Oh dear, here we go again!
The longer I've been in the business, the more injuries I've had. I once got my fingers caught in a Northshore ladder when I fell. Result: three fingers broken and the nails torn out. I broke a lot of ribs and, as a young racer, I took an unintentional header into the stone field, breaking two vertebrae. I destroyed every helmet I've ever owned. I have 22 shattered helmets hanging in my room. But I'm not afraid of pain and injury because of that. Only the fear of not being able to ride my bike. That's why I only go at full risk if it's really worth it.
Scrap metal
There are metal plates in my shoulder and in my ankle. That stuff stays in. I broke my ankle when I tried to do a wheelie to tailwhip for the X Games edit. My foot rammed into the ground during the crash and pushed my toes into my foot. I broke quite a few things, apart from the pain. I tore my cruciate ligament while DH racing in San Remo, so my knee is unstable. When I'm shovelling in the forest, I put a splint on because of it.
Crook shoulder
The crash at the Rampage Drop last year really messed up my shoulder. The force of the impact pushed the arm out of the joint with such force that a piece of bone broke off. It blocked the shoulder. It was incredibly painful. The doctors had to cut open the shoulder capsule, screw in the bone, insert an artificial bone, reinsert the arm and stitch everything up. Unfortunately, I was impatient, went straight back to biking and fell on it again while filming. I'm fit again, but my shoulder still needs to get stronger. That's why I'm spending a lot of time with my physiotherapist at the Olympic training centre in Oslo.
Work it out!
You can't do without a workout. A strong body is less likely to get injured. I am strong. That has often helped me. I've had really bad falls without anything happening to me. And that's because I spend a lot of time in the gym: Crossfit, kettlebell, squats, etc. But I don't have to look like a bodybuilder. The Norwegians like me just the way I am.
Stretch yourself
I used to watch my diet as a racer, but now I'm a bit more lax and live a freeride life, ha ha! However, my fitness expert advised me to do yoga and stretching. It's now part of my daily routine. I'm not a yoga nerd yet, but I realise how good it is for me. I want to do more of it. Another thing I no longer want to do without: cold showers and occasional ice baths. It strengthens my immune system.
More articles about Brage Vestavik:
Brage Vestavik: My world
Norwegian Brage Vestavik (24) is one of the hottest figures on the freeride scene. His style is brutal, almost violent. Brage inspires the entire scene with his web clips. Time to take a closer look at his life.
Racing beginnings
Little Brage starts biking at an early age. As a junior, he rode in the World Cup and later even switched to the elite class. All doors were open to him, but Brage decided against a career in racing. "I've always been more interested in freeriding. I want to be creative, not just fast," says Brage about his decision.
Big stunts have big consequences
It's a good thing that Brage is so sturdy. Nevertheless, he has a long medical history: three broken fingers, several broken ribs, two vertebral fractures, ankle and shoulder operations and a torn cruciate ligament.
Building in the forest
Brage spends a lot of time in the forest - mostly with his mates. They dig, shovel and hammer out new stunts. The work for the short web clips often takes several months. Bad weather doesn't stop them. "Sometimes I enjoy shovelling more than the biking itself," says Brage.
The drop that changed a lot
As the final stunt for the X-Games Real video competition, Brage dropped from a depth of 15 metres, according to his own account. "The landing hurt, I don't want to drop any higher," Brage said later about his XXL stunt. He won the silver medal at the X-Games with his video, and many of his professional colleagues saw his video in first place. Shortly after his performance, the soda manufacturer Red Bull signed him to a contract.
Energy supplier
So much actionism needs energy. Brage has a weakness for kebabs and energy drinks. "As a racer, I watched what I ate, but now I'm a bit more relaxed about it," says Brage.
The best dad of all time
His father Arnebjørn provided his son Brage with bikes, MTB videos and equipment from an early age. "For good grades, my dad got me a trailer full of dirt," Brage remembers. So he shovelled jumps at an early age, while most of his friends preferred to play football.
