With riding, having someone to motivatate you, help you with tricks and push you as a beginner or advanced rider, seems to be a big key in progression. This is just my opnion. But I do know that most riders have something that inspires them or motivates them, like a certain video, dvd, rider or friend. For me, it´s Effraim Catlow. He´s helped me in so many ways and has become one of my best friends, even though he lives an ocean away. Effraim has helped me through more than he knows. I was dealing with a lot in my life around the begining of last year, and just talking to him helped me through all my troubles. When I have lost motivation becuase of frustration or being exhausted he´s talked me back up again. When I had what I call riders block, he helped me come up with new ideas for tricks to learn. Effraim even explains in detail to me how to learn tricks. He is a huge helping hand in my riding. Let´s me know that every once in awhile it´s ok to take a break. While I have been hurt he is still there for me and Skyped me when I had my surgery to cheer me up. He is a great person whose is very kind, and a great rider that is amazing to watch. He also has his Flatmatters blog, which I tattooed on my arm, and seeing all the vids he put´s up and watching all the different riders is also pretty motivating. So this week I decided to interview the man I claim as my mentor and best friend. I seriously recommend everyone to find their inspiration, I can´t even describe how important it is to me. Enjoy our friendly interview based around inspiring and motivation.

When you began riding, who inspired you, who was your favorite rider as you progressed?

My first inspiration really wasn’t a rider it was a magazine, Bmx Action Bike, that was the initial “hook”, then when I discovered Southsea Skatepark, a few of the locals there like Vince Gregory, James Booth, Jamie Morley encouraged me a lot, and at the time Carlo Griggs and Craig Campbell rode the park. Jamie, Carlo and Craig were the first real riders that I thought “wow these guys are crazy good I’d like to try and do what they do!”.

You have been riding a long time, what keeps you motivated?

My motivations change all the time, the two things that is always current during that whole time I’ve been riding are that I still enjoy going out and learning something no matter what it is, it could be a basic trick or something more difficult and music..I almost always have tunes blasting when I ride. Creatively working on new articles for flatmatters motivates me, gets my mind working in different ways, at which point I might get an idea for a trick, see if I can do it. Having an idea and seeing if you can make it reality, is something to look forward to I guess, that’s motivating.

How does riding make you feel?

A lot of feelings really, I feel mostly like an artist on a solo mission, you put together combos, add your own touches, you go back and refine those touches, and you might never reach what you intended. I saw a lot of similarities with what I was doing, and my dad painting from an early age, he would do much the same with canvas, some paintings he did were three years in the works, and there are some combos that I have been doing for three years plus and I’m still not happy with them, one was considered an art and one a sport or a craze at the time. Bike riding still keeps me feeling like a kid, I still scream and laugh sometimes outloud after I’ve tried a new trick and finally achieve what I was trying to do, I still find it very satisfying on a personal level.

I know for me riding is a serious outlet, and also something that I can really put my feelings into. Is it the same for you?

Yes very much so, flatland over the years, has given me so much, not only riding, but travels, meeting new people, contests, and now especially with flatmatters, I put even more time into it than I did before.

There have been many times were I have lost some motivation, and through a simple chat online you got me pumped up again to go session. Was there anyone for you like that, or any videos that made you feel that way?

Thanks lea, nice to know I motivate someone. Well pretty much daily I talk to a lot of riders worldwide, but the one guy I have the most interesting conversations with not only about riding is Martti Kuoppa, we talked a lot during most recent down time off my bike when I was injured with the on going achilles tendonitis, his intrikat parts have always inspired me to push myself as much as I can, it was Martti recently who pushed me to start documenting my personal progression on the blog. Flatlanders need to share their progression a lot more than they do.

What does it feel like to know that you are my inspiration to be a better rider, and a better person because how awesome you ride and how kind you are?

Very kind of you to say Lea, I’m not really sure what to say, I’m almost speechless, but what I would say is. I always said if I motivate one other person by riding or being who I am then, it’s worth putting all this time in, then maybe you can pass that on to the next person, and so on. Keep the dream alive.

What advice would you give riders of all levels? All levels?

Wow that’s a biggie Lea! To simplify this, bike riding is fun right? Ask yourself what you enjoy about flatland? I do this sometimes when I am having some down time, ask a simple question, what are your best days on your bike? Mine are where I learn something new, and you have that bounce in your step just from reaching your goal at the time. You laugh, you smile. That’s it. Simple things in life huh?

What advice would you give to new riders for when they get frustrated when they are having difficulties with a trick(s)?

With new riders I always advise to not have one particular trick that they work on, but to have a few, and go back and forth between them, you are building your core base as you go with that, and see what you get close to, you get that feeling like “this is going to happen” go with that feeling, try and learn tricks on both sides of the bike as you begin riding. I mean at some point you will have to dig deep to get a trick, but to begin with its important to get an initial bite on something to get that motivation up. Learning basic tricks both sides will help so much in your control, and progression down the line. I always say “flatland catches you up in the end” with regard to learning tricks both sides of the bike, learn it from the beginning would be my advice.

What is your favorite trick to watch other riders do, or what trick makes you motivated?

I don’t have a particular favourite trick, I get energy off anyone that has energy when they ride, if I can see they are into it, then I get inspired.

What is your number one favorite trick to do/work on?

That changes all the time. Latest favourite trick is the one I just filmed for the flatmatters exclusive this week.

What combo have you set a goal on doing for this year?

I have a big list that evolves all the time, this year my new years resolution is document my riding and progression more, I add things and tweak lil’ bits as my techniques improve. Right now my phone is full of a long list that I’m just starting to tick off and document, Xft’ed pivot stuff at the moment and their infinite possibilities to sum it up.

How did you get started with flatmattersonline.blogspot.com?

Well after Ride Uk dropped the flatmatters page, Mark Noble advised me to start my own site. Quite simply I started by checking around how hard it was to set up a blog site, a few of my few friends who skate have blog sites, and I used to check their sites a lot, and I thought this would be pretty useful in flatland, something you can update regularly, as flatland progresses so fast, I thought a blog site would help me to be flexible, and is easy enough to use, as I don’t know a lot about html coding, and building a website.

What keeps you motivated to work on the site daily?

Well, I’ve always been into doing creative things with my time off my bike, graphic design used to fill that void a lot. I thought I would start a blog site initially because there wasn’t a lot of flatland content online regularly, I got bored with what was online and would always end up looking at graphic design sites or skateboard sites for inspiration, so I thought let’s try and do something good and positive for the flatland scene that if I would want to see if I was looking at a site, then maybe other flatlanders would be into that also. Now it’s got the point where if I don’t update the blog by 10am, someone’s hitting me up on facebook, where’s the updates Effraim? Now it feels like a job, but a job I love.

Lastly, is there anyone you want to thank for support, motivation or inspiration?

My parents for support over the years, all my friends worldwide I made through flatland and otherwise, there’s too many to name, you know who you all are. Everyone who supports flatmatters. My girlfriend for putting up with talking about flatland all day everyday. Matt and the guys @ Profile UK, Mislav at Zion, Andras and OG Marton @ OG. And you Lea for the interview. Flatmatters.

Here are two of my favorite Effraim Videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy1QYeYpJMo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orkraaYvS8s

Please send me more videos, so I can choose a favorite video of the week. And I have yet to get videos of girls, so if you boys want to send me a video of your favorite girl rider please do so I can make a favorite girl rider of the month! Send to Leaizawsum@global-flat.com

Ride on ladies and gents

Lea