Declan Brooks Talks Ultimate X 2016

UK’s Declan Brooks is in South Africa and ready to compete at Ultimate X 2016 this Saturday (27 Feb) at GrandWest Casino in Cape Town.
We caught up with the BMX rider to get his thoughts on coming to SA and what we can expect from him.

For more info, athlete lists and to book your tickets for Ultimate X 2016, click here.

This is your first time coming to South Africa. What are your expectations and what are you hoping to experience?
Yes, so this is my first time coming to South Africa and I cant wait, I’ve heard so many stories of everyone having such a great time that I cant wait to experience them myself. I have 3 weeks to indulge into the SA lifestyle and I am going to do and see as much as I possibility can.

How much do you know about Ultimate X and what are your thoughts on the event?
I wanted to come last year but never had the opportunity to, so when I did this year I took it with both hands. I was gutted when I missed Ultimate X in 2015 so it had to be done this year. Seeing all my buddies kill it last year makes me stoked to come and ride the event this year.

You have a stack of achievements under your belt, what are some of your highlights of your career?
I’ve been riding Pro competitions since I was 15 so I have a bit of experience with riding competitions and know what it takes to do well. A few of my best achievements would be placing 3rd at Fise Marseille against a lot of riders that I have looked up to for years, it was surreal for me to be on the podium with them guys. Also another big one for me was coming 2nd at the BMX Worlds in Germany.

What does the sport of BMX mean to you?
I don’t really see it as a sport, it’s a lifestyle that I grew up with and continue to live my life doing. It’s kind of all I know [laughs].

What are your goals for Ultimate X?
Of course I want to ride my best at Ultimate X. As long as I do everything that I want to and I’m stoked with how I ride, I’ll be happy.

What goes through your mind when you’re riding and competing?
When I’m competing it’s always pretty chilled, everyone’s having a great time riding together, feeding off each other and sending it. You always get the nerves but that’s good. I feel like I ride better under pressure which helps a lot.

Do you know any of the other competitors and if so, who do you think will be your main competition?
I know near enough all the guys that will be competing at Ultimate X. To be fair there’s not one rider that I can think off that I know will win as it changes on the day. It’s always a hard one to call.

What can fans expect from you and your riding style at Ultimate X?
Big airs, big lines and dialled runs…hopefully [laughs].

Being a park event, what are some of the bigger tricks we can expect to see from you?
I don’t want to give too much away but it’ll be mainly backflip variations.

What style of course suits you best and what features are your favourite to ride?
My favourite contest setups are generally ones with loads of lines in. That way you’ll get so much more variety out of the riders and it’ll make for a better contest to watch visually.

What will a win at Ultimate X mean to you?
I would be stoked to win it, being my first time in SA and winning it…that would make the trip for sure!

Any words for your fans that will be out supporting?
I’m looking forward to meeting all you guys and giving you a show.

Photos by Eric Palmer and Supplied