FREERIDE: Laetitia, how long can you ride on the rear wheel?
Laetitia Immler: (Laughs) I don't know, I've never measured it. Until my arms hurt.
Men would now have an exact distance.
That's right. I also know guys who know that very well. They say something like: "I can ride 500 metres in a wheelie."
How long did it take you to complete the manual?
Phew. I don't think you ever learn it to the end. Like most people, I started with wheelies. The manual comes after that. Korbi Engstler motivated me. He said: "Practise the manual and make a video, it'll go viral". So that's what I did. Since then, I've been constantly pulling my bike onto the rear wheel. The good thing is that you can use the manuals anywhere.
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Which facet of biking do you enjoy the most?
The process. You want to learn something, you start and you notice how you get better. That's a good feeling.
How long have you been biking?
I bought my first all-mountain bike in 2018. I spent weeks delivering newspapers for it, and my parents donated the rest. I stacked pallets behind the house and started playing. I think these balance skills helped me enormously. I couldn't get enough of it. The following year, I competed in the Rookies Cup.
And you won it.
Yes, but there were only four other girls (laughs).
Victory is victory. Why did you only ride for one year?
That was a coincidence and was mainly due to the corona lockdown. In hindsight, I'm grateful for that. Because that's how I managed to get out. I'm much more comfortable pulling wheelies and doing tricks anyway. That's what I want to do now.
Which drivers inspire you?
Korbi Engstler is cool. I like his casual riding style. Otherwise: Kade Edwards and Casey Brown.
You recently posted a video of you doing a backflip. Tell us about it!
I fell on my last attempt. My back hurt so much that I couldn't try again straight away. Now I've finally succeeded.
How does your family react to such stunt attempts?
My dad doesn't always like that. He would have preferred me to continue racing. My mum is completely different. She says: "Do your thing!"
You are part of superstar Fabio Wibmer's Sick clothing crew. How did that come about?
Sick Series messaged me on Insta and asked me if I wanted to be part of their team. I thought that was spam. But it wasn't. Crazy.
What do you dream of? Winning the World Cup or 1 million followers on Instagram?
Mmh. Most likely the latter. But my biggest goal is to do big tricks on the big bike.
Why do many more men bike than women?
Men probably have more of a craving for adrenalin. But there are more and more women!
