We got a chance to sit down with bike stunt ruler and 900 thrower Simon Tabron during practice before the EXPN Invitational vert prelim on Thursday. Tabron is known for going two-hundred percent at all times on the vert ramp and is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
He gave us a heads up on Star Wars, competition with friend Jamie Bestwick, and what riding bikes really means to him.
EXPN: What do you think about the idea that action sports are taking the place of Traditional youth oriented sports like Little League Baseball or football.
Simon Tabron: It's a new century, just a natural progression. I have nothing against any of those other sports but times change, tastes change and kids want different things, you know? They want new and exciting things, something that their grandparents did isn't necessarily cool anymore, you know.
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| Simon representing Iron Maiden with English pride. |
I think now too kids have more of a voice than they did like 30-40 years ago like when our parents were kids. So they are expressing themselves in that way. These things are more accessable too, like anyone can pick up a skateboard and take it on the street outside their house or to a skatepark or something, you don't need to get 10 guys together to have a game. It's just easier, you just pick up your board and go. It's something you can do, whenever or however you want you want to do, it's absolute freedom and I think it is more suited to society today.
EXPN: Ok, so on to something lighter…Spiderman or Star Wars?
Simon: I'm going to say Star Wars, cuase I am a Star Wars fan. I even bought some more Star Wars toys this morning. I got like the Bobba Fett's old man, can't remember his name. I never had the toys when I was a kid so now I kind of collect them. I definitely want to see the Spiderman movie but Star Wars is first on my list.
EXPN: So what do you think about Atlanta?
Simon: This is my first time here (in Atlanta) and the skatepark is cool as hell. I said to my friend last night, I have this friend from Australia who came out on this trip with me, and I told him, when the kids back home tell you that the X Games suck, you tell them about this skatepark. They build skateparks for us, they make these events, this is the coolest thing ever. It brings stuff back into the sport. I mean they are going to do them all over the country I hear, and I am all for that, it's great.
EXPN: So what were you like back in High School?
Simon: I think most of the teachers and stuff I had were thinking that I was capable and all of that but I was too busy entertaining the class. I think if they could have written it, they would have just written "Jackass, Smart, but should try harder" that kinda of thing. I got by, I passed all of my exams and I tried to do it with a smile on my face.
EXPN: Who inspired you, when you were coming up and all, was there a rider who you wanted to be like when you were younger?
Simon: Yeah, this guy Mike Dimingos, he was the first guy to ever do a 900 on a bike, oddly enough, definitely Mike and then there still there is Mat Hoffman. Mat is one of those weird things you know, he is a friend but he is still kinda my hero. Like I can pick the phone up and talk to him about something random but also I look up to him like a hero. An accessible hero I guess.
EXPN: So what was the last "ordinary" thing that you did?
Simon: I went to the grocery store.
EXPN: What did you buy?
Simon: Some water and some soda.
EXPN: What did you have for breakfast?
Simon: Hashbrowns with Bacon and some coffee.
EXPN: What does BMX mean to you? Like more on a philosophical level?
Simon: It's my reason for getting up in the morning. I've done it for so long and so passionately and I've given so much of my life to it that if you took BMX out of my life you would be left with nothing. So I guess it's everything for me. It goes from the most trivial thing, like just having fun doing a certain trick, to whether it's how I make my living or whatever. In all aspects, it's everything about who I am and what I am.
EXPN: What's the next big thing for Simon Tabron?
Simon: I need to start winning some big contests (laughing). I'm hopefully going to get there, I mean it's kinda hard right now. You know like Jamie (Bestwick) and I are old adversaries from England.
As long as I can remember since I was maybe 14-years old we've been on the ramp together, pushing each other. He would win or I'd win and it's seems like for a long time Jamie was out of my reach. Then I started beating him again when we both started coming to the U.S. for the X Games. Now Jamie has just raced ahead. We've always discussed this and shared the philosophy that it would be so good to come out here and do well. Not beat the American guys necessarily, but just be able to hang with guys like Dave Mirra and Mat Hoffman.
All of the sudden it's happening, I'm witnessing it contest after contest, Jamie is dominating. So, on the one hand I wish it was me, but it's not you know. On the other hand he's and old friend and an old adversary but whatever, I'm just so happy for him and so proud of him and it's the to the point now where I think hey, if Jamie can do it, maybe I can too. I guess Jamie is kinda pointing the direction out for me.
EXPN: Have you seen the movie Ultimate X?
Simon: No, I haven't. I didn't get invited to the premier. I don't even know if I am in it or not. My friends were invited but I didn't go. There is an IMAX theatre around where I live though, so I'll get around to seeing it sometime.
Much thanks to Simon for sitting down with us. He was throwing some big tricks despite some risky wind gusts that were making the vert ramp pretty treacherous on Thursday. Everyone knows Simon rides balls out 24/7 and despite his English modesty look for him to be killing it in tomorrow's Bike Stunt vert final.
Related Photos:
BMX Vert Practice
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