030 For Him Magazine June 2010

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June 2010 For Him Magazine 031

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Lunch with Chris Pfeiffer...And the time the daredevil almost got scared silly of a chilly!

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adiri

As if watching Chris Pfeiffer perform live was not enough. We got an opportunity to grab some chow with the freestyling daredevil. Here’s some spicy excerpt over grilled chicken and yellow rice! (bet your stomach’s doing somersaults right now!)

We reached the suburban mall way before time, partly to avoid the mad Mumbai traffi c but mostly because we were real kicked to meet the Freestyle Stunt Champion of the World in person. Also, a once in a lifetime event for bike enthusiasts across the country where the champ would perform for his Indian fans, is a hard one to miss. Undeterred by the crap heat, crowds gathered; bike affi ciomnados and regular peepers alike. And there he was, all leathered and walking into the cordoned arena to defy gravity - Chris Pfeiffer. We were already feeling heady as the crowd went ballistic and the atmosphere charged up to electrifying proportions. And as Chris the messiah jumped over the saddle and took the reins of his brawny BMW F800R, he almost resembled a rodeo astride his furiously prancing horse, after which the magic began. We can say this for every cramped soul in the audience that we all had goose bumps; after all he is the world champion.

Later as we settled down in a cozy corner of a fancy restaurant, popular for its spicy grilled chicken, we almost pinched ourself in disbelief. We were actually doing a casual lunch with the guy we’ve idolized for most of our stunt doing lives. The closest we ever got to this genius was checking out some of the whackiest stunts he ever did on YouTube. Chris settled in too, dressed in an Alpinestar tee and denims, looking relaxed now that he was away from the hustle-bustle of the media and his fans. He kept his Oakley shades and Red Bull cap on the table and we began an informal chat. FHM: How did you get hooked onto bikes? CP: (While trying to make sense out of the menu) My dad was a rider and I started riding with him when I was very young. He prepared a small bike for me, the Sachs 100, when I was fi ve years old. I started riding in my parents’ garden. Then a Zuendapp with a sidecar became my

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favourite motorcycle. Later, I got my fi rst Trial bike and started to participate in competitions at the age of 10. For a long time, I did motor racing and freestyle, but I had to choose one. Freestyle is my lifestyle and I preferred the freestyle of things. (We suggested the grilled chicken cubes with yellow rice and the dare devil that he is,defying death at every bend, agreed to give it a shot...) FHM: So why is your weapon of choice the bulky BMW F800?CP: You have to understand that weight is not always a disadvantage. It also helps to stabilize the bike in a lot of tricks. There are so many tricks that are almost impossible on a small bike. The rotating mass of the engine, the crank shaft, etc., stabilizes for several tricks. I do use my Beta streetbike for stoppie turns, kangaroo stoppies, taking off during a stoppie and its lightweight is ideal for bunny hops. But I still prefer the bigger BMW for typical stunt riding. Besides, it’s more spectacular to ride a big bike.

FHM: Are you also a car person?

What do you drive?CP: I drive a BMW X5. Most of the time I prefer the car for commuting (laughs) and it’s also due to the weather in Germany. FHM: We get goose bumps seeing you perform, but you have a smile on your face while doing it. Do you have any fear left in you?CP: (Nods animatedly) Yeah defi nitely! There some situations during riding that can be scary. Besides, I am scared of snakes and railway crossings (embarrassed, bursts out laughing). Fear sharpens

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your senses and you should not disrespect it. I am not a daredevil who goes for it without thinking. On the contrary, in stunting, you need to be a smart person and should know your limits. This is a common virtue that most extreme sports athletes have in them (digs into the food and fi nds it to be rather spicy while we were alrady adding extra peri peri in the already fi ery chicken!). FHM: How does a stunting enthusiast make a mark in this fi eld?CP: Well, practice, practice, practice (begins to enjoy the food...). It’s very important to practice a lot and have immense passion for the sport. When you fall, you have to stand up and try again. The most important thing is to be dedicated. I think when you really want something, your dream can come true. FHM: What precautions should be kept in mind? (Freak, we’ve have added too much chilly sauce!) CP: Ride safe. Always keep in mind that you should ride (read: stunt) on a safe spot and never in traffi c. Wear protection and proper riding gear, at least a helmet. I had to take a break for a year in 1999 because I hurt my knee and it was f*****. My biggest advice to aspiring riders is that if you want to ride the next day, then it’s good to wear protective gear. Otherwise, you won’t be able to do what you love most in life. Remember to keep the fun in riding alive and never take too much pressure as you can’t reach the top spot in a day. You have to go step by step and practice, practice, practice! FHM: Are your kids also interested in this sport? CP: Yeah defi nitely! They try to imitate me. We have quad bikes at home. My two-and-a-half year old son, Hannes rides a 50cc and my daughters, Pia and Amelie who are seven and nine years old respectively, have 90cc bikes. We also have a small motorcycle which is a Yamaha 50cc kid’s bike. But they all prefer to ride their quad bikes because it’s safer. (Enthusiastically) They have a lot of fun and try to imitate my stunts. They try to do the high chair stunt, etc. Honestly, Hannes is some rider. He’s so young and still while riding the bike he stands on the seat and jumps off the bike. He’s totally mad (laughs with pride). FHM: How do you manage fame and family?CP: (Sighs) My wife and I are very happy that my career developed like this but every year I try to spend more time with the family. Obviously we realize that I won’t be riding like

this forever. We have a German proverb– ‘Let the ball roll till it can!’ (laughs).

FHM: Your bike was delayed at the Delhi airport and you had to postpone your entire schedule. How did you react?CP: Well, India is defi nitely a little less organized than Middle Europe and maybe the process is a bit weak. Everybody was motivated in Delhi but we needed some improvisation to get the bikes further on and fi nally they are here. But this could have happened any where because bike shipments are often a problem.

FHM: You lead such an adventurous life so, do you get a lot of attention from the ladies?CP: (Surprised) From the ladies? Luckily I am married so, there’s not much to mention here (laughs). Some women love people with a freestyle spirit and maybe some don’t. But it’s not a bad thing to attract girls! (fi nishes his last piece of chicken and seemed to have enjoyed the meal).

FHM: How was your experience in India so far?CP: It’s been exciting so far. I will never forget the show in Delhi. In just an hour, there was such a huge crowd. Everyone was cheering and enjoying the excitement, even people who were not so interested in bikes. Unfortunately, I was not riding too well that day. But still it was a spectacular show with positive vibes all around.

Sarmad Kadiri is the Assistant Editor - Online, Bike India magazine.