Gabriel Wibmer: The stuntman

Metre-high drops on a gravel bike, stair jumps, endless manuals - Austrian Gabriel Wibmer (23) seems just as talented as his cousin YouTube star Fabio. We spoke to Gabriel about annoying Fabio comparisons, the perfect video and why he could do without a Lamborghini.

Very important.

Are the comparisons with Fabio annoying?

Not really. Fabio had exactly the same experience with Danny MacAskill. And now look at Fabio! Now it might even have turned round and people know Fabio rather than Danny. Because it's a different generation again. I think to myself: you don't have to reinvent the wheel. Often you can't do that any more.

Is there anything you can do better than Fabio?

... I don't want to comment on that. We both have our strengths and weaknesses. There's no competition between us.

I didn't want to stir up competition, I wanted to assess you.

I have a few projects in mind that haven't been done yet - I'll answer like this. You can always go one better.

You're both riding at an incredibly high level. Two guys from a tiny village in Austria are so damn good - how can that be?

Our parents are sports enthusiasts, my dad in particular is very sporty and this has been passed on to us.

Well, my parents are also sports enthusiasts. There must be more to it than that. Does your dad also go to Leogang and shred in the bike park?

No (laughs). Not that now. He has little to do with mountain biking. But he is a qualified sports coach and has always supported me with useful tips.

How can I imagine that in concrete terms? Did Fabio get a motocross bike and your father then bought you one too?

Just like that. My dad was immediately hooked. Fabio was a bit older than me, but we started it all together in our village. At first we rode motocross together and when Danny MacAsill released his video, all we wanted to do was trick around on our bikes. Danny's film was the initial spark for us.

Just you and Fabio?

No, also our cousin Johannes. The two of them rode motocross for a while longer, but my parents decided that it was too dangerous. Motocross is also really expensive and time-consuming. Biking was a welcome alternative because you could do it right on your doorstep. After school, we went out to build jumps and practise tricks.

All on trial bikes?

No. Fabio was the first to get himself a trial bike.

How do you explain the fact that you have become so good, because many people practise.

We soon got a floor trampoline. I think that was the reason why we got so good so quickly. We jumped around on the trampoline like crazy people and got a feel for all the flips and moves. But it wasn't just the three of us, it was the whole neighbourhood. It was a regular meeting place after school. That's when it really got going with double backflips and double frontflips. It was a crazy time.

You can also be seen doing parcours in your clips. You do Lincoln flips. Did you learn the moves on this trampoline?

Yes, I learnt the side flips on this trampoline. Yes, my complete

Is this the kind of trampoline that almost every father puts in the garden for his children?

No, my father bought a professional trampoline, dug a hole for it and put it in the ground. We did a lot of training there, then had a phase where we all wanted to become street runners and were keen on courses, but that died down again and we all returned to the trampoline.

Professional trampoline and professional attitude.

We took a very ambitious approach. Our village is called Oberpeischlach in East Tyrol. At some point, we organised the Oberpeischlach Championships. As you can see, it wasn't just chilled out jumping around, but a highly ambitious performance comparison where everyone wanted to show what they could do.

So skills through training, not through good genes alone.

That's right, because neither Fabio's nor my parents can do backflips. But I have to give them credit: they have always shared our enthusiasm and supported us to the best of their ability. And the idea of the trampoline was simply brilliant. It still helps me today. And I think Fabio benefits just as much from the skills he learnt from jumping in Oberpeischlach.

Does the name Jan Schlappen mean anything to you?

Logical. He's a crazy guy. His parkour stunts are legendary. He's a good example of how good or, in his case, excellent body control can help with a lot of things. Jan has tried mountain biking and jumped all the drops as a complete novice in Leogang. He could also do a backflip on his bike because he knows exactly how to do it. If he's too slow, he contracts, if he's too fast, he stretches. That's second nature to the guy. He also knows exactly where he is in the air.

This "air-awareness", the knowledge of where you are in the air, also helps with falls.

Yes, that's very important. We did judo for a few years back then. We really celebrated falling down and falling properly.

The trampoline days are long gone. Every Wibmer is now doing his own thing. Fabio canoodles with models in Monaco and hangs out with Max Verstappen. You spend a lot of time in Munich. Are there still opportunities for a ride together?

We meet up for family celebrations such as Christmas and Easter. But biking together no longer happens.

Your most successful YouTube clip is called "Late for School" with 14 million clicks. But there is another clip under the same name with 209 million clicks.

That's a brutal amount. 209 million is wild.

Have you watched the clip?

No.

Your film productions look very elaborate. It is filmed from many perspectives. Plus the elaborate stunt construction etc. How big is your team?

It's a very small group, because a lot of things happen spontaneously. We can't always plan ahead. For the Late for School and Gravelmania clips, there were only three of us. My cousin Stefan was the filmmaker, I was the driver and my friend Lara took the photos and operated the second camera. Stefan and I conceptualise the projects and neither of us are fans of big productions.

What is the recipe for success for a video clip? I'm thinking of Danny MacAskill's first film, Fabio's clips, of course, but also clips of freeskier Markus Eder or paraglider Jean-Baptiste Chantelier. The ingredients are similar: atmosphere, stunts shown several times from different perspectives, a bit of slapstick, a little storyline such as "Quick to school" or escape from the police. In short: not really rocket science!

If you look at the successful videos, they really are similar. And it's not surprising that they are successful. What surprises me: That the others get it so consistently wrong. The success of my clips is also due to the fact that everyone can relate to them, even if they have little to do with biking. If the topics are then presented in a funny, self-ironic way, every age group can relate to them. That's how you manage to get people excited about biking who don't normally watch bike films.

Is that the difference to guys like Chris Akrigg, a true virtuoso on the bike. But hardly anyone knows his videos.

That's exactly the difference. We are not saying that we are the best bikers in the world. It's not about who's the best. It's about making sure the story is cool and the video works. Whether you're a good rider or a good director are two different things. It's also not about doing a fivefold barspin. Most viewers can't judge that anyway.

How do you explain the fact that other bikers like Chris Akrigg ignore this recipe for success and forgo clicks?

Maybe they are not willing to put in so much work. That happens to me from time to time. I know then that the clips won't perform. If you put all your energy, your heart and soul and your passion into it, as you did with Late for School, then you're almost guaranteed success.

What clips come to mind that have really flashed you lately?

Oh, I'll have to think about that for a moment ... I generally don't watch that much YouTube. And I rarely watch bike films. There are a few that stand out. I think Fabio and I realised very early on that it's not enough just to string bike stunts together. I get tired of watching them.

When did you start making films?

I was already editing YouTube films at the age of 12. I still do that myself today. I know exactly where the camera has to be positioned, what colour the bike has to be and how the stunt looks best. Our advantage: we have the sporty side and the film side. The combination works. Because there are many good bikers and many good filmmakers, but they rarely work together.

When I saw the clip Tropical Vibes - Ayato's Way, I thought: That could also be a Wibmer.

Absolutely. The film is crazy, it shows stunts that you haven't seen before, like the surfing session with the bike, it's funny and unexpected.

How do you explain the similarity to your films?

They must have copied it. But that's okay, everyone copies things they like from others. I feel the same way. And it doesn't even have to be biking. I really liked Markus Eder's edit. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was going to be a blast. And you really sink a lot of time into realising something like that. No wonder Fabio and I do nothing but videos.

How much time do you need for an edit?

For Gravel Mania we had 31 film days without travelling to and from the event.

And then you have terrabites of film material to view.

Oh yes, that takes ages. And staying on top of it requires discipline. Because the sorting out isn't really exciting. Then it's about doing the sound effects, making the colour corrections ....

And in the end you won't be able to watch your film at all.

Well, if I put the clip online, I'll only watch it once at most. And then maybe again half a year later.

And then think what?

That it was pretty blatant. Because with all the editing, you lose the distance to the film and think that it's not that special. But with distance, the effect comes back.

Do you feel the pressure to perform like a bestselling author who has to repeat his success?

I try to ignore that and put the fun in the foreground. And the fun of the idea. Because you can tell straight away whether people have had fun with their edit. But of course there is a certain amount of pressure. Especially at the beginning, when you present the idea to the sponsors and have to promise something. But the more the project progresses, the more fun it becomes. Then you already have stunts in the can and you get even more ambition to do it well. A layman can hardly imagine how strenuous my work can be. For example, when I try a trick for a day or even two. Over and over again.

You can see that well in the outtakes with Danny MacAskill.

Yes, that's brutal.

The number of clicks on your videos is going through the roof. Are you already dreaming of Monaco, a Red Bull helmet and a model girlfriend?

Laughs. Monaco isn't that important to me, but a Red Bull helmet is of course hugely attractive. But I'm not dreaming of a pile of money. I dream of having fun cycling for as long as possible. I feel that especially when I'm injured. Then I only have one wish: to get back on my bike quickly.

You said that Danny MacAskill is a role model for you. Do you know him personally?

I spoke to him two or three times. He's extremely friendly and open. It seems like we've known each other forever. The first time I met him was in the toilet.

In the toilet?

Ha ha, yes, that was during the Eurobike. And we had a nice chat straight away. Not a trace of star airs and graces. When you see him like that, you can't imagine that he makes the wildest videos on YouTube.

You're not interested in millions, not in Lamborghini or a villa in Monaco. It's about having fun. What else is on your fun bucket list?

I find stunts with a parachute extremely exciting. When motocross rider Tom Pages did a double front flip with his motocross bike and then pulled the parachute, I was speechless. Incredibly cool! There are video ideas that make me break out in a cold sweat just talking about them. There are some tough ideas that I have throughout the day.

Can you make a living from sport?

Yes, that works well.

That's right, you don't need much. You get the bikes from Canyon, the clothes from Nine Year and the shoes from First Degree.

Laughs. That's right. Almost, because I also need a car, a flat and food.

Could you live off your YouTube income alone?

YouTube is a good source of income. However, it is very fickle. Sometimes there's a lot, sometimes a little. So it's good to have sponsors I can rely on. Otherwise the pressure would be high to make sure the next video gets enough clicks or I'd have to deregister my car, eat only tinned ravioli or not be able to pay the rent.

I thought you were still living at home.

Yes, most of the time. Because I have my trampoline and can kick the motocross bike whenever I want and speed off into the forest.

Quickly asked - quickly answered!

• What can you laugh about? Sarcasm.
• Which gift are you looking forward to? New shoes.
• What question would you like an answer to? Why is my bed so cosy in the morning and not so in the evening?
• What would you advertise? Sports cars and watches.
• Best bike trick? Seat Grap Indian Air.
• Who would you like to meet? Travis Pastrana.
• What was your biggest test of courage? Jumping the Whip-Off-Jump in Innsbruck on a gravel bike.
• What is an absolute red flag for you? Loud smacking while eating.
• What can't you do? Play a musical instrument.
• Where do you get stuck when you flick through the TV programme? Ice hockey.
• Which habit should you start with? Warm up better before training.
• Which habit should you stop? Spending too much time on the mobile phone.
• What challenges you? My video projects.
• What gives you nightmares? Former maths exams.
• Which phrase do you use too often? "You have to get through it!"
• If you could travel back in time, which era would you choose? Middle Ages.
• The last tears laughed because of? While driving through a new video project.
• What tempts you? Schnitzel & fries.
• Your favourite motto at the moment? No Risk, No Rari.
• Your favourite film? Creed III.
• Who do you like to watch biking? Danny MacAskill.
• Which sport do you still want to learn? Surfing.
• What do you like to spend money on? Caps and shoes.
• Which car would you like to own? Porsche GT3 RS.
• What would you never wear? Linen trousers.
• When did you bite your fist with joy? When I was invited to the Drop&Roll show.
• The craziest stunt you've ever seen? Frontflip drop by Tom Van Steenbergen at the Rampage 2024.