Andreas, our resident
Viking, has been riding for three years. We caught up with him after
this latest clip was recorded, while he was getting some much needed
R&R.
How did you get into this gig?
How did any of us get into it? Through perseverance, I guess. Extreme
sports have always been my thing; it was sky diving that introduced
me to base jumping. After numerous jumps, there didn't seem much
else left to do, then I heard rumours about Sandro and Marcelo.
So what did you do next?
Well, they're pretty tough customers to find. I finally caught up
with them after several months, following their trail through Brazil,
Uruguay and Peru. I think they thought I was mad, but they took
me under their wing. Three weeks later, I had my first taste of
riding.
What was that first experience like?
Awesome, no words can describe it! It's like a jolt of adrenaline
straight to the heart, riding rodeo style on several tons of winged
lizard.
How many have you chalked up since?
Five, including that first one, but I've been lucky, haven't had
a staller yet.
Looks like the one in your latest video did everything but
stall.
Yeah, it was pretty mean. There was one point, when I was thrown
forwards, where it almost managed to bite me in half. No flames
though, which to be honest was a relief; freestyling is difficult
enough without having to fight fire.
Is that when you got injured?
I was so lucky. The very edge of its teeth just caught my leg.
It looks like a sizable chunk, a bit like a shark bite.
That's what I told the doc when he was patching me up in Macapa.
Apart from one hell of a scar, looks like my leg's going to be just
fine in a couple of months.
So, what's next on the agenda?
Thailand.
By Matt
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