Name: Wibke Mattea Vogel
Socials: @wibko
Current Age: 25
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Sponsors: Vans Europe
How did you get into BMX? My journey to BMX is a bit longer. As a kid, I always dreamed about having a dirt bike or BMX and at 14 I could finally afford my first one. But unfortunately, I didn’t really get into riding that much or having too much fun as I was living in a small town without a connection to the BMX community, finding it really hard to learn any tricks at all. Slowly I began to develop some enthusiasm for downhill biking and over the next years, I focused more on big bikes and shredding in the woods. But as I moved to a new town for studying at 20, the local skatepark was near my home. The first year I rode there with a dirt bike, but from time to time I picked up my old BMX again and realized having 4 pegs and a small frame underneath me was so much more joy and also easier to learn.
What languages do you speak? German and English
What are your top three parks? For sure the local skatepark in Marburg (the city I studied in and learned most of my riding), “Tempelhofer Feld” skatepark in Berlin and the “Osthafen” skatepark in Frankfurt.
Top three songs to get you pumped?
- Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes
- Street Pulse Beat by Boy Harsher/Special Interest
- Leichter//kälter by Edwin Rosen
Three people who inspire you and why.
- Veronique Sandler – She’s actually not a BMX rider, but a freestyle mountain biker and dirt bike rider and her style while riding is insanely flowy. Her IG videos just always give me a smile on my face and she’s also got some big projects she implemented in the past.
- Jannik Schmid – He’s a local rider in Berlin, his flow and style amaze me every time I see his riding and he’s also a really nice guy in general.
- No person, but the whole Cliché Crew – I can’t really put into words how much passion and joy for BMXing comes across when you ride with these girls. All of them are inspiring on and off the bike in their own individual way.
What is a trend in BMX you want to stop seeing? I think every trend has its legitimacy to be there as long as it’s not hurting anyone. But I’m also not well educated in the current BMX trends hahaha
How do you spend your days off your bike? I recently began to work as a carpenter, building stuff with wood, so that takes a lot of my time. But in my free time, I enjoy hanging with my friends, going to museums or some cultural events and putting some work into being educated about political and feminist theories. I also love to film aesthetic scenes and edit videos, so from time to time I work on a project.
Favourite person to ride or train with? All the Berlin riders, they openly welcomed me last year, love them all.
Favourite shoes to ride in? Right now the Vans X Fast and Loose BMX STYLE 114
Most inspirational quote? “Kein Gott, kein Staat, kein Hinterrad” The rhyme doesn’t work in English, I’m sorry.
Best advice given to you? To sometimes step back with my dogged ambitions and take a break, take a step back and find new joyful energy while not making myself responsible for taking breaks.
Your biggest fear? I’m actually really scared of hurting my body in some kind of way and having a big injury afterwards.
Your proudest accomplishment? I’m proud that I’ve built up my social environment with kind and loving people that impact me in a positive way
Three guilty pleasures?
- My messy room
- McDonald’s food
- German Hip Hop
Your worst habit? Sometimes I can get a bit competitive which bothers me a lot because I don’t want to have any of those feelings toward the people around me.
If you could hire someone to help you in some sort of aspect of your life, what would it be? I’m trying to look after my mental health a lot, it’s where my energy for what I love to do comes from. So I would hire a therapist.
What is an amazing experience you had that couldn’t have happened without BMX? Last year I had the honor to travel to some places in Europe for jams or the Cliché Video project. I’ve met so many cool locals that showed us around the city and showed us the spirit of the city, I wouldn’t want to miss that.
Your top three future goals you want to achieve?
- Travelling more with my bike and friends
- Work on new video projects on and off the bike
- Being more loving with myself
