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Tobias Wicke: At the German Open things were actually going really well. Till the last trick on the miniramp. I had never tried a 360 double whip over the spine before. And I should not have tried it. My attempt was actually good. Clean turn and I caught the pedals before the landing. But that landing was harsh. I completely missed the spine and landed on the flat bottom. I immediately noticed that something was wrong in my foot and could not attempt the trick for a second time. The doctors at the hospital told me I had broken my "Sprungbein". It's a rare break. You normally break your complete foot before you break that one. But it meant a six month break for me.

It sucks that it took so long to heal. What did you do in the meantime?
Tobias Wicke: In the beginning it sucked not to be able to ride. When the weather was nice I saw everybody ride and try new tricks. That hurt. But fortunately my friends took good care of me. We went fishing behind the Mellowpark a lot. I think I caught about 60 fish. That was pretty cool and the best way for me to kill some time. The nights we killed playing poker. On top of that I took care of things that I normally had no time to take care of.

Now that you have had time to think about new tricks, do you have something planned for when you are back on the bike 100%?
Tobias Wicke: Of course I've been thinking of new tricks. Had enough time to think about that. However, they're not big tricks but rather liptricks on the front wheel. Bjorn "Bommel" Mager and I want to work on a new video part. We'll see how that will work out.

Do you think it will hurt your riding after not being on the bike for such a long time?
Tobias Wicke:  On 12 January 2009 I rode my bike again for the first time. I did not fear the pain, I just wondered what the feeling would be like. I had all the tricks in my head, the way they work. It took me three tries to pull a nosepick. That was pretty strange because I can always do a nosepick anywhere. Just weird. After two hours I managed to pull more of my tricks like a downside tailwhip nosepick. That was a good feeling. I'll see what works today.

What are some of the tricks that you see everyone do that you could not learn because you were injured?
Tobias Wicke:  Yeah, the competition doesn't sleep! I followed pretty much everything on the internet. Amazing. Time for me to catch up but I counted that in. But you can count me in again as well. Hopefully I'll be back to 100% again soon and ready for 2009.

You rode brakeless for at a trip, do you think you will go brakeless from now on or the opposite with a front and a rear brake?
Tobias Wicke: The trip I rode brakeless was the Megatour. That wasn't my own decision. I was forced to do it since I was the only rider with a brake on my bike. It was a cool experience. At this point I do have lots of respect for those who ride brakeless. No shit. But i will leave my brakes on my bike. I don't feel like sticking my foot in my front wheel all the time. I prefer to pull a lever.

How have your sponsors reacted on you being injured for so long? Are you going to continue with the same people in 2009?
Tobias Wicke: I think they all took it pretty well. They all now there's a risk of injuries when dealing with BMX riders. If they wouldn't understand I don't think I could ride for them any more. It's part of it. I had been really lucky the last few years staying injury free. No big injuries like this one. I hope it will take a few years before some big injury shows up again.

What happened with the VANS shoe that you were going to have?
Tobias Wicke:  I did have a prototype model already. I was super happy with the shoe and it also looked really good. Personal taste of course. Unfortunately the worldwide shoe order of my shoe wasn't big enough. You need a certain pre-order quantity before a shoe goes into production. Unfortunately people today like the old school skate shoes better. The result was that my shoe did not go into production. Vans promised me that I would get a new attempt. Maybe it will work for next year. Looking forward to it.

How are the Electro parts selling over at wethepeople?
Tobias Wicke:  I would say they're selling pretty good. I'm stoked when I see my parts on somebody else's bike. Makes me proud. But of course I would be happier if more people would buy my parts.

Any updates about the Mellowpark in Berlin?
Tobias Wicke: About the Mellowpark subject there are not really any decisions made. The park has not been torn down and is still there. For how long and where is still open. Together we're checking out two options. First option is a new place close to the current location. The second option is to stay where it's at for a longer period of time. Unfortunately it has come to a point that rational and logical thinking has nothing to do with it any more. It has become a political issue. We have started a new foundation called "Mellowpark" of which I'm the chairman. We want to use the foundation to gain support from friends and the industry. I hope to have good news soon...

What's on the program for 2009?
Tobias Wicke: Lots of good contest results, road trips, videos and enjoying the traveling that we do.

Any thank you's?
Tobias Wicke: The biggest thank you always goes to my girlfriend Claudi for all she does for me and because she always supports me. That's why I love here a lot. Then of course my parents and family, my friends who have always believed in me and still do. I also would like to thank my fans who check out my website and post messages from time to time. Special thanks to Jens Werner of the Mellowpark. A big thank you also goes to my sponsors, without them this wasn't possible.