The Venezuelan rider discusses his ability to strategise and adapt, and his desire to help those around him. At 36, Daniel Dhers has shown a remarkable ability to adapt as freestyle BMX grew over the past decades. Finding new winning strategies has kept him at the top of the sport for over 20 years. We sat down to discuss how that allowed him to clinch a silver medal on the biggest sporting stage of all in Tokyo.
Being a veteran of the sport, what was your strategy facing the younger athletes during the competition?
Daniel Dhers: I think the best thing about my age is the experience and being able to understand how to set up a strategy. It's something that's always attracted me. I think that's why I've always liked chess,
Name: Andrew (usually go by Andy now) Ryser
Age: 40
Hometown: Blaine, Washington USA (it’s on the border and the Pacific Ocean, that’s why I am commonly mistaken for a Canadian salmon)
Sponsors/Hook-ups: S-1 Helmets gave me a helmet this year. Otherwise nothing in many years. I am currently full factory sponsored by my wife. Thanks honey.
The FAT Favorites list:
Name: Nick Watts
Age: 45
Hometown: Beaumaris, Melbourne, Australia
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Colony BMX Brand
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: My backyard
-BMX video: Dorkin' Series
-Website: flatmattersonline, colonybmx
-Food: Thai
-Person on Instagram: @jwilliamp, @brad_simms, @kio_hayakawa, @simonobrienbmx, @flatbible
-Travel destination: Bali, anywhere Northern Australia, just has to be warm and usually near the ocean.
-Riders to ride with: Chris Thresher, Me, myself and I
-Car: Not a car person but looking at Tesla’s so I guess them.
Name: Kryštof Mach
Age: 30
Hometown: Prague/CZ
The FAT favorite list:
-Spot to ride: Malaga
-BMX video: Props, Anthem II
-Website: FATBMX, Digbmx, Ourbmx
Name: Casson Downing
Age: 26 years old
Hometown: Brighton, England
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Kink/Deadsailor/Protec/Seventies Distro
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: - The Level
-BMX video: - Anthem 2
Name: Céline Vaes
Age: 34
Hometown: Hossegor, France
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Unicorn We Are Legends
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: Place du Foirail Tyrosse
-BMX video: E.T
-Web video: Celine&Raph on YouTube
-Food: Poké bowl
-Person on Instagram: Camille Lellouche, Ines Reg (french humorist)
-Travel destination: Thailand, California
-Riders to ride with: Caroline Carbonne, Aviva Kerchenbaum, Irina Sadovnik, Julia Preuss, Anne-Sophie, Louise Seigner
-Car: Jeep Wrangler
-Movie: La Cité de la Peur, Jeux d’enfants
-Colour: rainbow
FAT FAVOURITES list with Irina “priMa” Sadovnik (AUT). Pics by Markus Frühmann / Stefan Csaky
Name: Irina “priMa” Sadovnik
Age: 37
Hometown: Born in Klagenfurt, living in Vienna/Austria
Hook-ups/Sponsors: fourpegsbmx, Tubolito, www.epic-jewerly.com, ÖRV (Cycling Austria), Kärnten Sport/Kelag, J.Athletics, Vans Vienna, spot the dot
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: Heldenplatz, Vienna
-BMX video: Peter Olsen - Ritual
Name: Austin Engstrom
Age: 24
Hometown: Orion, IL but I’ve lived in Des Moines, IA for the past 3 years
Hook-ups/Sponsors: Healthy Habits Bike Shop
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: The new Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines is unreal and so I’ve been riding that a lot lately. My favorite street spot that I’ve ever rode would have to be the Huntington Beach ledges. They’re super simple but the views are incredible. Locally though, there is a pair of perfect out ledges in downtown Des Moines that I love riding and filming at.
-BMX video: Deadline for sure. Also anything that some of the homies put out get me super hyped to ride and film.
-Web video: Gritty Grinders and In Heaven are definitely my top two at the moment. Some of the homies from Kansas City put them together recently and they’re super good.
Name: Ed Bennett
Age: 19
Hometown: Hastings, England
Hook-ups/Sponsors: They’re watching
---The FAT favorite list---
-Spot to ride: Love a rail
-BMX video: FTS
-Website: Rideuk
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.