The Skye high guy: Danny MacAskill

We’ve seen traditional trials cycles and most of them are without seats. How does your bike look like?

I ride one which is a 24-inch street trials bike. My bike’s a little bit shorter than standard trials bikes and has quite a steep head angle. It’s kind of in-between a trials bike, a BMX and a dirt jump bike.

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You were nominated for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award for 2015 along with some really big names. That is a huge recognition. How does it feel?

It’s awesome to be nominated for the second time. I’m up against some pretty incredible athletes. To be honest, it’s quite surreal for me, because I come from a non-competitive background like Google vice-president, Alan Eustace. But to be in a room with all those other athletes, it’s very, very cool.

You were a mechanic before jumping into full time cycling. Tell us something about it.

I worked in bike shops for seven years as a mechanic, which I absolutely loved! I have never had the goal of being a professional rider and was always of the belief that if you’re good enough at something the right people will take notice. I’ve been incredibly lucky that things have worked out the way they have!

How did it all start?

I have been obsessed with bikes ever since turning my first pedal at the age of four. I started riding, what I would call a trials bike, around the age of 11, but really ever since I got on my first bike I was pulling skids and jumping off walls. I am not sure where the initial influences to start doing tricks on my bike came from. As a kid I was pretty hyperactive and fearless so I just used to zoom about the place trying whatever came into my head (which usually ended in tears). From the age of eight or nine, one of my friend’s older brothers and his friend really got into mountain biking. When they were riding the village I would be that annoying little kid who would follow them around and try to copy what they did. Later, I started reading a magazine called MBUK, which had a fair bit of trials content from my heroes, the two Martyns. It was because of Martyn Ashton and Martin Hayes that I started riding trials the way I do today. Back in 2008/2009, I made a small film around the streets of Edinburgh on my trials bike. And when it got uploaded on YouTube, it just went viral. From that point on, I was able to make a couple of films in the last few years and made a job out of bike riding.

Yes, your videos. They’re absolutely amazing! How long does it take to shoot one of them?

Thanks. It depends on what I am doing. Sometimes when I am filming a line or a sequence of tricks, it can take me hours, if not days, to put together. It’s kind of a sequence that I cook up in my head, and for filming it always has to be 110 per cent correct. But you know, if you try it for long enough, eventually you’ll figure it out and manage to get in onto a film.

We watched Cascadia and were shit scared when you were balancing on the railings. How safe is this thing?

To be honest, a lot of the riding in Cascadia is pretty easy. With my trials skills I felt safe balancing along the rooftops. I wanted to try and create this vertigo feeling for the viewers and also this happy summer vibe, so the location in Las Palmas was perfect. The flip between the rooftops and the cliff jump were pretty scary but we got it done in the end.

At the end of the video where you jump into the sea with your bike... that was a pretty steep jump. Did it hurt?

The El Roque drop was really just one take. It was at the very end of the day and we were losing the light fast. I’m really pleased that it worked out well. I slightly over-rotated the front flip and landed face first, but it made for a good shot on the POV clip (laughs).

You must have had accidents. What was your worst?

Probably my longest standing injury is a torn disc in my lower back which has plagued my career as a professional Street Trials rider since 2009. It happened while doing a large 360 degree drop multiple times while filming. I had a back operation early 2012, but it still flares up every now and again. However, as long as I take care of my body, I can still ride harder than ever.

Was the moon shot real?

Yes it really was. It was an amazing concept and we were planning it for days. We were at Isle of Skye and looking for a spot that could capture the eclipse. We finally got one along the coast. We checked the lights and angles and everything a day before. The next day, we finally got the perfect click! The feeling was amazing!

Any crazy memory you’d like to share with our adrenaline junkie readers...

It will be too long a story to tell…

What next?

Last year was pretty good for me. This year I have different ideas for films on my mind, and it’s important for me to always try to do something different rather than doing something I’ve already done. You will have to wait and see.

From the August 2016 issue of FHM India.