Photo: Tom Wheeler

Joey Gough is a UK-based BMXer who’s taking big air on small wheels to a new level in her local trail network. (How big? Check this video out!) She’s a former BMX champ and World Cup 4x racer, and has plenty of skills on the bike that come in handy for hitting the massive doubles that she and her crew have been building.

We caught up with Joey to ask a few Q’s about her riding, and suss out this BMX/mtb crossover thing…

Photo: Tom Wheeler

Hey Joey! Hows things? What have you been up to this summer?
Pretty much spending every day at the trails. I’ve done a lot of riding but also a lot of digging, as we had loads of rain conveniently just as we made plans to tweak the trails. I’ve also done a few regional BMX races, for the fun of it. A lot of my friends go so it’s just a fun day all round.

How would you describe your riding focus now?
I don’t know if I’d call it a focus, but I pretty much ride what I want, when I want. That means riding our trails most days, but I also like to hit up a few other trails spots in the country, ride tracks, do a few small races and go on roadtrips with friends. It’s all about riding my bike for the love of it, hanging out with friends and laughing a lot.

Photo: Ben Osborne

Tell us about racing World Cup 4x. Any highlights/lowlights/memorable moments?
I had some good times racing World Cups. BMX racing had got a bit stale for me at the time and 4X was new and different. I always struggled like hell with the flat corners but loved that there was less pedalling and that I could do bigger jumps because you were on a hill! I did some things I’d never done before, like road gaps and wall rides. I really liked the NZ Worlds track, the straight with all the doubles on it suited me down to the ground… it just hurts me a little that I didn’t medal there because I had a really good chance, qualifying 3rd, but my gates let me down – as usual! Highlights? Got to be Schladming when I made my first podium getting 2nd. My TM Dan Jarvis had got himself a little drunk in the afternoon as he wasn’t on the mic for a change, he got all emotional and invaded the finishline area, pretty much clothes-lining me as I crossed the line! Good memories.

So you’re doing a lot of trail building – do you get scared hitting up jumps you’ve just built for the first time? How do you get your head around it?
Not a great deal, it’s less nerve wracking jumping something I’ve built myself as I’ve built it for me, how I like it… I’ve hit it with a shovel a million times so I am pretty at one with the lip by the time I come to jump it. But our trails take a lot of packing in before the are ridable, and something can seem solid enough but sometimes I get halfway up the lip and soon realise its not… bit late then though. You just have to take a few trips over the bars or 50-50s sometimes to find out its not quite ready yet. The upside to a lip being too soft is the landing is more than likely rather forgiving too. We have a rule at our trails…. you built it, you jump it first!

Photo: Phil Chaplin

What do you like most about riding trails on the BMX?
I just feel like I get so much more out of trails on a BMX than on an MTB. Sometimes I feel a bit of a passenger on an MTB cause it’s a lot more stable, with a BMX you have to be so in control of everything and I can flick it about more. Riding a rigid bike means you get so much more pump and feel for the jumps. You need to be a bit more precise, but when you get it right it just feels so flowy… and flow is what I love about trails.

Got any advice to gravity MTB chicks on crossing over to 20″ wheels?
Stick at it! It WILL feel twitchy and horrible at first, but the more you ride the better it gets. When you get to the point where you feel you’re in control of the bike not the other way round, you’ll find out how much fun a BMX really is. MTB’s and BMX are both great for different things.

Photo: Ben Osborne

Who are your regular crew that you ride with? Are there any other chicks who do what you do in your area?
Scooby is my main trails buddy, we pretty much head to the trails every day. We always dig together, it makes digging so much more fun if you have someone on the same wavelength as you to discuss trails ideas with and generally talk shit with to pass the time. There’s also Stiffler who’s uncle owns the land we build the trails on, so he has been a huge part of the trails since the beginning. He rides a bike straight outta the and is silky smooth through the trails. Tucker and Matt dig at the other trails not far from us, and we always ride with them a lot. Less locally, it’s all our friends in the Hardcore Hobbies crew, who all live around an hour from us and race or ride trails. We really have a great bunch of riding friends from all over the country. Once a year about 20 of us go on a week long roadtrip to france riding 3 tracks a day and drinking and laughing by night, it’s the best week of the year!

As for girl riders, well until the last couple of years there weren’t any, but Becca whose now a good friend, was into XC riding but got bitten by the BMX bug. She raced to begin with but now she’s more into the trails, has dug her own smaller jumps at ou place and has really progresses loads recently, it’s great to see. Often, it’s just me Becca and Scooby riding at the trails…at how many trails spots would you see the girls out number the guys?!

Photo: Rebecca Vaughan

What do you do when you’re not riding bikes and building trails? Do you get paid for the trail building, or do you have a ‘real’ job to support your habit?
There is very little time I’m not at the trails at the moment! I take photos of the trails… make videos of the trails…. errrm! All my friends are BMX friends, so I hang out with them, have a few beers and BBQ’s, watch films or funny TV shows… or dance like idiots at 80’s night. I work a 9-5 at the hospital as a clinical coder, so most of my spare time is spent on BMX. There’s nothing I’d rather do. I wouldn’t want to get paid for the trail building because you wouldn’t be able to build what you wanted…. that’s what is great about it, it’s so creative, it’s so personal. And then you get to enjoy it with your friends.

Anyone you’d like to thank?
Too many. My family for supporting me in my BMX all my life, more than anyone could ask for. My friends for all the good times, being there in the bad times, and always supporting me in my racing. All the people who have believed in me, whether that be helping me out with product, financial support, advice, belief or motivation. I don’t forget, I appreciate it all. Currently, Hardcore Hobbies, Profile Racing, Vans, and S & M are keeping the wheels rolling… so big shout out them….and thanks to you for the interview!

Photo: Tom Wheeler

Sweet, cheers for that Joey, enjoy the rest of your summer!

Joey also has a few videos up on Mpora, check out Joey and her crew doing jump trains on a Friday night, and their BMX trip to France. Rad! You can also follow Joey’s blog – it’s in that list of blogs over on the right of your screen, under ‘BMX and 4x’, and there are more videos and photos there.

All photos used with permission from Joey Gough.