Red Bull X-Fighters Madrid Interviews: Melero, Sherwood and Villegas

In this second part of the interview series, we have the great Maikel Melero, a rider who sets his sights higher every day and who, very soon, will become something very big on the world stage. Levi and Villegas represent the present of the championship, which arrives in Madrid very much alive, a stage that carries extra importance after the cancellation of Istanbul because of the wind.

These interviews help us better understand how a rider sees the Spanish event, and they also let us know which tricks are their favorites or how they see the future of the championship.

Personally, I was delighted with Maikel and with Javier. Both make the interviews a little easier by conducting them in our own language, but beyond that, what stood out most was their fun-loving character and the way they tell you things with the deepest sincerity.

Maikel Melero

PM: Hi Maikel, how far do you think you can go here?

MM: I’m more prepared than ever, and I hope to land all the jumps I have, and land them well, and for the judges to be on my side. It no longer depends on me.

PM: What special little things do you have on your bike?

MM: The same as all the riders. My only special feature is a footpeg mount for when we do Backflips, but many others have that too.

PM: Do you have any special trick planned?

MM: Right now I’m working on the Double Grab Backflip, letting go of the bike and holding on to the seat, but now that I’m getting to this one, Taka is doing it with a Rock Solid, but well (laughs). There aren’t many riders in the world who do it either.

PM: Which trick do you enjoy the most?

MM: The Tsunami, or the Double Backflip itself, although I like them all. Every time I see a well-defined, well-executed jump, they’re all beautiful.

PM: Tricks we all know, very complicated: Body Varial, Frontflip, Double Backflip. Do you attempt them or train them?

MM: I haven’t tried the Double Backflip or the Frontflip yet, but I have tried the Body Varial, I’ve been practicing it in the pool. But then the events of the year came up and we can’t risk training more and falling, so when summer arrives I want to practice it to have it ready for next year.

PM: Last year you did great, you transmitted a lot of energy to the crowd. Now it’s time to improve.

MM: It’s something you don’t plan. You see so many people and you’re alone on the track.

Levi Sherwood

PM: Last season you had many injuries. Now you’re facing this one at 100%. How do you see this year? Do you think you can win the championship?

LS: Last season was really tough, and this year what I want is to enjoy it. Honestly, if I win it won’t be something expected, but that’s what we’ll fight for.

PM: You’ve been here more times, haven’t you?

LS: Yes, this is my third time in Madrid, and I love this place, all the fans. It’s something you don’t find anywhere else.

PM: Taking first place in Dubai was great, wasn’t it?

LS: Yes, in Dubai I won, although I really didn’t expect it. It’s been a great success and good points for the standings.

PM: How far will you get here in Madrid?

LS: I don’t think it will be very difficult to qualify for the final stage and take part on Friday.

PM: Do you usually write the tricks on your bike?

LS: Yes, I usually write them down, but you have to know what you have to do and you have to stay focused. There’s no time to read.

Javier Villegas

PM: Do you think the heat should be taken into account?

JV: Yes, totally. The great heat here affects concentration. You’re aware of the sweat and it’s hard to focus.

PM: You’re third at the moment, great, isn’t it?

JV: Yes, this is my second year doing X-Fighters, and honestly it’s going very well.

PM: Before doing FMX, you did Motocross. How was that jump?

JV: It wasn’t really a jump, it was step by step. I started doing tricks during motocross races, although other riders didn’t like that. Then I started racing and doing freestyle at the same event, and after that I left Motocross completely. Before, when I raced Motocross, I used Freestyle to relax. Now I go to the track when I want to relax, the opposite.

PM: You have two children. Are they into the bike?

JV: I haven’t had much time to train them yet, but just last week my 3-year-old was on one of those pedal-less bicycles, flying and doing stunts, and the 7-year-old got on a 50cc last week and loved it. Everything I trained, the three hours I spent training, he spent on the bike. If they get into it, great, but I don’t know if I’ll have time to train them properly. The eldest also does Karate, and the other day he had his first competition, he came second, and I felt prouder than ever in my life, including my podium at X-Fighters and my medal at the X-Games. But I’ll support them in whatever they want and whatever makes them happy.

PM: You’re of Chilean origin but you live in California. Why that change?

JV: Chile has a lot of motorcycling, a lot of enduro, and it also has almost as many followers as football. But freestyle, nothing. My brother and I were the only ones who practiced it. I was in Florida, Texas and now California. That’s the birthplace of off-road motorcycling, and that’s why I’m there now, and quite well.

PM: Speaking of the bike, some of you are now riding 2-strokes and others 4-strokes. Do you think 4-strokes will end up prevailing?

JV: Most will switch to 4-strokes. It’s the future, even though it hurts. I love the smell of the mix. Besides, the 4-stroke makes everything easier, it’s almost like cheating. The 4-stroke riders are asking for the ramps to be moved back because they’re too short, and we’re suffering on them. On the most complete tracks, the 4-strokes make the difference. In fact, I’m starting to save money so I can get my own.

PM: What do you think of the Madrid track, very small, compared with big tracks like Glen Helen in the USA?

JV: Glen Helen is the biggest we had, but Madrid has that magic. I think that here in this country, in this city, are the real freestyle fans. You go to Los Angeles, to the X-Games, and of course people applaud you, but they’ve seen everything, and the Americans I think they like it when things explode, and since they don’t see flames there, they applaud for a while and then get bored. But the people here have been following freestyle for eleven years and they applaud just as they did on the first day. I love it.

PM: What’s your favorite trick?

JV: The Kiss of Death. I did one so long that they called me the Michael Jordan of Freestyle. People still talk about that jump.

PM: What’s your goal here?

JV: Look, I have two goals. The physical one is to hold the trophy in my hands, and the personal one is to improve, to leave here better than I arrived on the first day. And if I learn something, that will already be an improvement.

Photos | David Gómez, Alejandro Batán (Plusmoto.com)