Alastair Sayer Talks Red Bull X-Fighters SA

Born in Botswana but living and riding in South Africa and Europe, Alastair Sayer is one of the biggest names in Freestyle Motocross. Known for his crowd pleasing antics and insane combo tricks, this fearless rider will be representing Africa at the Red Bull X-Fighters finale in Pretoria, South Africa on the 23rd August 2014.
We caught up with “The Jakalas” to get his thoughts on the event, his riding and more. See what he had to say.

You have been announced as one of the riders to compete in the Red Bull X-Fighters finale in Pretoria. What went through your mind when you found out?
A lot of things. My stomach dropped. It’s great thing to be able to ride an event of this magnitude. I’ve been training long and hard for an event like this, It’s a great opportunity.

What does this opportunity mean to you?
I respect X-Fighters. It’s the biggest FMX comp in the world and this is my vision, this is where I belong! It’s also great to get my level up.

With the late notice you haven’t had that much time to prepare for this event. What have you been doing to get yourself ready?
Well I’ve been in Europe for the last month of so staying fit and riding.

How does the X-Fighters course in Pretoria suit your style of riding?
It is awesome with big boosters and awesome dirt. I have to give it up to Red Bull and the guys, they have done an awesome job.

Which riders are you looking forward to riding and competing against most?
All of them. Certain guys have preference though but it’s a hard question to answer. I have massive respect for all the riders.

You are known as a crowd pleaser with your unique style and combo tricks. What can your fans expect from your at X-Fighters?
I’m going to keep it energetic, keep it banging and I’m going to give it my fucking all. It’s been a long road pushing through barriers but I’m going to push though.

What’s your plan of action at X-Fighters?
To be realistically honest, it’s a serious course. It’s going to be modern warfare out there. My game plan is to do the best I can with what is out there.

When not at home in SA you’re overseas riding in shows and comps with the likes of Masters of Dirt and IFMXF. How has riding overseas helped with the progression of your riding?
Immensely. South African riders don’t believe in themselves enough. Over there I get to ride with guys who want to ride. It’s something I’d like to change in South Africa.

What’s your take on the progression of FMX and how much further do you think it can go?
The level keeps getting higher and gnarlyer. It keep progressing and changing in its own way. Even though it’s at the highest of levels now, I think there is still plenty of room for it to just drop peoples jaws.

“I’m going to keep it energetic, keep it banging and I’m going to give it my fucking all”

What do you think this event is going to do for FMX in South Africa and the future of this sport?
I really really don’t know. I hope it will encourage more guys to get involved and certainly go bigger. I think that’s the bottom line, the level in South Africa need to rise. So I can only hope for that now but I can’t predict that one. It’s absolutely awesome for the country and we’ve been starved of my sport for a long time. So it’s really cool.

What can local FMX fans expect from such a big event?
They can expect the highest of all round standards. This is the best that you can get and it’s here. It’s the highest level of Freestyle Motocross and it’s a full international scale production. You can only expect the best.