Videorama 2010 - Balazs Ivanfi

31 October 2009 | by Yak

The latest exclusiv videorama edit, this time Balazs Ivanfi from Hungary kills it for you...

Balazs is a great guy. Sometimes I feel I’ve never known any riders that were more into progression than he is. I believe nobody has reached the skill level he is at in such a short time. Being super motivated has made him land in the pro class of contests only after a few years of intense riding, and his name sound familiar in quite some European countries‘ contests. He really enjoys riding and sets new goals for himself all the time, wins most Hungarian street/park/dirt contests and he is the most popular rider of the country as well.

I often wonder how he can get qualified for Pro Miniramps finals at the Cologne Worlds and Masters because in Hungary there is not even a similar spine/mini that they do the contest on.. Sad but true, if he was not Hungarian he’d be a fully recognized top rider of the world. I wish him all the best for his future to reach his goals, I’m sure there are many crazy stories about Balazs yet to come!
- Andras Pentek

Introduce yourself please! Name, age, years riding and where do you live?
Well, My name is Balazs Ivanfi, I am 23 years old and I have been riding for 8 years now, on a profession level for 4 years. I currently live in Budapest, which is the capital of Hungary.

What made you start riding BMX?
Back in the days I used to do fencing in a sport club. Those years were full of great experiences but that sport did not match my temper. So I stopped fencing after 5 years and started to ride mountain bikes. After 2 years I gave it up and fell in love with BMX after I went to a local bike exhibition and tried a BMX bike first time.

Back in the days we heard of this guy who was riding full power and broke his bike parts on a daily basis. How do you remember of this?
OMG it has been a long time.... Maybe due to fencing I was probably way too stiff and not flexible enough. I think time went by and my stiffness has improved...

Were you aware how you can improve you riding skills?
To be honest at the beginning nothing else was important for me but to ride as much as I could. I put all my effort into it, regardless of positive or negative experience, I guess this is why I was progressing. I can tell BMX made my life to what it is, I would not be the same person without riding. I think this is why it is necessary to put a good influence on the next generation in BMX.

Since day one your firmness was legendary. What kept you motivated to reach a higher level of BMXing as fast as you can?
In the first few years I was inspired to BMX next to school as much as I could. Unfortunately before graduating high school I was more into riding then into studying so all my school stuff got in the background. Later on when I started competing in pro class I was inspired to do stunts that nobody in Hungary or in the World have ever done before. That was rather a proof to myself so that I can see I am capable of doing them. That gives you an attitude that is hard to own in other traces of life.

What made you love BMX riding?
BMX riding helped me to forget problems and difficulties in my life. So it can help to relax. It is a sport which is continuously progressing and keeps your body fit.

Who motivated you most at the beginning?
I guess Ben Shenker motivated me the most and later on the new generation like Bobo Ujvari and Danny Josa. All of them are amazing riders and nice people.

Do you consider yourself as a socially sensitive person? Do you care about the future of the upcoming Hungarian riders‘ park situation? How do you think this situation can get better?
Last year January the only indoor park in the capital got closed down. So we don‘t have any place to ride or progress during the winter months. This was emotionally really hard to deal with. I used to work there and made huge efforts to keep that place running. We didn‘t get any support from bigger companies or the city council. I hope in the future things going to work out way better and somebody going to realize how beautiful and complex this sport is. We really need a place where we can ride.

What are some of your future plans in bike riding and studying?
Doctors just realized I’ve been rigind with a broken wrist for two years. Now it is OK so I‘m going to start riding again. I‘m studying at the University of Physical Education as a Sport Manager. I also started to prepare myself for the next university which I‘m pretty sure going to be in health or medical major. I try to live a well balanced life and to focus on studying as much as I can. In private life I try to follow my dads advice/suggestions. He helps me really a lot.

There is that giant walltap photo. What did you feel or even think to do such trick as that? Do you think it was the scariest and most insane trick that you have ever done?
To be honest that trick scared the shit out of me. I needed to get towed by a  motorcycle to get enough speed for that walltap. The speed was 70 km/h. I pulled the walltap but I wanted to do an icepick on the top of that concrete block. I missed the dirt tranny at the bottom, broke my frame and landed straight onto my head. I had concussion, thanks god that‘s all.

What do you think about Wethepeople as a brand?
Since day one I’ve been riding a Wethepeople frame. If I’m right that was a clear Thrillseeker. Four years later the Hungarian distribution of Wethepeople (OG Bike Kft.) started helping me out, then sponsoring me with WTP parts. For 2 years now they have been sponsoring me with éclat parts as well. I think WTP and éclat got massive, solid parts, they are lightweight and designed sophisticated.

I‘m on the Wethepeople flow team now. It makes me proud that I can be the part of this great team and I can represent the company in Hungary.

Last but not least, who would you like to thank?
I’d like to say thank you for my family for all the love that they gave me, to my friends and to my sponsors: OG Bike Kft., Wethepeople, éclat, etnies, GPS, Gryphus and for the opportunity to do this interview.