GRANT ALLEN PROFILE
Height: 165m
Weight: 65kgs
Residence: Adelaide, South Australia
Strength: My strengths would be the fact that I'm
very committed and
always very involved with my riding. I put everything I can into it. I
think that the fact I can work alone on projects is also a strength.
If a gap is going to take me three months of hard work on weekends and
days here and there on my own, ill build it and the ride it. Working
alone is not easy, however I find that I can get the motivation going
and get the job done. I think I also have quite good mental strength
too.
Weakness: My biggest weakness is probably that I'm here in
Australia
and where lots of the action and stuff is going on is on the other
side of the world which makes things a little bit limiting for me in
some ways. I like living here but its difficult sometimes.
Why do you ride? I ride to have fun. If I wasn't having fun
I wouldn't
be doing it, I enjoy it immensely. I also ride to push both my own
limits and the progression of the sport.
What/who started you racing: I always rode BMX up until I was about 18
or 19 and then my younger brother got a MTB and I went to watch him at
a DH race and I couldn't believe how lame most of the riders were out
there, so I got a MTB and my BMX got put to the side and I went about
trying to make my mark on the MTB scene and show some people how I
thought it should and could be done.
Marital Status: Engaged to my fiancé Mel.
Hardest part: Committing to hitting something which your sketchy
about
but either have to hit or want to hit.
Worst moment in career & why? Being shut down by authorities
on
occasions just for trying to be creative, proactive and having fun
riding my bike.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? I can't really
ever recall
wanting to be anything in particular. I knew that I wanted to do
something that I enjoyed and was kind of a little bit different to a
normal job.
In one word how would your best friend describe you? Committed.
A fruit or vegetable that best resembles your character is: A
potato.
Kind of plain, simple and ordinary but always gets the job done.
Favorite food: Meat or pizza
Favorite reading material: I like reading the stories in BIKE
mag and
some other mags too plus some athletes biographies are pretty
interesting too.
Favorite music: Without a doubt, Hilltop hoods. They're an
Adelaide hip
hop group and they are awesome. I listen to there music a lot while I'm
riding and the music gets me psyched to hit big stuff and to flow.
"The Sentinel" is my favorite track of theirs and its usually what's
going on in my head before I hit something big.
Best idea of having good time: A really good day for me is
to go out
riding with any of my friends, ride some fun stuff and hit up some
huge stuff and dial it all in sweetly, go home and check out the
footage I just collected and then go out for dinner somewhere nice
with Mel.
Favorite place to travel to: I love coming over to Canada and
the US
to go to Utah but id also like to check out Peru and Mexico someday
too. Anywhere new and interesting is always good. New Zealand was a
really cool spot too.
Most respected mountain bike riders: Nathan Rennie and Chris
Kovarik
are probably two that come to mind. These guys have the sickest style
and just slay the trail they're riding. Both really aggressive and they
seem to just make the bike do whatever and they always make it look so
good. I also respect Robbie as he's just a little nugget that just
charges stuff and always gets the job done.
Other most respected athletes: Lance Armstrong for being passionate
and committed to his dreams. Muhammed Ali for being such a showman and
being incredibly cocky yet always able to do as he says. Brian Deegan
for just doing whatever the hell he likes and for staying at the top
of his chosen field for a long time and for being innovative.
Favorite riding spots and courses: I love Utah. Anywhere similar
to
that is great. The rampage course is cool and also Whistler is always
good fun too. Anywhere I don't get chased out of at home is pretty
good.
Advice to beginners: Start out slow and small. It takes a long
time to
build up to doing huge stuff. Just concentrate on getting your skills
up and don't try to hard to push your progression. Learn to ride DH
trails and get your cornering skills and stuff going on and
concentrate on trying to be as smooth as you can. Watch DVD's and try
learn from that too. Most importantly just ride to have fun. If your
starting out riding just to become sponsored, don't bother. Enjoy your
riding and have fun and it can take you anywhere you want it too.
Other sports you do: None
Other interests to cycling: Photography, videography etc as
well as
editing movies on my computer. Most of it all really is related to
cycling!
Do you have a coach: No
Typical training week:
Monday: 6:00 - 8:30am go to gym, work 9 - 5:30 then ride in the
evening
Tuesday: Ride in the evening after work
Wednesday: Usually a day off work. Ride and build gaps etc all day or
go to gym from 6:00 - 8:30 then work.
Thursday: Ride in the evening after work
Friday: 6:00 - 8:30am go to gym, work 9 - 5:30 then ride in the evening
Saturday: Sometimes work then ride in the afternoon/evening or go ride
and build all day
Sunday: Ride and build all day.
Career Highlights: Dropping the biggest drops at the Red Bull
ride
events both years and being the only one to do it in 2003. Also just
getting to where I am now is great. I never thought I could or would
be where I am now when I first started riding my bike.
Year 2003 Highlights: The Redbull ride drop, where I was
the only
competitor to do it.
Objectives for 2004: Have a strong section in NWD5 and to surprise
people. To learn some new tricks. Improve my DH riding and to do a
race and achieve a strong result. Also I want to have more fun than I
did in 2003.
Barry Wicks |
Ryan Trebon
|
 |
|
|
