Simon Tabron (BMX Freestyle; Britain - 34 years)

Simon Tabron has competed in every X Games since 1998 and has won seven total medals in Vert. He is known for his consistency with the 900 and outside of Mat Hoffman, is the only Vert competitor to ride brakeless. So taken in with Dubai was Simon during his previous visits that he bought a house here in April this year.

What prompted you to buy a house in Dubai?

I came here a couple of times with the X Games and everything about the place was exciting and fun. I made some really good friends here that I kept in touch with.

After the first X Games I returned with my wife for a holiday here, that's when we decided to buy a place.

How did you make your start in BMX riding?

I was a kid who enjoyed riding a bike with neighbourhood friends. I liked doing jumps and stunts and then I found this sport that was dedicated to it.  

As a young boy I wanted to be a stunt man and the sports made perfect sense. I began at the age of 9 and by the age of 13, I was competing internationally. I just realised that I had a passion for this and the passion never died.

When did you know you had finally arrived on the scene?

I think I was 16 when I turned completely professional and I began making podiums. Against some of my heroes I still felt like this little kid and here I was competing against these guys I had looked up to for so long. So I definitely felt like I had arrived.

But more than that I would say that in the last few years in America I have had so much success on a global scale that people refer to me as a fixture. I really feel like I belong in my sport now.

How does one prepare for a competition?

You practice as much as possible when you are at home, when you are training. But when you come out you need to get rest, you need to adjust to the time zone you are in, eat well and just try and relax. 

It's nerve racking; the nerves can overcome you and we all go through such a journey on competition day trying to keep our nerves at bay. So just trying to keep calm is how I would handle it.

What role does instinct play during a competition?

I think 90 per cent is instinct. I have years of experience and no matter what happens, everything is changeable once the competition starts. I have to just relax enough so that I can trust myself to make the right decision. I do come here with a plan but then I rely on instinct to take me through the plan.

Do you plan your tricks?

If a run is 45 seconds long, I have all 45 seconds planned in my mind that I've practised and prepared because when you land on the ramp, 2 seconds later you take off again. The whole thing is so fast that you can't afford to make any mistake anywhere or you ruin the momentum of the whole run.

So there has to be a plan. But sometimes things can go wrong and that's when your instincts kick in. For example if I landed a litle awkwardly then I would have to improvise and I would maybe have just one second to make that decision.

I just try and make the best of the opportunity of that competition. You find that with great riders their instincts can take them through no matter what.

Which moment have you cherished the most?

There have been a lot of big competition wins that have meant a lot to me because it means I can give something back to my family.

This summer at the XGames in Los Angeles for the first time ever I did a 900 into another 900. It's a trick where I rotated 2 1/2 full turns but then I landed and I had about one second to make the decision to do the second one and no one has ever done that in my sport and there's only maybe five people who can do the 900.

Between us athletes its always been a joke that you could never do two. For me the joke became an ambition and that finally happened at the X Games this summer.  So that's probably the best moment for me.

Have you faced any major crashes?

More than I can tell you! I've broken more than 40 bones. I've had many concussions, lots of stitches, punctured my lung and I'm just overcoming whiplash in my neck and spine.

It's one of those things you try not to focus on but you have to accept that accidents will happen. Especially if you want to be the best that you can be you are going to take the falls. 

It's like the old cliché you have to get back on the horse and ride it and that's what sometimes separates people. Some people can't find the strength to do it and I respect that and understand it but they are not supposed to be bike riders. 

I find myself on the couch the day after I leave the hospital going through the accident and being angry with myself, 'Why did I make that mistake?' and all I want is to be healthy and be back on my bike and correct my mistake. It's that drive and passion that keeps me going.

It must be tough on your family though?

My mother never used to watch me but she's learned to trust me now and my wife very much trusts my riding. She knows my riding well enough. She knows when I'm about to make a mistake.

Some of my friends call me 'The Cat' as I can jump on my feet and get out of situations.

I am not one to make a fuss when I fall, if I can I try to get up and walk. It's my decision and I accept the risks and my family trust my decisions and know that I'm not reckless.

Does the size of a ramp matter in your perfromace?

Here in Dubai at the X Games we have my favourite ramp in the world — over 14 feet tall and its very wide. For the guys with the skill and ability, It gives them the forum to really ride to their potential. I think because of the ramp size you are going to see world class riding here.

How would you rank Dubai as a venue?

This is one of my favourite places in the world. I love the energy and the positivity in the city. It is hard sometimes with the traffic and all the construction. I have this lovely balcony overlooking the Palm but its too dusty all the time to use it. 

There are frustrations but I see the bigger picture. There is this cliché in Dubai that 'The only limitation is your imagination.' And I think that really suits our sports because we don't have any rules or boundaries and we constantly change and progress and its down to the leading lights in the sports to forge the future for us.

Will you know when you have to stop competing professionally?

When the passion dies, it's time to stop because if the passion isn't there I will begin to make mistakes. It is impossible to do this just for the money.

Nobody would do this just for the money as you could make money in any other way. I'm very keen that I stop when my dignity is intact, I will know when. For now I love the sport.

Neal Hendrix ( SKB; USA, 34 years)

NEAL HENDRIX is a skateboarder hailing from Winston-Salem, USA. Skating competitively since 1991 Neal has seen his sport and the skateboard industry go from a niche sport to an international phenomenon.

Being a pro skateboarder has enabled Neal to travel all over the world — and has opened many doors, such as skateboarding at the 1996 Olympic closing ceremonies.

How did you begin skateboarding?

I just started with the local kids in my neighbourhood. I grew up in the East Coast of USA in North Carolina. I lived very far out of the city and some of the kids skateboarded, I used one and just fell in love with it.

When did you decide to take it up professionally?

When I was about 15 or 16 I began travelling around to some of the competitions in the East Coast and started performing better and eventually picked up some sponsors who first gave me some products and helped me with my travel.

Eventually when I was doing well at national events they wanted me to turn professional and put out a signature line of skateboards in my name.

That was when I was 17, so I was graduating from high school and I had to make my decision whether to go to college or to try and be a pro-skater so I opted for this.  17 years later I am glad I made this decision but I think the first time I realised I had made it was right after I turned 18. I skated in my first professional contest, I was up there competing with a lot of my heroes whom I looked up to as I grew. I had their posters on my walls and now I was on the ramp competing with them!

How do you prepare for a competition?

When I'm at home I'm always practising and skating for 5 - 6 days a week. Sometimes we are on the road for several months as we are busy with competitions, demos and exhibitions.

So when I'm home for a couple of day I try to practice a lot. While travelling we have to keep our body in shape and try not to stay out all night before the event.

Which has been your most cherished moment?

Everyone thinks when you are a skateboarder — you have all the fame, signing autographs and being on TV. But for me that is not important. 

What is more important is the journey of getting there, getting to see all the places around the world and meeting all my friends.

Most of the guys that I have been travelling with and competing with for years are pretty much my best friends now. So for me its been the experience on the whole and its not really the fame, glory or the money.

They say its always better to better your last trick, so how much of it is down to practice?

For me it is always practice. In this kind of contest you always have to have an idea of what you are going to do. Sometimes if you have had a really good first run you can raise your level for the next run. But I find that I always go into each run with a plan. 

Does this sport have an age limit?

I would have never imagined that I would still be doing this. I am 34 now. 

For me when it's not fun anymore and I can't make a living, I'll stop.

I love skateboarding and going for contests but there are definitely other things that I want to do.

So now I had a couple of business opportunities at home so my life is not 100 per cent skateboarding everyday which is good for me as I enjoy it even more. 

I think my life has changed a lot from when I was 18 but now at my age the only thing that can hold me back is my body and obviously my body is not going to be able to do this in 10 years so I maybe around for one or five years more.

Do you take precautions to avoid crashes?

In these sports if you think of crashes you wouldn't be able to do  it everyday. It's always at the back of your mind. The last contest I was at I fell down on my face and got stitches on my chin. You can't think about the danger.

Is there an adrenalin rush before every performance?

I really thought that after doing this for years I wouldn't be nervous, still even now before every contest I am just nerves and my stomach is queasy. 

You do have the adrenalin rush and you do anything you can to stay on the skate board during the run. I've been skating for 20 years and I still get nervous.

Do you use different kinds of skateboards?

Our skateboards are pretty much custom made as each guy likes a different size, shape, different sized wheels etc. When you have been skateboarding for a long time and have reached a league level, you get picky about your skateboards. If my board was lost I couldn't just ride one of the other guys boards. I could ride it but not at a high level.

Ronnie  Renner ( MOTO; USA - 30 years old)

Ronnie Renner from Los Angeles, California has been competing in X Games since 2001. In 2007 he focused his efforts on Step Up for X Games 13 and won against a tough field which included Jeremy McGrath and Matt Buyten.

When did you discover your passion for motorcycles?

I have been riding motorcycles for 26 years since I was 4 years old and I started racing. In the year 2000 I transferred from racing into the freestyle doing tricks and stuff.

When did you decide to turn pro?

I really couldn't pay the bills just racing. Everyone told me I had a real talent in jumping big steps so I followed that. Once I was given a paycheque every week to put on a show and have fun, I realised I had some potential to pursue it as a career.  Its been six years and I have had a successful run.

How much of your routine is planned?

You have to come in with a game plan at the contest level. You make a few last minute decisions but for the most part you have to be pretty calculated and know what you are going to try so you can be focused.

How do you prepare for a contest?

There are many different ways to go about it and I think every guy is different. We have foam pits now — basically you just jump into a box of foam, you don't have to really ride the bike but you could end up upside down or sideways and usually come out of it — that's the standard way to practice.

Some guys prefer going straightaway on the dirt and taking the chance.

Is it important to see the tricks other contestants are performing?

Every guy is different as each one is influenced by different people. I get motivated to push the envelope a little bit when I see my friends take more chances. If you see others stepping up, you also tend to do so. Some guys try to mimic what the others do, but I personally don't believe in that style.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I feel it's a young man's sport as far as the crazy new tricks are concerned. People are more willing to take chances.

I'm happy with my career and everything so I may ride on more natural terrain out in the desert and do more TV shows and photoshoots kind of things and take it at my own pace.