respect for Pescetto and all the dudes keeping it real in this sport.
  • 4 0
 Is there a link to the full sequence of the crazy whip? I want to see how he gets out of that death spiral
  • 4 0
 It's actually more of a side flip, don't know what you'd call it. I don't remember where I saw the video but it is a full invert not a whip.
  • 1 1
 Sort of a barrel roll.
  • 1 0
 Barrel roll indeed. Ridiculousness!!!
  • 2 0
 Thanks, makes much more sense now. And any video with monkey humping clips is a great time
  • 3 0
 hahahaha one of his favorite things is powder and they realized they had to specify with (snow) behind it.
  • 1 0
 His bike set up advice is the best ever. Adding a little air makes a big difference in speed on the downhill. Stiff shocks + grippy tires + strong brakes = speed when you need it, stopping power when you don't.
  • 2 0
 They know whats up, they dem boyz www.youtube.com/watch?v=UX6K7waag5Q
  • 1 0
 People like this make me happy! just a generally great outlook on life, extracting as much from it while they can! Keep living it Nick!
  • 2 0
 Great read, this guy knows what's up.
  • 1 0
 steezemaster...living the life. he always reminds me of tame one from the artifacts
  • 2 0
 cool dude !!
  • 1 0
 livin the dream..for sure. dude has a solid perspective
  • 1 0
 Vai Nick, alla grande!
  • 1 0
 Living the dream bro
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