Five Minutes With Tom Robinson

It’s turning out to be a busy year for Australian FMX underdog, Tom Robinson. While filming for Jackson Strong’s upcoming movie, Headstrong 2, Tommy received the call-up to compete at the inaugural Australian FMX Grand Prix (AFMXGP) in Melbourne. The offer was too good to refuse, being such a major Aussie competition, so the filming was put on hold for the weekend. Tom set off to Melbourne to go up against some of the biggest names in the FMX industry and he came out swinging, to say the least. I caught up with Tommy Rob after the event to chat about how it all went down.

Ben: How did it feel to get an invite to ride such a major Australian FMX event?
Tom: It felt awesome. I was a bit hesitant at first because there were so many big names riding there but I’m stoked with how it all turned out.

What was the atmosphere like on arrival at the AFMXGP?
There was a good vibe going on when everyone turned up. The course was built really well and everyone was super excited to get out there and tear it up. It’s always good catching up with all the riders you only really see at events.

The Speed & Style course looked smooth, so how was the track set-up?
Yeah, it was sick. Brooksy and his crew did an awesome job building the course and kept it maintained and watered throughout the whole event, so it was prime. The event was run really professionally, so a big props goes out to AME Management.

You’ve been going hard behind-the-scenes for the last few years.  How does it feel to make the list and break into such a mainstream event?
I was stoked to have my name on the list with some of the big international names. I’ve been working so hard to get my riding to that level, so it was good to be able to show people what I can do.

There was a mixed bag of international FMX riders and motocross riders. Who stood out amongst the field?
The two riders that stood out for me were David Rinaldo and Lewis Woods. David’s tricks are all so polished and he has his own style added to them, and Lewis Woods was so fast around the track and was effortlessly throwing huge whips off every jump.

Were you nervous about competing against the international riders?
Yeah I was, for sure. They all ride so good and have body varials down-pat. I thought I would be in with a chance on the podium, though, if I did all my big tricks. So I took a little risk and smashed them out in the wind and it worked out pretty well.

Was there any standout moments at the event?
Lots of crazy stuff went down, but the thing that stands out the most for me was Phillip Podmol’s 360. Unfortunately, he under-rotated a little and crashed, but it was the most bad-ass 360 I’ve ever seen. All the best with your recovery, Phillip.

What categories did you compete in and how did you place?
I competed in FMX and Speed & Style. I placed second Overall in FMX and third in Speed & Style.

How did your FMX run go?
My run went good. I did all my big Flip tricks and uprights. I do a lot of “let go” upright tricks which are really difficult in a cross wind but I didn’t miss any tricks in my run so I was really happy with it.

How did you go in your Speed & Style runs? Was the course tricky?
I was pretty happy with how I rode in Speed & Style. I ride at a mate’s supercross track a lot just for fun so the rhythm sections felt pretty easy for me. The hardest part was doing the big Flip tricks with such bad arm pump (laughs). I ended up with the Bronze medal so I was pretty stoked about that.

How does it feel to podium amongst a field of world-class athletes?
It feels awesome. It’s kind of like a reward after spending so much time and effort practicing and pushing through injuries.

What are your goals for the rest of the year?
I’m really keen to start doing some body varials to dirt soon. I’ve got two or three that I’ve been playing with in the pit. I would also love to go over to Europe and do some “Night Of The Jumps” competitions. That’s what I’m striving towards at the moment.

Anything else you would like to say?
Thanks to my friends and family for supporting me and giving me somewhere to ride. Thanks to my sponsors for keeping me in good gear and keeping my bike up to scratch – it’s a huge help when your on a freestyler’s budget (laughs)!