Catching Up with Kjersti Buaas - Page 2
April 16, 2008 @ 7:34 AM
OB: Well, I think you did a little better than just ‘make it in’…
KB: I just made it in from qualifiers as the last person to qualify, and then I just went for it [laughs].
OB: Bet you’re pretty stoked you did it now.
KB: Yeah, really stoked. Maybe it took the pressure off me.
OB: Yeah. So from there you went onto the Chicken Jam. I was wondering how the vibe differs between something with guys and girls riding together, like at the US Open, to an all-girl set up?
KB: I think it’s fun either way. I like to ride contests with both guys and girls, it kind of pushes the level, but the Chicken Jam where there is only girls riding, the vibe is really good. The course also seems work better for us when it’s a girls-only contest, because it’s kind of built specifically for the girls
OB: So how did the Chicken Jam work out for you?
KB: I got 3rd in pipe, so that was fun, and in slopestyle I screwed up on the last jump and fell, so I got 9th. Ouch.
OB: I seem to remember you used to ride quite a bit of pipe - well, the bronze at the Olympics means you can ride it rather well, I’d say! - but has your focus changed more to slopestyle and kickers of late?
KB: I just think its fun to ride both, I never really competed in slopestyle before this year, and I really like it a lot. It’s a bit different to pipe, and I also think that you can use things you learn in the pipe on jumps and vice versa. It just makes everything more fun. Riding just pipe can get really boring [laughs].
OB: Ok, back to the Chicken Jam. It was the last stop on the women’s TTR tour, and after your win at US Open you had jumped up the rankings and even had an outside shot at winning the whole thing. Did that affect you at all?
KB: Yeah, actually it did affect me. I was not even thinking about it and then everybody started saying that I had a chance of winning it and I kind of freaked out. I even saw dollar bill signs when I rode, and that was scary [laughs]! I just had a goal on making it into top 5 after the US Open. I think everybody was a bit stressed out because of the TTR standings thing. It was fun to think about though…
OB: Wow. Yeah, the stakes are pretty high these days.
KB: Yeah, it’s crazy how much money you actually can win if you do really good.
OB: I guess the difference between 4th and 5th is still a good lump of cash.
KB: Yeah, I am stoked.
OB: I suppose you have to get all Zen and Mr Myagi style and forget about it and concentrate on just riding.
KB: I guess so, that’s what really matters anyways.
OB: For sure. How do you see women’s riding progressing in general? Wow, that’s a pretty big one actually, heaps to talk about there. But the last few Opens I’ve been, to the riding really seems to have stepped up.
KB: [Laughs] Yeah, I think the women’s riding is insane now, everyone is so good, and they have lots of style as well. It’s really cool to be a part of that. The pipe at the X-Games was crazy, so good riding. Did you see the finals?
OB: No, sadly I didn’t.
KB: It was awesome.
OB: I was just going to say that the likes of Kelly, Torah, Gretchen, Teter, yourself and others are riding real smooth, real tech right now.
KB: I need to learn some new tricks though, they are freaking crazy!
OB: I mean Torah does the techest shit you don’t see the guys doing. I remember Antti Autti giving her mad props on that.
KB: Yeah, it’s insane. I am going to learn some new tricks this summer, I really need to keep up with these girls.
OB: What you got in mind?
KB: Cab 720 and try to get the McTwist back.
OB: Nice.
KB: And maybe some backside spins. I really suck at that.
OB: Me, I’ll stick to trying to learn handplants but hurting my fingers in the process…
KB: I want to learn them too.
