At one point my internet provider announced that someone would come by to swap the old modem for a new one. One evening the Chello man showed up at the door and when I opened it up, it was Rik Jurjus. Rik is a Dutch freestyle BMX addict who shows up at all events. You might not know who Rik is, so we asked him that question for you. And more......
Who is Rik?
Just a simple guy trying to have some fun.
Where do you live?
I live in Arnhem, a small city in Holland
What do you do?
I’m still a student in a sort of film academy, I try to ride my bike as much as possible. Also I do a lot of other sports but they are just for fun. Make little bmx movies for my website. Help my dad out with making "Arnhemse meisjes," that are little Dutch pastries.
Where is your favorite place?
Home is my favorite place. After a roadtrip or a vacation it's always nice to be home again. It's the place to get everything organized.... but it doesn’t look organized
Where is your favorite place to ride?
I like my home town a lot, there are many good street spots not far away from each other, got a nice skate park. I also like Thursday nights at Burnside, the bmx nights, the atmosphere is so good on a Thursday night. I'd love to have that all the week.
When are you most happiest?
When everything is done. When the things that I have to do are done and the tricks that I wanted to do are done. At that moment when I come home and I'm totally exhausted and done.
What's the best piece of advice that you have ever given?
Wear a helmet
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
First think, than act.
Who do you admire?
Van Homan
What's the most important thing in your life?
My family and my BMX, My family always support me even if they don't like the things that I’m doing. And my Bmx is just the thing I got to do when I’m happy or down. It’s an addiction.
What is your greatest fear?
To Fuck up my knees so bad that I’m not able to walk again
What was your luckiest escape?
I was on vacation a few weeks ago and I was longboarding from a steep hill next to the camp site. But when I started, there came a car riding on the same road. The road was very small and I was going much faster then the car in front of me. The car had to stop at the crossing point on the end of the road. I could just squeeze my self between the car en the side walk without crashing into the car. This was my luckiest escape I think.
Do you have any regrets?
I’ve got many things that I would like to do different or over but I think it’s fate that you do the tings that you do.
If you could have dinner with three famous people (dead or alive) who would they be?
Elvis. He can sing the songs on the table. Eddy Murphy, he can make the jokes and Natalie Imbruglia to just look in her blue eyes.
Who is your favorite rider?
Van Homan. I got to see him ride in my local skate park and it was just unbelievable. He did the biggest transfer in my local skate park. That's why he is my favorite rider. When he did the big transfer he landed and rode in to me. And it’s all on tape on roadfools 6.
What bike are you riding at the moment?
I’m riding a custom painted (by Daniel Wijsmuller aka Harry Vinkers) Dragonfly Tech 21.25 toptube. The best bike I had so far.
What is your favorite bicycle product of all time?
My front hub is from Dragonfly and it’s working for 4 years now
What's your most memorable biking moment?
It was 2 or 3 years ago in Köln, Germany. I was riding with Souf, Riccardo and Daniel. And Daniel was just riding for a few months. Daniel decided to drop in from the fence of the vert in to the quarter of the pool behind it. At that moment I was more scared than Daniel. But he dropped it clean and it’s one of the best tings ever.
What was the last magazine you read?
An old issue of Ride bmx in front of the Kwalitaria next to Paul's boutique at the FAT JAM.
What one thing would you change about yourself?
I want to be less shy. I want to start conversations with total strangers but most of the time I'm too scared to do that.
What things do you always carry with you?
I never take something with me because I lose my stuff all the time. They call me David Copperfield because I can make things disappear in an instance, but I can’t find them back.
What do you see of BMX Freestyle in the future?
I hope to see some more of it on TV. A little bit bigger scene in Holland. And some better jams.
What does the future hold for Rik?
I hope a lot of things. But I don’t have any future plans. I live my life day by day.
Thanks Rik
I’m still a student in a sort of film academy, I try to ride my bike as much as possible. Also I do a lot of other sports but they are just for fun. Make little bmx movies for my website. Help my dad out with making "Arnhemse meisjes," that are little Dutch pastries.
Where is your favorite place?
Home is my favorite place. After a roadtrip or a vacation it's always nice to be home again. It's the place to get everything organized.... but it doesn’t look organized
Where is your favorite place to ride?
I like my home town a lot, there are many good street spots not far away from each other, got a nice skate park. I also like Thursday nights at Burnside, the bmx nights, the atmosphere is so good on a Thursday night. I'd love to have that all the week.
When are you most happiest?
When everything is done. When the things that I have to do are done and the tricks that I wanted to do are done. At that moment when I come home and I'm totally exhausted and done.
What's the best piece of advice that you have ever given?
Wear a helmet
What is the best piece of advice that you have ever been given?
First think, than act.
Who do you admire?
Van Homan
What's the most important thing in your life?
My family and my BMX, My family always support me even if they don't like the things that I’m doing. And my Bmx is just the thing I got to do when I’m happy or down. It’s an addiction.
What is your greatest fear?
To Fuck up my knees so bad that I’m not able to walk again
What was your luckiest escape?
I was on vacation a few weeks ago and I was longboarding from a steep hill next to the camp site. But when I started, there came a car riding on the same road. The road was very small and I was going much faster then the car in front of me. The car had to stop at the crossing point on the end of the road. I could just squeeze my self between the car en the side walk without crashing into the car. This was my luckiest escape I think.
Do you have any regrets?
I’ve got many things that I would like to do different or over but I think it’s fate that you do the tings that you do.
If you could have dinner with three famous people (dead or alive) who would they be?
Elvis. He can sing the songs on the table. Eddy Murphy, he can make the jokes and Natalie Imbruglia to just look in her blue eyes.
Who is your favorite rider?
Van Homan. I got to see him ride in my local skate park and it was just unbelievable. He did the biggest transfer in my local skate park. That's why he is my favorite rider. When he did the big transfer he landed and rode in to me. And it’s all on tape on roadfools 6.
What bike are you riding at the moment?
I’m riding a custom painted (by Daniel Wijsmuller aka Harry Vinkers) Dragonfly Tech 21.25 toptube. The best bike I had so far.
What is your favorite bicycle product of all time?
My front hub is from Dragonfly and it’s working for 4 years now
What's your most memorable biking moment?
It was 2 or 3 years ago in Köln, Germany. I was riding with Souf, Riccardo and Daniel. And Daniel was just riding for a few months. Daniel decided to drop in from the fence of the vert in to the quarter of the pool behind it. At that moment I was more scared than Daniel. But he dropped it clean and it’s one of the best tings ever.
What was the last magazine you read?
An old issue of Ride bmx in front of the Kwalitaria next to Paul's boutique at the FAT JAM.
What one thing would you change about yourself?
I want to be less shy. I want to start conversations with total strangers but most of the time I'm too scared to do that.
What things do you always carry with you?
I never take something with me because I lose my stuff all the time. They call me David Copperfield because I can make things disappear in an instance, but I can’t find them back.
What do you see of BMX Freestyle in the future?
I hope to see some more of it on TV. A little bit bigger scene in Holland. And some better jams.
What does the future hold for Rik?
I hope a lot of things. But I don’t have any future plans. I live my life day by day.
Thanks Rik
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.