29 July 2020
Best known for sending it big on concrete skateparks around the world for the past 15 years, Vans + Federal BMX Pro Kevin Kalkoff takes his freestyle skills to the dirt, incorporating tire slides, wall rides and tables into this new edit with Hutchinson.
In need of something new, Kevin was convinced by his mate Sergio Layos to give enduro a try. Three years on from his first big wheel ride on the local trails around Annecy (French alps), he now puts on a masterclass in MTB steeze – merging dirt shredding with skate park finesse – even turning a tree into a quarter pipe !
33 years old Kevin Kalkoff is a 19 year veteran of BMX riding, including 15 years as a pro. Better known for his flow and unrivaled style than for big tricks, he has won the Style Award at the Vans Rebel Jam multiple times. Throughout his career, Kevin has cultivated his own unique way of riding: not extravagance but creativity, flow, style, speed and amplitude.
After almost twenty years on 20-inch wheels, in a bowl or on streets all around the world, Kevin was looking for a change. While he wasn’t very excited at first about having to go to the bike park to ride, the democratization of enduro bikes made him take the plunge. He wanted his “new” environment to involve nature, riding with friends and to be stress free.
“It’s really different, the bike doesn’t react the same way at all. What prepared me for mountain biking is the fact that in BMX you don’t have any room for mistakes – it works or it doesn’t. Mountain bike suspensions are very forgiving if you hang up – that it made it a bit easier to transition to.”
In just 3 years, he managed to find his own way, introducing his unique style to the big bike, dual suspension and peaked helmet world of MTB.
This video, in collaboration with Hutchinson, is Kevin’s first big step into MTB world. He and his friends built this trail during winter to suit his riding style: fun, with lots of airtime ! Today it’s not really the competitions that interest him, but just having a good time riding his local spot with friends and contributing to the MTB culture with his own style. That said, it’s with this same spirit that he started BMX 19 years ago… so we’ll see where it leads !