When Chris Pfeiffer came down to India last year, he didn’t have too many expectations from the visit. It was just another street show in just another city, but the accolades that he received from the crowd in India, were amazing, making the four-time World Champion Stunt Rider, come back to India for another show. “Indians are just crazy about bikes. People here just loved my shows and that was spectacular. I also learned some tricks here, and I am looking forward to showing them,” says Pfeiffer.
The biker, who arrived in India on Sunday for a 10-city tour, started the first leg in Kolkata on Monday, and will travel to other cities including Delhi, Coimbatore, Pune, Mumbai and Kochi. The final leg of his tour will take place in Bengaluru on April 6 and Pfeiffer hopes to recreate the same thrill among “stunt riders” this year as well.
Ask him about the stunt riding scene in India, and the biker interjects, “I’m not really comfortable with the word ‘stunt riding’. I call it freestyle riding,” he says, adding, “I didn’t know much about the freestyle scene in India, but when I saw youngsters doing their own tricks, I was pretty surprised. It’s amazing to see their passion for the sport.”
Pfeiffer, however, points out that riders in India don’t have enough spaces to practise and master freestyle. “There aren’t enough safe areas here. Most beginners here practise in the traffic, which is never safe. But then it’s the same situation all over the world. We used to practise in parking lots and open areas. But apart from the need for safe practise spots, it’s a simple sport,” says Pfeiffer.
Although Pfeiffer learned most of the tricks on his own, practicing together as a group is important for freestyle riders. “Everyone has something to share. But in my case I did 60 per cent of my training alone. Every afternoon, I used to practise alone, trying to master handling and different tricks with my bike. And then more people joined in and we became a group. They are not just your audience but also your critics. We are like family where we help each other get better. We practise together and invent new tricks. But most importantly, practising as a group keeps you safe,” he says.
Pfeiffer says it was his love for bikes that made him get into freestyle. “But my love for bikes is slightly different from that of a racer. I love speed, but more than that, I’m crazy about playing with it. It’s like an extension of my own body. And because there are no rules in freestyle, you get to do whatever you want to do.”
Seeing Pfeiffer with his bike is an opportunity no one should miss, with the freestyle rider winning the World Champion Stunt Riding crown four times and the European Champion Stunt riding title as many times. He is the only person till today to have successfully climbed up the Via Tina, a level three difficulty scale-climbing route in Arco/Italy with the motorbike.
But winning trophies and breaking records is not as important for the freestyle rider as much as innovating new tricks and passing on his genius to others. “I’m not after records. My main aim is to innovate tricks. Our aim as freestyle riders is always to push ourselves beyond our limits. The trophies just come along the way, but they aren’t the most important things. It’s the tricks that we want to be known by,” he says.
Pfeiffer has been associated with many tricks, including the 180 degree brake slide roll back, popularly known as the CP slide. It got him the German Open title in 2010. And this trick, believes Pfeiffer, is one of the toughest he has ever performed. “I have practised that trick a thousand times at least till now, but I’m still not safe,” he says.
Besides innovating stunts, the 41-year-old has also been performing around the world, creating awareness about safe riding and promoting freestyle riding as a sport. Pfeiffer says, “I’m not completely sure about my safety. Beginners make many mistakes not only with their riding, but also in preparing their bikes, especially the brakes. I want to pass on my skills to a younger generation of freestyle riders.”