A brief interview with our top performing international rider on the world cup circuit this year from Ox over at Rockstar Clothing.

Sam Blenkinsop
A few words with OX

A brief interview with our top performing international rider on the world cup circuit this year from Ox over at Rockstar Clothing.

Ox: You have come a long way since I first met you back in early 2002 when I first started sponsoring Wyn and went street riding with Him and you in Wanganui. Had you been riding long at that point?
Sam: Nah.

Ox: How did you meet Wyn? Cause he had just started 3rd form and you must have still been at primary school.
Sam: I met him at some dirt jumps and I was just on an old piece of crap bike. I just started riding with him and then I got a better bike and started going to races with him and would stay at his house and stuff.

Ox: So Wyn was your main influence ?
Sam: Yeah pretty much just Wyn. I was like riding with him all the time. Oh and Glen.

Ox: Haden?
Sam: Nah Sisarich. I saw him a little bit when I was in New Plymouth. I rode with him at Dirt jumps and stuff when I was a little older but it was mainly Wyn I was riding with.

Ox: Well Wyn was super under the influence of Glen anyway. In fact the reason I hooked him up was Glen had told me that he had it going on. What was that old bike? You were on it when we went for that ride?
Sam: It was an Apollo.

Ox: Anyhow racing wise your first season doing the Nationals must have been 2003 when we were all doing the Lahar team thing.
Sam: Yeah I think so. I got second in under 17 to Wyn.

Ox: How old were you?
Sam: 13.

Ox: Wow then the next year Aaron Fernandez had hooked you up with some Animal gears and what bike were you riding ?
Sam: I was riding an Iron Horse. Then the next year Matt and Wideopen hooked me up with the Turner.

Ox: How did the deal with the Gravity Group come about ?
Sam: It was all mainly because of Matt (Whittaker) at Wideopen. The guy from Gravity Group rang up Matt and said he was looking for a rider and Matt told him about me and that is how it happened. Matt pretty much started it all for me.


//SAM GROMKINSOP
In his younger days, not that he's really that old now!

Ox: I know 2006 was your first full year but your folks had to help out big time too.
Sam: Yeah they've helped me out so much since I've started there is no way I would have got to here without them.

Ox: Where's the Gravity Group team based?
Sam: The team is from Poland and the other rider (Fillip Polk) is from Slovakia. They pretty much speak the same language.

Ox: Where do you stay when your not racing ?
Sam: I pretty much stay in Morzine most of the time. The rest of the time we're mostly travelling but some times I stay in Poland cause that's where the team is based. Other times I've stayed with Filip (Polk) in Slovakia.

Ox: So no problem settling in ?
Sam: Nah it's just been awesome being over there.

Ox: Have you got a driving licence over there ?
Sam: Nah just my learners over here.

Ox: What about riding wise did you find it a big step up?
Sam: Nah it was more so this year. It was a lot harder for me not being a junior anymore. Everyone was watching me and I was more nervous than the year before. Just knowing that I had to do good you know. I kind of stuffed up most of the races but I turned up to the worlds and did good.

Ox: Do you train very hard ?
Sam: A bit. I train when I'm racing but I'm doing nothing at the moment - just cruising. I do train on the road and then do more sprinting kind of stuff closer to the races.

Ox: You don't ride moto-x do you?
Sam: Nah just pit bikes ! I want to maybe next year start riding moto.

Ox: You doing anything else ?
Sam: Well I just got back from touch (rugby) and I'm pretty stuffed from that just now. All that running around was a bit different.

Ox: What is your favourite World Cup course ?
Sam: Probably Schladming in Austria. Just because theres no pedalling and it's just like a moto track the way it's so rough, by race run the braking bumps are so big. It's so loose.

Ox: How did you do there this year ?
Sam: It wasn't good my hand blew off in qualifying and I went over the bars. My finger swelled up and I thought it was broken so I couldn't really ride fast. I just rode down slow trying to hold on to the bars. It was my brake finger so I had to use my middle finger to brake.

Ox: Are you setting yourself any goals for the World Cup series next year ?
Sam: Top ten overall hopefully and to go a bit better at the Worlds - top 5 even. Canberra will be good.

Ox: Are you still learning heaps or is it more just refining little things ?
Sam: Yeah even this year I feel so much better at riding but it is just little things. I just know not to be silly, every second counts and your lines have to be perfect.

Ox: Do you think you have any weaknesses that your trying to work on?
Sam: Not really maybe just lines. I don't really look at it too much I just ride the track fast.

Ox: Who would be the top 3 riders you look up to on the circuit ?
Sam: It would be Sam Hill and then probably Steve Peat and Greg Mianaar. They've been around for ages and they know where to ride on all the courses.

Ox: Did the standard of the NZ tracks leave you well prepared for the World Cup courses when you first got over there ?
Sam: Yeah the tracks here are real good. Some of them are even better than over there. Some of the tracks over there are just shit - real pedally and total crap. Over here our tracks have all around good stuff. Tight, rocky, rooty, dusty, open, muddy - everything good.

Ox: Downhilling is your job. Do you see yourself riding professionally until your at least 30 sort of thing ?
Sam: Yeah hopefully if I'm still making money and having fun. I'm only 18.

Ox: Who do you see as your main threat for the title this season ? Rankin is definitely keen and hungry to get it back.
Sam: Yeah and Scolzy - he's pretty fast now. But nah I'm just looking out for all the young guys like Brook and Vaughan really. I just want to beat their times. There was a race at the weekend here in Wanganui and he (Brook) beat everyone by 30 seconds ! Sick.

Ox: Cheers Sam good luck for the summer. Who do you want to say thanks to ?
Sam: Just my Mum and Dad, Matt and everyone that's ever helped me out.