05.21.02
by: Alex
EXPN.com

Editor's Note: "10 Questions with Alex" begins it's stint with our roving reporter for the ESPN Moto-X Championship series.

This week my "10 Questions" are with "Step Up" world record holder and X Games medallist Tommy Clowers.

The Tomcat and Alex share a moment.

Alex: Is it important to implement a new trick to win a medal at the X Games?

Tommy: "It is everything. Even though many of the tricks we are doing now are only a few months old, if you have 5 guys doing them in a contest it doesn't seem very inventive. If you can go out with a trick no one else has done, you will definitely have an edge.

Alex: You hold a world record in Step Up, and you are the current X Games Gold Medallist in that discipline. Do you train for Step Up, and do you consider it freestyle?

Tommy: "No, I don't train for Step Up. The only way I guess you really could outside of building a Step Up course would be to ride natural terrain, which I try to do as much as I can. Step Up isn't doing tricks, but I do consider it an important and challenging aspect of the sport of Freestyle".

Alex: If you were 15 again, and the sport of Freestyle Motocross was where it is right now, would you have kept racing or do you think you would have gone to freestyle earlier?

Tommy: "I would definitely go to Freestyle. You have to really struggle in racing, and that can mean making no money. The sport of Freestyle has come so far, there are really a lot of opportunities in the sport right now for kids who have skills on a dirt bike. We make really good money and the competitions are challenging. Everyone is always coming up with new stuff, and it keeps growing.

TC throws his signature trick, the Catnac Indian Air.

Alex: What riders would you look up to?

Tommy: "I would look up to guys like myself, Deegan, Metzger, Mike Jones. The guys that helped originate the sport and are still pushing it to where it is today."

Alex: What advice would you give someone who has skills on a dirt bike, but has never hit a ramp before?

Tommy: "Well, make sure you have jumped at least 60 ft. already. If you have those skills, make sure the ramp is at 60 ft. to start and go for it. You should ride with someone that knows what they are doing, but after hitting it 10 times, ramps are so consistent you will get the hang of it in no time. You don't need as much speed as you might think. Make sure you are comfortable landing before you start doing tricks".

Alex: How have you modified your bike to tweak it out for freestyle?

Tommy: "My suspension is a lot stiffer than it would be if I was racing. I cut grab holes in my plastics and shaved my rear fender, and I have a steering stabilizer."

Alex: What is your favorite trick?

Tommy: "Cat Nac Indian Air"

Alex: Some people think the sport will die when there are no new tricks? Do you think we will run out of tricks anytime soon?

Tommy: "No. Everyone is different, and has different physical capabilities. Things I never thought of doing, others have and vice versa. For a while there was a focus on the front of the bike, now "let go" tricks like the "rock solid" and "holy man" get a lot of attention. As long as there are new riders and challenging contests, there will be new tricks.

Alex: You have been riding a dirt bike for a long time. Is there anything about being a Pro Freestyler that has surprised you?

Tommy: "The fans, for sure. I travel everywhere, and the fans absolutely love freestyle, they know all the riders and all the tricks. People in Australia will ask me about a trick I did in a contest in another country. The fan base is really connected, and they are hungry for contests and to see the athletes. I am always surprised and stoked on how cool the fans are.

Alex: Got a new trick for Summer X?

Tommy: "You will all just have to wait and see".

I interviewed Tommy during a demo he was performing in at the Irvine Spectrum in Irvine, California for the opening day of ESPN's "Ultimate X" IMAX movie. Check in next week for "10 Questions" featuring back-flip maniac Caleb Wyatt.

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