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Martha Hucker interviews Fionn Griffiths

 

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Fionn Griffiths 2009.
Photo: Fionn Griffiths

 

UK downhiller Fion Griffiths chatted to Martha Hucker reporter Rita Langley about her team, her favourite parts of racing, learning from Missy Giove and her secrets for good luck when she hits the race track…

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Fionn Griffiths, Freeride Style.
Photo: Fionn Griffiths

What Fionn is up to at the moment:
I’m super busy putting together the Norco World Team this year so I’m up to my ears in paper work! But I’m really looking forward to racing this year so it should be good.

How Fionn keeps racing fun even though DH is both her job and her passion:
I don’t count the racing part of it as my job, I still do it for the same reason I started, and that’s because I love the experience of it. The job side of it comes into it with the running of the team and the organizational part, which is something that I add on myself and something that I can offer to sponsors, so I can continue to do what I want to do with my life, and that’s ride my bike.

Fionn on Griffiths Racing and the Norco World Team:
Four years ago I set up Grifftihs Racing, which is a management company. Through that and through partnerships with sponsors I’ve set up the Norco World Team. It’s a natural progression from riding in factory teams to running my own team. We have a van and a mechanic, and it’s a bit of extra work but it’s something I want to keep doing after I stop racing as well. We’re looking to pick up a couple of Juniors in the next few years and ring them through into the ranks of the World Cup Downhill.

 

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Fionn Griffiths, Whistler 2008.
Photo: Fionn Griffiths

 

What Fionn likes best about racing World Cups:
I definitely enjoy the social side of things, basically it’s like a big family – we all travel round the world together and we all have a good time. It’s kind of surreal to people looking from the outside because it seems we have a bit of a rockstar life, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t see. But for me, it’s the social side of things and just riding my bike. I love to ride, and I love to push my limits – find them, fall down, and get back up!

Fionn on why her former mentor Missy Giove is still seen as such a legend:
She did so much for the sport to make people aware of it. And her father who was her manager worked really ard to build her up as a brand so she was recognized throughout the world. She did lots of commercials and got really into that whole side of things which I’m kind of hoping to follow in her footsteps a little bit. I’d like to branch out from the original thinking of just going to the races and race. The next step is to build a brand up around your racing and she’s one of the first people who really did that. She’s obviously a phenomenal rider, and a great person, and a great personal friend of mine as well. But I think that’s the reason that made her stand out – the work that she put in behind the scenes to market herself. And I got a good behind the scenes look at how she does that when I first started. No I don’t wear my dead pet fish around my neck – I think Missy and I are a little different in that sense! I did use to have the crazy dyed hair… but I out grew that I think!

 

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Fionn Griffiths, 2008.
Photo: Fionn Griffiths

 

Fionn has some tricks to keep luck on her side during races:
Every year I have a new set of dust-caps I put on my bike and they stay on the entire year. Also, if my heads in it for a race, I’ll stand behind my bike and not sit on it until just before I ride. It’s not something I think about, but I do it every time.


Fionn still finds it hard to get into the headspace for racing some times: Especially because I have such a relaxed attiture to racing – if I’m gonna do well I’m gonna do well on the day. So, sometimes it’s hard for me to find my space, but when I do I know I can do really well.

Fionn’s rcing plans for 2009:
My focus is on downhill, I enjoy 4x but I see myself as more of a downhiller. But I will be racing all th DH and 4x world cups as well as Crankworks and various other events.

 

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Fionn Griffiths winning the US Open, 2008.
Photo: 

 

Fionn has loads of people to thank:
The list is endless! Everyone who’s supported me with my racing and riding, my parents have been the biggest support in my career. Jill Coleby who helped me build up the team but is in the army now, and obviously Missy. Without Missy’s help and support I wouldn’t have ended up on the World Cup circuit as quickly as I did, and have the learning curve that I did in riding and racing.

 

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Fionn Griffiths 2008.
Photo: Fionn Griffiths