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Afternoon Tea with Simon Tabron
Find out what makes this top vert phenom tick
By Jared Souney
As far back as the early 1980's, the UK has produced some of the best BMX ramp riding talent in the world. Craig Campbell, Jess Dyrenforth, Lee Reynolds, Jason Davies, and Jamie Bestwick are just a few of the big names to come out of England. For many of them, getting sponsored and getting media coverage meant moving to the US early in their careers. With much of the industry, the magazines and major televised events happening in the US, it was a natural move.
Today things have changed a bit. BMX is global. The UK, Europe and beyond have produced some top-notch product lines, magazines and events. These days the move to America is less and less a factor for English talent (and global talent for that matter).
In contrast to those making the big move to America, Simon Tabron stayed in his homeland throughout the 80's, 90's and into today, managing to make a name for himself along the way. Simon's talents and contest placings attracted media attention and major sponsors (which today include LG, Mongoose, Adidas, and Eastpak), and as a result, he has been able to travel to the larger events around the world, while remaining based in his homeland.
There have been a lot of BMX vert riders from England who have "made it" over the years but many of them moved to the US to do so. Has that ever been an issue for you? Do you think it was harder to get noticed?
I think it has always made it a bit harder because I travel further, but it has never been the issue that I thought it would be. I liked the idea of being the first British guy who didn't make the move... the guy who changed the rule.
Was there any point you knew that your riding was going to take you somewhere?
I never thought of it that way. I knew at a really early age what I wanted to do, and I never stopped to reconsider. I think my first X Games where I got top three (in 1998) made me realize that things were getting fairly serious.
Who or what influences you, or has influenced your riding?
Back in the day, Brian Blyther, Mike Dominguez, Ron Wilkerson, and some of the English guys like Lee Reynolds, Scott Carroll, Greg Guillotte, and Mike Canning definitely influenced me. Later on it was Mat Hoffman, Joe Johnson, Jay Miron.... Over the years, a lot of vert riders have influenced me, and riding with Jamie [Bestwick] has always pushed and inspired me.
The 900 is still one of those elusive tricks that only a select few have landed, and even fewer more than once. Do you know how many 900s you've pulled? Last I knew, you still had a count going, and it was pretty high.
I think it is 70-something... I sort of stopped counting. The first one was at the Worlds in Denmark when I was 17. I tried my first one when I was 15.
What did you do before you were making a living as a Pro rider?
I would work any old job to support myself being a Pro rider! I was technically a Pro before I left school, and I always just worked here and there to support my riding. Fortunately, the last job that I had was in 1997.
Where do you spend most of your time riding when you're at home? Who is that typically with?
I have my own vert ramp at a local skatepark where I session with all the locals. I have a bunch of skater and biker friends who I ride with. Sometimes, there will be 10 or 12 of us and, sometimes, it will just be two of us on the vert ramp. It's good because some of the skaters are 11 or 12 years old -- little rippers -- and some of the guys I session with are weekend warriors in their 40's! It's a good mix!
Are you still riding without brakes on your bike? What prompted that, and has it changed or limited your riding at all?
I took my brakes off in an attempt to gain more control and skill. I always had the theory that skaters didn't use brakes or pegs but were 10 times more creative than bikes on a vert ramp. I decided that if I took the brakes and pegs off, it would force me to progress in different ways and it would change all of the rules, hopefully helping me to develop my own style.
What do you like to do off your bike, when you're not riding?
When I'm not riding, I play a lot of music. I have a separate group of friends who I jam with. It's the antithesis to my riding life. I normally play guitar, but also play bass and drums. Any other free time is spent with my wife, Pippa, and my dogs. I have two Huskies.
Are there any places you've gone because of BMX that you otherwise never would have gone?
Well, just in the last month or so, I've been to Estonia and Dubai. Apart from that, I've been to all kinds of weird and wonderful parts of America and Europe.
In the early days, a big ramp was eight or nine feet tall. Did you ever think you'd be riding a 14-foot tall ramp for contests? Are we getting toward the limit of ramp sizes do you think?
There was a 14 and a half-foot tall quarter where I grew up so I've been riding big ramps all my life. I like the bigger ramps and think they are a lot safer. If ramps get any bigger, they will become impossible to ride as the transition will be too big to pump. The only way it would work is for big "Hoffman-sized' quarters [that you get towed at for speed]. Right now, I think we have hit the happy medium.
Where do you see BMX vert riding going in the next few years? There has been a lot of talk recently about Olympic possibilities. Do you think that's where this sport is headed?
In the next few years, I imagine vert will continue to progress in terms of the level of riding. Jamie [Bestwick] has set the bar pretty high, and it will take a few years for everyone to catch up. I'm hoping there will be some new faces as well. I'm not sure about the Olympics. Maybe it's inevitable, but I find it hard to imagine.
You can expect to see Simon Tabron spinning 900s and 540 variations at all the major contests in 2006.
»»Catch the interview with fellow Englisman Jamie Bestwick
»»Find out all the details on the Birmingham World Tour Event
