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Contact us at:
sicchicsofbmx@yahoo.com.au
Kylie Webb
Tell
us a bit about yourself
Kylie
Webb from ACT. I work on contract with the Public Service, background in
Human Resources, training and government. I have Top Secret Clearance!!
What
type of bike do you ride?
Intruder
Race bike 20”, S&M RV – trails and skatepark, FOES LTS Downhill
bike, Giant AC1 Dual Bike, Custom Italian XC MTB, Schwinn Stingray
original shop bike. I love all my bikes!!
Who
are your sponsors?
www.factoryteam2racing.com
they hook me up with Troy Lee Designs race gear and equipment, Gymquip
(Canberra) for training supplements, Bikeshed (Downhill) and Col’s
Bicycles (BMX) in Canberra.
How
did you get inv
I
have been racing BMX now for 2 years (this will be my third year). That is
literally from the moment I got on a BMX bike ever!!
I
fell into racing BMX when my DH bike was stolen out of the back of my car
while at work. I was waiting for my new Foes DH bike to come from America
and it took way longer than expected. The only choice was between my XC
bike (which I use to road ride) or a $150 second hand Free Agent and
BMXing. BMX seemed like the less boring / more fun option J.
As
for how long I’ll keep racing, I never put an end time frame on
anything. As long as I keep having fun and keep pushing the limits, I’ll
be racing. I will always ‘ride’ my bike though.
You
were racing MTB before you took up BMX.
What sort of MTB did you compete in and do you still compete in MTB?
I
competed in both Downhill and Dual compressor / Mountain Cross - at state,
national and international level.
I’m
still keen to race both but it gets tricky with the event timetables for
both, and the fact that 2 sports cost double the money!!
What
made you switch from MTB to BMX and what sport do you prefer?
I
don’t know if I have made a switch, I just love racing both. I don’t
prefer one over the other, both have exciting aspects.
Some
of the things I love about BMX are the tactical element of racing, very
few technical components that can break (unlike downhill bikes), I also
like the prize money (I won more in the first 6 months of racing Pro than
I did in 4 years of downhill getting podiums).
My
priority was BMX last year because I wanted to compete at the BMX Worlds
in Perth, seeing as it was in our own backyard. That opportunity doesn’t
come around that often.
This
year I hope to get to some more MTB events. We’ll see how it goes.
Have
you found it hard taking up BMX at a later age?
I
was originally going to say no, because you can’t afford to think that
way and I definitely don’t approach it that way (no barriers). But
realistically technically it is. You can never take away from technical
experience, time on the bike, and the ability to deal with mental pressure
of racing at an Elite level.
Having
only been riding a BMX for two and a half years and racing people who have
been doing it for 10+ years it is a very steep learning curve. I can hear
people saying ‘but you’ve raced downhill at the Elite level’…. but
when you want to enter into a different sport at the Elite level, it’s
possible but it still takes time. It’s not too difficult coming in and
achieving goals and moderate success quickly. It’s when you want to be a
contender at the Pro level that every minute detail counts and the gains
in performance are small compared to the effort you put in.
I
also work full time and have to sort myself going to races, unlike people
who have parents taking them, so time is pretty tight.
What
major results and achievements have you made?
DH
2
x selection Australian Mountain Bike Team
#1
National Downhill Champion Series
Multiple
National Series Downhill and Dual/Quad compressor podiums
3
x ACT DH champion
2nd
Oceania games DH
BMX
8A
Elite Female (broken thumb saga!)
1
NSW A pro
6
ACT AA Pro
5th
Elite Women (Oceania Region)
What
has been your most memorable moments in BMX?
1st
race I ever raced in 19+ @ Tuggeranong.
The
2003 BMX Aussie Titles. Broke my thumb in pre titles. Raced with it
strapped to the handlebars. There’s a lot more to this little saga!!!
What
has been your biggest disappointment in BMX?
2003 BMX Aussie Titles.
Managed to qualify 4th but with ‘that track’ and UCI random
draw (thanks for lane 7), and a broken thumb, ended up 8th.
Who
would you say is/has been your toughest competitor?
Me (as critic). At any
given race you need to consider every person in each moto your competitor.
This applies from Start to Finish line only.
What
are your future goals/ambitions? Is
there anything that you haven’t achieved yet, but would like to?
I’d love to try a
backflip in a foam pit. I
have been watching too many people like Khalen Young and Cam White J).
Race better, jump bigger
and better, the usual. I would love to go to America and race over there
and visit the factory outlet stores!!!
What
do you like most about BMX?
Jumps, tactics, anyone
can do it at a relatively low cost. It’s fun and there are heaps of
great people that you meet at the races.
What
do you least like about BMX? 
Crashes, injuries, poxy
rules that make no sense (In theory you can wear a full lycra bodysuit but
can’t wear moto shorts and dainese shin/knees) Bad sportsmanship,
parents doing things for the wrong reasons.
What
states have you raced in in Australia?
BMX – SA, ACT, NSW,
VIC, WA
DH – ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC
Have
you ever raced overseas?
Only Downhill, dual compressor and Mountain Cross.
World
championships in Spain
World
championships in USA
World
cups in Canada and USA
What
is your favourite race meeting to attend and why?
Atmosphere of Australian
Titles, coordination of the last NSW Titles @ Lake Macquarie, Money payout
of ANY DK series…. I also really liked going to Track Attack recently.
How
do you think more females could be encouraged to start racing BMX?
How do you think the females that are already involved in BMX could
be encouraged to stay in the sport?
I have really strong
thoughts on this and could go into great detail. But, I believe first and
foremost that there should be a Superchix/Pro class from 16+. I don’t
want to discourage girls who just want to have fun, but really if you
consider yourself halfway decent and want to be racing competitively,
leave the age classes to those who are trying to develop themselves. I
believe I can say this because I went from 19+ after one year to AA pro.
I also think this would
make AA pro more legitimate and prestigious and seen as something to
aspire to. Hand in hand with this I believe that challenge classes
shouldn’t make more money than those who step up to the plate and ride
Pro, which has happened in some races I have been to.
What
do you think of the ruling in Australia where you can choose to either
race elite or challenge at the nationals?
Do you think both classes should be offered for females or should
there only be one class?
See above…:-) I think
there should be a Superchix class, and if you race it during the year you
should have to race it at the Nationals. No ‘selective’ competition
when it suits.
Did
you look up to anybody when you were younger?
If so, who and why? Is
there anybody these days that you look up to and admire?
I grew up in Libya and
India and various other countries for the first 15 years of my life, so I
really didn’t have that level of media exposure of sportspeople. I do
now and strongly admire people who are successful in their sporting career
but also professional and personable. Leveque, Allier, Madill in BMX, Nico
Vouilloz, Anne Caro Chausson, Katrina Miller for Downhill, and many others
in other sports.
What
do you do for training?
Probably the same as most
other people… a mix of gym, sprints, and other riding. Because I have
come into the sport late, I’ve been trying to ride skatepark and trails
and the track more. (This is the fun part).
Do
you have any hobbies or interests outside of BMX?
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Hanging out at home,
doing up my house, skatepark, trails, squash, anything out and about…. I
can’t sit still for very long!!
What
is your favourite music to listen to?
A bit of everything.
Do you
have a favourite TV show?
That 70’s show, Law and
Order, CSI, Sport, don’t watch a great deal.
Do you
have any words of wisdom for the younger riders?
Have fun always, work
hard and don’t worry about other people.
Be approachable. Set
yourself no barriers – anything is achievable. If you think like that
you’ll be halfway there. Never think that you know everything…. There
is always something to learn.
This
is the thank you part, so fire away.
Thanks to you Leonie and sic chics for giving me the opportunity to do this interview. A huge thanks to Kevin at factoryteam2racing.com and Terry and Troy at Gymquip (Fyshwick, Canberra). They have been a huge support. Thanks to James Downing who introduced me to Downhill racing and taught me how to jump. Thanks to my parents, my friends (for being patient) and everyone I ride with. Thanks to those who’ve helped me along the way, big or small. And to the great people I’ve met in the BMX racing scene. And if you see me out and about come and say hello and talk some crap!! :-)
For more information on Kylie check out her website at www.kyliewebb.com.