Quick Questions with Alisa Kapelson

Name: Alisa Kapelson
Instagram: @alice_kapel_son, Tik Tok @alkapelson
Age: I’m 19 years old
Sponsors: @otvagabmx, @anteaterclothing, @alienbmxshop

What is your BMX origin story – How did you get into BMX? I have been riding and learning BMX tricks since April 1, 2019. My friends inspired me to ride, back in 2016 my parents gave me a box, which I asked for for my birthday, but unfortunately, it was stolen from me six months later. On it, I only managed to learn how to pump pumps a little, then I didn’t even know the names of the tricks and was not going to learn how to ride BMX. Then I had to take a break and I played different sports all my childhood. I was involved in football, volleyball, swimming, athletics and even a rhythmic gymnast, but nothing gave me pleasure, despite winning competitions and other achievements. In football, my knee was severely injured and to this day I cannot play sports without a brace. In 2018 I met a local BMX scene and these guys inspired me to continue riding BMX, they helped me learn my first tricks. We watched BMX videos together and got inspired by them. My friends helped me build my bike and from 2019 to this day I continue to ride with them and enjoy every bike ride.

What languages do you speak? I speak Russian and study English hard

Your top three parks: 

1. My favorite parks in my hometown: one of them is near my house, my company and I donated as much as we could for materials and built a funbox, a quarter and an acceleration in it ourselves, and also brought and installed a railing (before that there were figures, which were built by our friends on skateboards and a few more figures built by workers from a Russian park construction company) we call this skatepark “plywood”.
2. My second favorite park is “Inmotion” – a small indoor park at the other end of St. Petersburg, there are many mobile figures and a rubber funbox. Now I work there as a BMX trainer. It is a very cozy place, especially in cold winter weather.
3. My third favorite park is “Change”. This is an indoor skatepark with a unique atmosphere of the St. Petersburg underground. You will always be welcome there, I really like to go there for night skiing. Despite the fact that this park is quite small, there are steep quarters, several railings and edges, as well as a good approach and departure.

Top three songs to get you pumped

1. Depeche Mode – Never Let Me Down Again
2. Muse – Feeling Good
3. Summer of Haze – Acqua minerale

Three people who inspire you and why:

1. My parents. They always support me in all my endeavours. I love them.
2. My close friends. I don’t want to single out anyone in particular, I am grateful to all of them, even if they are few, but they are my main support, especially in skating. Very often they give me a decisive “kick” so that I believe in myself and do a new trick.
3. I get a lot of inspiration from other riders. Of the men on BMX, I’ve been watching Johnny Raekes ride for a long time. His tricks amaze me. We sometimes communicate on Instagram, his kindness and positivity make me enjoy life and want to ride a bike.

What is a trend in BMX you want to stop seeing? I would like to see less negativity in the BMX world. There are so many scary things going on in the world, BMX for me is the place where I can be real and free, I don’t want to associate skating with politics, negativity and cause for controversy. I don’t want to see the rules in BMX, there aren’t any here. BMX is freedom, it’s an art that everyone can write as they want.

Favourite person to ride with? My favorite person to ride with is Danila, this is the closest person in my life, I’m glad that I have him, and even on the saddest day, we can just get on our bikes and go anywhere.

Favourite shoes to ride in? My favorite ski shoes are almost any Vans sneakers, and I also dream of buying Etnies slip-ons.

Most Inspiring Quote: It’s shameful to mean nothing, to be a parable on everyone’s lips – Boris Pasternak.

Best advice given: The best advice for me and for all riders is to do what you must and come what may. Calculate your strength, take care of yourself, and put on a helmet once again. Everything will turn out, the main thing is effort and a little patience.

Your biggest fear? My biggest fear is breaking my teeth in a fall on my bike.

Your proudest accomplishment? My proudest achievement is the people I have been able to teach, be it a new trick or overcoming a fear.

Three guilty pleasures:

1. View strange television series about hockey.
2. Eat a lot of tasty foods that I’m allergic to (I’m allergic and then I have to take pills or injections to avoid the consequences)
3. Just being lazy, lying in bed all day (sometimes I do)

Your worst habit? My worst habit is to take everything to heart. This is especially true in my relationship with my loved ones. Sometimes a person who does not want to offend me says something that hurts me and I think about it for a long time. Although it should be ignored

Your top three future goals you want to achieve: 

1. Finish University
2. Move to another country and bring my family there
3. Ride BMX at a higher level.