Interview with Patricia Druwen: Maybe I have more strength!

FREERIDE: Are you a daydreamer, Patricia?

Patricia Druwen: Yes, every now and then. Then I dream of FMB Diamond events and big jumps.

You only started biking in 2020. How do you get so good so quickly?

I have no idea. Maybe it's because I'm so keen on biking. It all started in 2019 when I was surfing the net and came across how-to tutorials on YouTube by chance. For example, how to do a wheelie. I tried it out straight away, but on a city bike. I quickly realised that it was easy for me. Later, I wanted a dirt bike and that's what I got. Thanks to lockdown, I had even more time to practise. Then everything happened really quickly. I landed my first backflip at the beginning of last year.

Wow, maybe it's your secret that it all comes so easily to you.

I don't know, maybe.

What do your friends say?

They think it's cool, but many of my friends aren't interested in biking. One sings, one dances, one rides. But my new friends are all bikers.

You have two older siblings: a brother and a sister. Do they also ride mountain bikes?

No, artistic gymnastics is a big thing in my family and also a topic with my siblings. My mum did Olympic gymnastics. I also did gymnastics for a long time, but then gave it up. Biking is more my thing. I'd rather be outside than in the gym.

Many slopestyle pros have a gymnastics background. Antoine Bizet, for example. Could that be the reason for your success?

Mmh, I don't know. If I do, it's because I have more strength, because you use all your muscles in gymnastics. Maybe it also helps with coordination. On the other hand, a somersault on the trampoline and on the bike are completely different things.

A lot has happened for you during the summer holidays. First the accolade of Red Bull athlete, then your appearance at the Swatch Nines. How do your classmates treat you

I have been attending a new school for the vocational preparation year for a week now. My week consists of two days of school and three days of work experience. I'm doing this at my sponsor Rose in assembly. So it's still new to me and I hardly know anyone, neither in the class nor in the workshop. Nevertheless, I notice that everyone is nicer to me since I started wearing the Red Bull cap.

There's a video circulating on the internet of Erik Fedko handing you the Red Bull helmet. Did you have a premonition?

No, I didn't know anything. That was an amazing moment that I won't forget in a hurry.

Star manager Tarek Rasouli signed you a few months ago. What has changed for you since then?

A few things, especially more time on the bike, more festivals, more contests. It's all pretty cool. Now I'm trying to find my way into the professional world. Registering a small business, collecting invoices, tax law.

Wow, and that at the age of 16. Is that fun?

It works, but it's part of it.

You did a backflip triple barspin at the Swatch Nines. You're probably the only woman who can do that. What were the reactions like?

Performing a trick on dirt for the first time is amazing. Plus the cheering crowd, simply awesome! The other riders were really happy for me.

How do you practise such tricks?

I only did the trick once when I jumped into the airbag and landed badly because I slipped off the pedal with one foot. Then it worked at the Greenhill Festival.

There were a lot of celebrities at the festival, how did the community receive you?

Well, it's crazy how everyone is happy for everyone else. Somehow it's like one big family. It would be hard for me to say who my favourite person to hang out with is. Everyone is cool.

Which riders impress you, whether on the bike or as a person?

Tomas Lemoine is a cool guy. His style, but also his personality.

What trick are you working on right now?

On triple and flip combos. But I don't go about it too doggedly. Sometimes I try things out, but often I just ride for fun. The nearest spot is an hour away, sometimes I ride further away where there's an airbag.

You are 16 years old, your learning process is enormous. You can't avoid the question of your goals. Go for it.

My goals are what I'm currently daydreaming about. I want to ride FMB Diamond events and do tricks over big jumps.