1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,427 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:13,147 Speaker 1: from newstalk zedb BE five. 3 00:00:13,267 --> 00:00:17,227 Speaker 2: Next weekend, more than twenty of the world's best riders 4 00:00:17,747 --> 00:00:20,627 Speaker 2: going to compete in the largest mountain bike event to 5 00:00:20,707 --> 00:00:24,667 Speaker 2: ever be held in New Zealand, Natural Selection Bike contested 6 00:00:24,707 --> 00:00:28,627 Speaker 2: on the iconic Mount Dua in Queenstown Saturday, February fifteen. 7 00:00:28,667 --> 00:00:31,907 Speaker 2: That's next Saturday. World class mountain bike course has been 8 00:00:31,907 --> 00:00:35,627 Speaker 2: built there. The competition features a men's and women's division 9 00:00:36,107 --> 00:00:40,107 Speaker 2: and combines the three most dynamic disciplines in mountain biking, 10 00:00:40,427 --> 00:00:43,467 Speaker 2: Big Mountain, big Mountain, free ride that is, slope style 11 00:00:43,867 --> 00:00:47,947 Speaker 2: and downhill. The rider lineup includes twenty two riders from 12 00:00:48,027 --> 00:00:52,507 Speaker 2: nine countries, including our top rider, New Zealander Robin Gooms, 13 00:00:52,507 --> 00:00:54,467 Speaker 2: who joins us now. Robin, thanks for taking the time 14 00:00:54,747 --> 00:00:56,387 Speaker 2: for a chat. How much you're looking forward to riding 15 00:00:56,427 --> 00:00:57,987 Speaker 2: in front of your home crowd next weekend? 16 00:00:59,347 --> 00:01:02,827 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm sto jackr Way is give me a good week. 17 00:01:03,627 --> 00:01:05,747 Speaker 3: I haven't Yeah, i haven't had like a free ride 18 00:01:05,747 --> 00:01:09,267 Speaker 3: event to this in New Zealand, so I'm pretty pumped 19 00:01:09,347 --> 00:01:11,107 Speaker 3: to be able to do it in front of the 20 00:01:11,547 --> 00:01:12,387 Speaker 3: front of the homies. 21 00:01:12,427 --> 00:01:14,587 Speaker 2: You know how big is this event? Just sort of 22 00:01:14,587 --> 00:01:16,627 Speaker 2: put it into context for us. 23 00:01:18,467 --> 00:01:20,547 Speaker 3: Oh, it's world class, Like all of the best riders 24 00:01:20,587 --> 00:01:23,267 Speaker 3: from all over the planet are coming here, and yeah, 25 00:01:23,267 --> 00:01:23,947 Speaker 3: it's gonna be big. 26 00:01:24,507 --> 00:01:27,787 Speaker 2: Explain the three disciplines to us, Big Mountain free Ride, 27 00:01:27,827 --> 00:01:30,707 Speaker 2: Slope Style, and downhill. 28 00:01:31,227 --> 00:01:34,147 Speaker 3: So Big Mountain Free Ride is like kind of more 29 00:01:34,267 --> 00:01:39,267 Speaker 3: natural terrain riding, things rigged and raw and pretty much 30 00:01:39,347 --> 00:01:43,107 Speaker 3: just going big. Downhill is more of a race format 31 00:01:43,147 --> 00:01:46,947 Speaker 3: where everything is just like fast paced, pop to bottom 32 00:01:47,027 --> 00:01:51,947 Speaker 3: timed run, technical features, jumps, things like that. And then 33 00:01:51,987 --> 00:01:57,747 Speaker 3: slope style is like it's a judge competition that's based 34 00:01:57,787 --> 00:02:03,747 Speaker 3: on like style and amplitude and bigger tricks and so yeah, 35 00:02:03,787 --> 00:02:07,107 Speaker 3: it's just like a combination of those things for you. 36 00:02:07,347 --> 00:02:09,667 Speaker 2: Of the three of them, there is there one or 37 00:02:09,867 --> 00:02:12,427 Speaker 2: more in particular that you that you are stronger in, 38 00:02:12,467 --> 00:02:14,267 Speaker 2: that you specialize in, that you focus more on. 39 00:02:15,267 --> 00:02:18,387 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I spend more time doing like the Big 40 00:02:18,427 --> 00:02:20,747 Speaker 3: Mountain Free Ride and a bit of slope style as well. 41 00:02:20,867 --> 00:02:23,907 Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess two areas. And I've also competed 42 00:02:23,947 --> 00:02:28,187 Speaker 3: in downhill, so a little bit of experience there and 43 00:02:28,227 --> 00:02:30,507 Speaker 3: I think, yeah, just anyone who's got the balance of 44 00:02:30,547 --> 00:02:32,867 Speaker 3: all three is going to do good. 45 00:02:33,227 --> 00:02:35,187 Speaker 2: Tell us about the track that you'll be riding on 46 00:02:35,467 --> 00:02:37,827 Speaker 2: at Mount Jue next weekend. 47 00:02:38,987 --> 00:02:43,467 Speaker 3: So the courses natural terrain, well, it's man made using 48 00:02:43,587 --> 00:02:48,387 Speaker 3: natural terrain, So the existing rolling hills and terrain that 49 00:02:48,507 --> 00:02:51,467 Speaker 3: is there. The course builders have just gone in and 50 00:02:51,507 --> 00:02:55,067 Speaker 3: cut lips and landings into the hills and kind of 51 00:02:55,107 --> 00:03:00,467 Speaker 3: like minimal shaping, but enough for you to do jumps 52 00:03:00,507 --> 00:03:02,787 Speaker 3: and tricks and put together the run you want to 53 00:03:02,787 --> 00:03:03,267 Speaker 3: put together. 54 00:03:03,547 --> 00:03:06,827 Speaker 2: So cool. You had a huge year last year, including 55 00:03:06,867 --> 00:03:10,947 Speaker 2: winning the iconic Red Ball Rampage in Utah. That was 56 00:03:10,987 --> 00:03:14,507 Speaker 2: the first time female writers had been included in that event, 57 00:03:14,547 --> 00:03:16,667 Speaker 2: and you were the first female to drop in. How 58 00:03:16,747 --> 00:03:17,987 Speaker 2: big a moment was that for you? 59 00:03:19,107 --> 00:03:22,987 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was the biggest moment of my life probably 60 00:03:23,147 --> 00:03:26,307 Speaker 3: it was. Yeah, it was pretty hick being the first 61 00:03:26,307 --> 00:03:29,107 Speaker 3: one to drop in, Just like that, the intense feeling 62 00:03:29,147 --> 00:03:30,747 Speaker 3: like you're sitting at the top of the hill and 63 00:03:30,787 --> 00:03:33,867 Speaker 3: you can just feel the whole crowd looking up what 64 00:03:34,067 --> 00:03:37,827 Speaker 3: being like, it felt like pretty heavy moment, and then yeah, 65 00:03:37,867 --> 00:03:40,067 Speaker 3: the wind was like pretty special. 66 00:03:40,507 --> 00:03:43,787 Speaker 2: I watched some of that rampage footage. Man, it's it's 67 00:03:43,987 --> 00:03:47,427 Speaker 2: just incredible. What you do. How much courage do you 68 00:03:47,507 --> 00:03:49,627 Speaker 2: need for the sport? 69 00:03:51,347 --> 00:03:55,307 Speaker 3: Yeah, like it's it's definitely scary. I think most of 70 00:03:55,347 --> 00:03:57,907 Speaker 3: the time I'm scared and you just have to like 71 00:03:57,987 --> 00:04:00,667 Speaker 3: overcome it and it's always really rewarding when you do. 72 00:04:01,307 --> 00:04:04,307 Speaker 2: How do you do that? Because from looking at you 73 00:04:04,387 --> 00:04:06,347 Speaker 2: right on this footage, it seems like you're just feeling, 74 00:04:06,547 --> 00:04:08,947 Speaker 2: but you do experience doubts on occasion. 75 00:04:11,107 --> 00:04:15,147 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think fear is always there, but and yeah, 76 00:04:15,187 --> 00:04:18,747 Speaker 3: I guess there is doubt. That's kind of what fear 77 00:04:18,827 --> 00:04:22,067 Speaker 3: is is just like the unknown of things. But it's 78 00:04:22,147 --> 00:04:25,867 Speaker 3: just learning how to use that to drive you and 79 00:04:25,987 --> 00:04:30,107 Speaker 3: just kind of switching off doubt and just focusing on 80 00:04:30,147 --> 00:04:33,587 Speaker 3: the kind of positives, like you know, what goes good. 81 00:04:33,707 --> 00:04:36,147 Speaker 3: So that's kind of how I try to deal with it. 82 00:04:36,947 --> 00:04:39,867 Speaker 2: So apart from having that real mental strength, what do 83 00:04:39,867 --> 00:04:42,427 Speaker 2: you reckon? The other main reasons for your success have been. 84 00:04:44,827 --> 00:04:48,467 Speaker 3: I'd say luck is definitely a part of it. Like, yeah, 85 00:04:48,507 --> 00:04:51,947 Speaker 3: you've got to work hard and do the right things, 86 00:04:52,587 --> 00:04:55,827 Speaker 3: but you're so kind of good to get lucky. I guess, Yeah. 87 00:04:55,627 --> 00:04:58,907 Speaker 2: Well, I imagine that's a part of it. I would 88 00:04:58,947 --> 00:05:01,307 Speaker 2: imagine you make your own your own luck to a 89 00:05:01,387 --> 00:05:04,107 Speaker 2: large degree. I've read that you're also developing your own 90 00:05:04,667 --> 00:05:05,947 Speaker 2: dedicated training space. 91 00:05:05,947 --> 00:05:10,107 Speaker 3: How's that. Yeah, it's going really good. Actually, yeah, I've 92 00:05:10,107 --> 00:05:13,587 Speaker 3: been pretty again I say lucky to be able to 93 00:05:13,627 --> 00:05:16,667 Speaker 3: get a bit of land and start building this training compound. 94 00:05:16,707 --> 00:05:19,187 Speaker 3: So I think going forward it'll just allow me to 95 00:05:19,307 --> 00:05:22,947 Speaker 3: like train and like just drill in what I want 96 00:05:22,987 --> 00:05:25,547 Speaker 3: to learn and just be better. So looking forward to it. 97 00:05:25,827 --> 00:05:28,227 Speaker 2: And where are we in your season, Robin? Where does 98 00:05:28,267 --> 00:05:31,867 Speaker 2: this event fall? And what is immediately next after this one? 99 00:05:31,907 --> 00:05:32,227 Speaker 2: For you? 100 00:05:33,587 --> 00:05:36,867 Speaker 3: Natural Selection is actually the first event of the season 101 00:05:37,867 --> 00:05:40,147 Speaker 3: and then it kind of kicks off where crank works 102 00:05:40,187 --> 00:05:43,467 Speaker 3: road or I'll be doing slope styles there and then yeah, 103 00:05:43,467 --> 00:05:45,867 Speaker 3: it just goes roll straight into the international season. 104 00:05:46,507 --> 00:05:48,867 Speaker 2: And so traveling far and wide, do you ever sort 105 00:05:48,867 --> 00:05:50,987 Speaker 2: of think to yourself, Man, I'm actually doing this, this 106 00:05:51,067 --> 00:05:53,267 Speaker 2: is this is what I do for a job now. 107 00:05:54,187 --> 00:05:56,907 Speaker 3: Yeah, I respect on the time. It's pretty crazy, just 108 00:05:57,747 --> 00:06:00,507 Speaker 3: literally living the dream, traveling the world, riding bikes in 109 00:06:00,547 --> 00:06:01,627 Speaker 3: crazy places. 110 00:06:01,907 --> 00:06:03,907 Speaker 2: Yeah, doing it well. SOO, Hi Robin, we can't wait 111 00:06:03,907 --> 00:06:06,267 Speaker 2: for next weekend in Queenstown. Thanks so much for chatting 112 00:06:06,267 --> 00:06:08,267 Speaker 2: to us and all the best at Mount Dua for 113 00:06:08,347 --> 00:06:09,347 Speaker 2: Natural Selection. 114 00:06:09,107 --> 00:06:11,307 Speaker 3: Bike sick Thank you have a good one. 115 00:06:11,387 --> 00:06:13,147 Speaker 2: You have a good one too, Robin. Thanks indeed, Robin 116 00:06:13,147 --> 00:06:15,667 Speaker 2: gooms there one of our top mountain bike riders. Natural 117 00:06:15,707 --> 00:06:20,107 Speaker 2: Selection Bike Mount Dua, Queenstown next Saturday. World class stuff this. 118 00:06:20,227 --> 00:06:22,267 Speaker 2: We'll try and bring you some updates on the show 119 00:06:22,667 --> 00:06:23,627 Speaker 2: next Saturday. 120 00:06:24,307 --> 00:06:27,507 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live 121 00:06:27,587 --> 00:06:30,907 Speaker 1: to News Talk st B weekends from midday, or follow 122 00:06:30,947 --> 00:06:32,547 Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio.