FMX Star Callum Shaw

We had the opportunity to sit down with FMX star Callum Shaw on his down time during the Freestyle Kings tour and ask him a few questions.

How long have you been with Freestyle Kings?

Since 2016

How many stops were on the stadium tour this year?

9. Hobart, Canberra, Gosford, Wollongong, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Mackay, & Carins

What was the biggest/best crowd?

I think Gold Coast had biggest crowd with about 11000 people.

What is your favourite part of the show?

I would have to be the Next Gen Ramp section or riding away from the final train knowing you have survived the show.

Do you have a favourite trick to do during the show?

I would have to say that doing a ruler flip off the next gen ramp.

Did you have any bike issues that you had to deal with and how did you overcome them?

My bike was good, but I crashed first show in Hobart and bent handlebar mounts and bars. I just replaced parts before the next show.

We’ve seen you knock yourself out in one of the first shows of the tour, what happened?

I crashed doing a double grab flip in the best trick segment of the show. The bike whipped out from under me, whether that was my fault, or the wind caught me. As I pulled myself back to the bike, my leg hit the side guard and the bars turned a little causing me to miss the bars and bail off. I didn’t get knocked out, but I did slam the airbag hard with my head. After hitting the airbag, I was badly winded and it caused me to have a little memory loss, for a few minutes. I had a pretty sore head for the rest of the week. I just rested up and was good to go for the following weekend in Canberra.

We also noticed that you guys were battling with the weather the entire tour, how did you prepare for such situations?

We only had one show where it didn’t rain at all. By the end of it, we all were pretty used to the rain. It’s not ideal, but you learn to deal with it. The only time I noticed the airbag being slippery was after I put a new rear tyre on by bike before the Sunshine Coast show. The tyre I had on before was very worn from run up boards and mesh ramps, but I felt the worn tyre gave me more grip on the wet airbags, then having fresh nobbys. We used this rainex product on our goggles which seems to work pretty well. The rain would just bead off the lenses. We also have crew with towels waiting to wipe the goggles before each jump, if needed. We pretty much gauged whether the show was to be postponed or not in accordance with weather apps. It can be a pretty hard decision whether to call the show or not. Sometimes the weather doesn’t always do what it says it’s going to, but we all decide as a team whether to ride or not, as we know what we are capable of.

What was the most memorable moment on tour?

The whole tour was memorable.

What was your worst moment on tour?

I don’t think there was any bad moments.

What else do you have to do to prepare for the shows outside of performing on the day?

I just like to have an early night the night before with plenty of rest. Show days can be a long day by the time you go down in the morning for practice and by the time the show is finished at night.

Did anything funny happen either on tour or at a after party everyone should know about?

So many funny moments, good bunch of guys and girls to hang and tour with.

What sets Freestyle Kings show apart from the rest like Nitro etc?

I mean the show is still new and it is only getting bigger and better with a solid bunch of riders. I think everyone is on the same page and wants it to work out for the best, so everyone does that little bit extra help where they can. Nobody was being a rockstar about it and we get looked after pretty well!

What do you have on for the rest of the year?

Couple of China Trips and various demos over Australia, we have the Perth Super Show in July, also keep your eyes peeled for upcoming tours to be released.