In the first part of the edit, it is immediately clear that Max feels extremely comfortable on his two enduro bikes. He playfully rides the Jekyll and Habit on the beautiful trails of the Flottsbro bike park in Stockholm. Chapter two of the video takes us to Playground Barcelona, known for its football team, architecture and not forgetting the La Poma bike park. On his Dave dirt jump bike, Max rides the legendary La Poma dirt jumps and other jumps at a riding buddy's home spot. Finally, he cruises through the iconic streets of Barcelona's city centre and shows that his creative side is not limited to bike parks and dirt jumps.
Max had great fun producing the video with his long-time friend Simon Malmberg Duce: "Street riding really stands out for me. Unlike slopestyle, it's not just about the difficulty of a trick, it's more about creativity, and that's what drives and motivates me." The result is a skilful blend of Max's unique riding style, whatever the bike and whatever the terrain.
INTERVIEW
Almost a year has passed since Max started riding for Cannondale. We met up with him and talked about the past twelve months:
What have you been up to since the end of the season?
"My season didn't actually end until mid-January. I was in New York to film straight after New Zealand and then twice in Barcelona. After that, I produced the skatepark video "Creative Space" at home. There was a lot to do, projects, travelling and many things at the same time, but that's exactly how I like it."
How do you like working with Cannondale and how was your first season with them?
"It was great! My first year with Cannondale has exceeded my expectations. I love working with them and they have supported me in all my projects and contests. It's nice to get such appreciation and the bikes have given me a huge boost, I'm looking forward to everything that's to come.
You had a very successful finish last season and secured a place on the Crankworx Tour for 2022. Does that change anything in your preparation for the season?
"I didn't put too much stress on myself last season. I don't look at contest riding the way I used to, it's not a matter of life and death for a top position. Instead, I just try to have a good time on the bike, because when the focus is on having fun, your own expectations are best fulfilled. That's what I did last year and was able to secure a good place in the Crankworx FMB World Tour."
Could you give us a tour of Rotorua, how did it feel for you after the disappointment in BC?
"Up until Crankworx BC, everything was actually going smoothly. I had a top result at the Red Bull Roof Ride beforehand and felt at one with my bike. Things were going really well in BC until I had a technical problem and couldn't finish my run. At the same time, that motivated me even more. I trusted my riding and it worked in New Zealand despite the difficult conditions."
You mention the result before BC, what was it like to be on the podium again?
"It was great and definitely a huge relief and confirmation that I can still stand on the podium. It's a great feeling to have achieved that instead of always just trying."
In the video you ride different bikes: Habit, Jekyll and Dave. Do you do this often or do you normally ride one of them most of the time?
"I try to ride all bikes as often as possible. I enjoy the variety of biking and wanted to show that in the video. It was important for me to not just focus on my slopestyle riding, as I'm sure most people already know that. I wanted to show a good mix of creative bike riding and something other than just triple tail whips in the video."
To what extent does riding a big bike influence your feeling on the dirt jump bike?
"When I ride a big bike a lot and then switch to a dirt jump bike, I feel and realise that I've been riding with more suspension travel for a while. You transfer the style from the big bike back to the hardtail. A slopestyle contest is all about complex combinations, so it's difficult to incorporate the riding style of the big bike. I would say enduro riding has an influence on dirt riding, but somehow it doesn't, haha."
Further information about Max can be found here:
Max Fredriksson: www.facebook.com/maxfredrikssonmtb
