Wild ride

Thai BMX champ wins big

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos courtesy of Adidas

In Thailand, freestyle BMX riding is a niche sport. Despite there not being many skillful riders in the Land of Smiles, a young Thai rider recently won the world champion title.

With his artistic cycling techniques, 20-year-old Worawee Srivichai (Boom) won the Flatland BMX world champion title at the 2009 IBMXFF BMX World Championship in Germany. Boom was the first Asian rider ever to achieve this honour.

"That was my first international competition and there was a lot of pressure," Boom said. "I was thrilled when I realised that I'd won the title. I was so proud to be the first Thai champion in the competition."

DIY STYLE

When he was a Matayom 3 student, Boom took up Flatland BMX - a freestyle type of BMX cycling done on smooth, flat surfaces. With nobody to coach him, Boom worked with other BMX riders and looked for tips on the Internet.

"I practised with other riders at a park, and we tried to learn new riding tricks by watching clips of riders on the Internet," he said.

GOING PRO

After practising for a year, Boom was ready to participate in a competition. He lost at his first contest, but it was a worthwhile experience for the rookie rider.

"That competition inspired me to practise more than before so that I wouldn't lose next time," Boom said.

Boom's hard work paid off in the end, leading to his current high ranking.

"I was eventually ranked No. 1 in the amateur category, and now I'm one of the top three in the professional category in Thailand."

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

Boom went through plenty of pain and bruises before achieving his great success, but he never thought about giving up.

"Riding Flatland BMX doesn't usually cause serious injuries - just joint pains, ankle injuries and scratches," Boom said. "Sometimes my joint pains would make me stop cycling for one or two weeks, but once the pain was gone I'd be straight back on the bike."

Boom also picked up some tips about staying strong at the BMX World Championship.

"I noticed that riders from other countries usually exercised at the gym to increase their strength," he said. "Now I now do the same thing."

TRICKY TRICKS

There was no Flatland BMX category at the BMX World Championship last year, but Boom still practises hard. As a pro rider, Boom has to stay prepared for any competitions that might come along.

"Professional Flatland BMX riders have to invent their own tricks to perform at competitions," Boom said. "They have to be difficult and different from what the other riders do, so I'm now working on that now."

EXPERT ADVICE

Boom was recently given the chance to be a mentor for rookie riders at the local Adidas All 24 Flatland BMX event. Boom said that some of the young riders have real potential, but that they need to keep working hard.

"Many amateurs overseas are as good as our professional riders, so I always advise young riders to keep practising seriously," Boom said. "Rookie riders should always arrive on time for practise and focus on developing their skills, rather than just hanging out with friends."