Fabio Wibmer's latest clip: Video Game
Fabio, Oberpeischlach is located on the Großglockner and has 96 inhabitants. Monaco is on the Mediterranean and is said to have 8096 millionaires. How did your move to the Riviera come about?
I've wanted to go south for ages. I grew up with big mountains around me, so sun and sea were always something special. In Innsbruck, where I lived for eight years now, there were sometimes ten people standing outside my front door looking through the window. During my long injury phase, I thought to myself: if I don't do it now and move to the south, I won't do it at all. And so I've been living in Monaco since autumn 2021 and learning French with the Babble app.
What do the 96 Oberpeischlachers and your old school mates think about the fact that you now live in Monaco?
Of course that's an issue. But at the moment, I can't imagine living in a small village. Still, I'm not worlds away from home. My mates think it's cool that they can visit me here now. I can't wait to see their reactions when they turn up here.
Why Monaco in particular?
The south of France is perfect. The weather is brilliant and you can cycle all year round. There are great trails and just as many cool spots for street riding.
And the Principality is said to be very tax-friendly!
(Laughs) Yes, that's the way it should be. You don't have to deny that. But I certainly wouldn't move to a place I didn't like for tax reasons.
How rich are you?
Of course, everyone wants to know that. But I'm not going to give any figures. Let's put it this way: I have so much money that I don't have to worry and can live my dream.
You probably don't have a yacht rocking in the harbour, but how many properties do you own?
None. Property bores me. I prefer to invest my money in things that I can develop further - and with which I can develop myself. A property just stands around. If I did, it would have to be a property with its own training grounds where I can also film. Property may be a safe investment, but you rarely find me on the safe side. That doesn't appeal to me. I'm more the risk-taking type. Hence the risky sport.
You are now also an entrepreneur and have founded two start-ups with colleagues. One of them is the clothing brand Nineyard and the second-hand bike platform Bikeflip.
Yes, exactly. These are the projects I invest in. These are topics that grab me and that I really believe in. Nineyard came about because my taste in bike clothing is a little different to what's out there. I thought about it for a long time and spoke to a lot of people. At some point I realised that I had to make something of my own.
Is that also your goal with the Bikeflip online portal?
Absolutely. Here, too, the basic idea arose from the subculture: I was often asked where to get special bikes or parts. And I couldn't give an answer. Then we realised that there is no platform where you can buy and sell used bikes internationally, like in the car industry, for example. There are country-specific and bike-specific sites, but nothing comprehensive. That's what we want to do with Bikeflip change. We launched in Germany, Austria and Italy in November 2021 and are now gradually rolling it out further. On Bikeflip you will find that special bike. A trial bike, just like a Dutch bike. Subculture and mainstream, so to speak.
Won't the sport of biking lose its heart if it becomes more and more suitable for the masses?
There is always a danger that a subculture will become uncool. There are people who don't want to publicise cycling. I'm different. I want as many people as possible to be on bikes. I also don't need the recognition of a hardcore scene or any street credibility. I don't really care about that.
Your videos are also aimed at a wide audience.
Exactly. My team and I have always been about approaching the bike tricks from a "normal perspective" with an outside view. If people know what to do with the surroundings, if they know the dimensions, then they also understand what it means to be out there on a bike. The fact that everyone knows what to do with the location or the relationship plays an important role in our productions.
When you upload a new clip, do you worry about how many views it will get?
The million mark has always been a goal and I'm always happy when we reach it. Crazy when you put that into perspective, isn't it?
Absolutely. But that's probably how expectations are constantly rising. How often do you check the figures?
I look at it very often. Especially when I upload a new clip, like Video Game recently. But that's part of the job, and it's the only way I can see what's popular and what's not. If something doesn't go well, I don't sit in the corner crying, but instead look at what the problem could be and what we could do differently.
You've been used to attention since you were young. Will you miss it when it stops at some point?
Does it stop so suddenly? When I look at my friend Danny MacAskill, I suspect not. I'm well prepared for the future, I think. But I'm not the type of person who imagines every scenario. And honestly, I think I'll be fine riding laps in the bike park undisturbed.
It wasn't long ago that you were slowed down. At the end of 2020, you had a complicated ankle fracture, and later you injured the same foot again and tore several ligaments in your shoulder. How did you experience this time?
It was uncertain whether I would ever be able to do the sport again. Those are stressful thoughts. But I was surprised myself at how well I was able to deal with the situation.
How did you approach this mentally?
I said to myself: "That's just the way it is now, and who knows what it's good for." My motivation was really strong. It's like this with me: if I can't do things, I want to do them all the more. So I was prepared to do intensive physio training every day. I thought about the good times and also tried to set stimuli and trigger receptors with visual training - with virtual video rides and with my eyes closed. I always do the same during training: I visualise the trick hundreds of times before I do it.
What was the injury period good for?
I have learnt a lot about Nutrition learnt. When we were on film shoots, we often ate petrol station food for weeks on end. I now know what the body needs to function and regenerate better. And I'm in a better position in terms of my overall physical condition. I rarely used to go to the gym. A bit of core over the winter - that was it. But I mainly trained on my bike. Now I've also got the other muscle groups fit with targeted training.
What did you do when you weren't seeing a physiotherapist?
I think I'm lucky that I have so many different interests. I love cycling. It's my absolute passion. But there are so many other things I can really immerse myself in. Filming and all kinds of creative work are a big part of my life. I'm not just an athlete practising my sport, I also have to translate the sport creatively on film. I absolutely love this interplay. I couldn't just focus on the sporting aspect. I don't want to spend the whole day just thinking about biking. On the contrary: I'm particularly motivated when my mind is elsewhere. That way I can recharge my batteries. That helped me enormously during the injury period. I was able to keep myself busy, including with Nineyard and Bikeflip. And of course with future bike projects.
And what do they look like?
My latest has just come out: Video Game. But my team and I have a lot of ideas in our heads, some are becoming more concrete, some we have discarded. Now that I'm really fit again, I'm looking forward to the new projects. And there are endless skills that I want to work on.
It's hard to believe that Fabio Wibmer still has upward potential ...
Oh yes, there is still so much potential! Especially when it comes to big jumps and tricks in the air - there's still a lot of room for improvement. And I have a brutal amount of motivation. That's a great combination. I can hardly wait to throw myself into the new projects.
2015 - Click breakthrough. Fabio reaches almost 100 million clicks with The Fabiolous Escape in 2015.
2016: Fabio balances on the railing of Austria's highest dam wall: the Kölnbrein dam plunges 200 metres into the depths.
2019: The trial bike clip Wibmer's Law 2019 has been viewed by over 238 million (!) people on YouTube.
The Beast: The 25 steps of Lyon
Speciality discipline: stair jumps. Fabio Wibmer repeatedly incorporates stunts into his edits, where he jumps over stairs. For example in the YouTube film Urban Lives. It has been clicked 232 million times. His two most spectacular stair jumps took place in Lyon and Paris. The monster staircase in Lyon has a drop height of over ten metres to the ground. The staircase at Montmartre in Paris, on the other hand, was so sketchy because it was extremely narrow and Fabio's speed was extremely high.
Previous conquerors of the monster staircase in Lyon
The Skateborader Aaron "Jaws" Homoki tore all the ligaments in his knee on his first attempt. After recovering from this, he came back and was the first to conquer the stairs in Lyon. Be sure to watch it on YouTube!
In 2018, the Freerunner Dominic Di Tommaso up the stairs. He leaps head first, rotates in a front flip and lands with a flying roll on the rock-hard slabs. In the video below at 4:30 minutes.
Inspired by Aaron Homoki, he also travelled Fabio Wibmer to Lyon in 2019. Unlike Aaron and Dominic, Fabio was able to rely on the 200 millimetre stroke of his big bike.
The BMXer Courage Adams landed the stunt in 2021. He even twisted his handlebars into a barspin in the air.
Stairway to Heaven
Speciality: stair jumps. Fabio repeatedly incorporates stunts into his edits where he jumps over stairs. For example in the YouTube film Urban Lives. It has been clicked 232 million times. His two most spectacular stair jumps took place in Lyon and Paris. The monster staircase in Lyon has a drop height of over ten metres to the ground. The staircase at Montmartre in Paris, on the other hand, was so sketchy because it was extremely narrow and Fabio's speed was extremely high.
