Our Pivot Factory Racing athletes are best known for the minutes, seconds and milliseconds of race day on the course. While that brief time may define them as racers, the time spent travelling, training and living life creates the team dynamic. We recently sat down with our athletes for an inside look at what defines Pivot Factory Racing culture. Their words bring life to the moments between.
“Eddie is easily the clown of the group. I’m not sure if it’s always a good thing though… one of the funniest moments would have to be when he shot a hole by accident through a RV seat an into the windscreen with an air gun!”
– Bernard Kerr
“I really look up to Eddie and Matt, as Enduro specialists (fact they probably will deny) but most of all kiwis, for the way they approach racing. It is really interesting for me, as a former XC rider that has that European way of thinking about performance and training. I’ve learned an enormous amount being with Bernie and the team, having a more relaxed approach without overthinking things really helped me to maximize the fun, and then also the performance at the end of the day. I have a different schedule than the boys at races so we can’t really ride together but we hang out a lot and talk about the track, lines, I’ve got a lot of question for them… haha!”
– Emilie Siegenthaler
“The new team has been amazing. It’s just so refreshing to keep everything fun and enjoyable. Then the bike has been game changing again! It took a little while to find the bikes limits so where I used to feel comfortable on my old bike is miles behind where we are now! These things are unreal, and I am beyond stoked to be part of the team.”
– Matt Walker
“This winter I’ve been off the bike completely as I had broken my elbow at the end of the season without knowing it! Managed to get a few races done with strapping and painkillers but giving it some time to fully heal now. So, I’ve changed up the pace and kitted out my van into a self-contained camper and built a surfboard. I’m allowed to pick the bike up again I’ve already started clocking kilometers!"
– Matt Walker
“I’ve been dealing with an injury, so my off season has really been based around rehabbing my wrist and doing everything possible to come back even stronger in 2020. Other than that, I’ve had a big project on my hands which involved cutting a house in half putting it on a truck and moving it to a piece of land I bought. We’re almost finished, and I’ll be stoked when it’s all done!”
– Eddie Masters
“Our team is unique in the sense that we are actually all really good friends, so it makes for some really fun times between the races. Generally, when we have some time off, we try and head somewhere with good riding and also try and fit in any other tourist activities because after I few years on the road you realize that you need to make the most of it.”
– Eddie Masters
“Biggest highlight of life on the road is just getting to do it. I still have to pinch myself that I get to live my dream and I feel a responsibility to enjoy it and share that stoke with whoever I meet along the way. The biggest challenge is being so far away from home and literally living out of a suitcase, there are times during each season where all you want to do is go home and chill for a few days. Having such an epic crew around makes things much easier and without them it probably wouldn’t be possible.”
– Eddie Masters
“Maybe it is hard to balance being racer and team manager but now it’s just the norm to me. I really enjoy both aspects and feel very lucky for all the things I’ve got to learn and the experiences its leading to."
– Bernard Kerr
“It’s been a slow recovery but taking a step back from bikes only stokes the fire. I find myself watching videos from last season, even watching go pros and it just makes me want to come back fitter, stronger and faster. It was a tough pill to swallow, but only briefly before looking ahead and knowing that everything happens for a reason. Injuries are such a rollercoaster, you go through so many different trains of thought but the fact that I keep dreaming of bikes gives me confidence that I’m on the right path.”
– Eddie Masters
Photos by Boris Beyer