We’ve seen so many BMX tricks in the past decade or so that we’ve become a little blasé. We feel like we’ve seen them all, and the only thing that can take us by surprise and jolt us out of our slumber is a nice camera angle, a clever dynamic montage or gorgeous backdrops.
Well, this short clip featuring American rider Tim Knoll has them all, and then some. Sponsored by Red Bull - aren’t they all? - Tim took his BMX bike and his skills all the way to Berlin, Germany, where he put up a show that’s hard to file under just one discipline.
There’s only so much you can do with a bike, right? You can spin it, ride on one wheel, jump from one surface to another and... that’s about it. Tim has a different approach, one that he describes as BMX Freestyle. He’s basically mixing bicycle tricks with gymnastics and the occasional parkour moves to create a completely new style that’s very enjoyable to watch.
His tricks seem somewhat erratic at times, but that’s only because he does them so quickly and they’re usually so surprising, so uncommon that you end up wondering whether he has a plan, or he’s just improvising as he goes.
Don’t worry, they’re all carefully planned and extensively rehearsed. You can’t just take a Red Bull filming crew with you a whole day (maybe even more) and go “so, guys, now that you’re here, what do you think we should do?” You don’t get shots like these by accident. You have to plan, to wait for the right light and find the best setting possible for a certain trick.
If you’re familiar with the work of Danny MacAskill and other riders famous for their stunning films and equally stunning tricks, make room for one more. And if you want to see more of Tim Knoll (and why wouldn’t you?) you can always check out his private YouTube channel.
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