We asked Bmx Athlete Ertan Üçkumru the questions that you are curious about.
Could you briefly introduce yourself to us? Where were you born and what are you doing as a profession?
Ertan: 1971 Almanya doğumluyum. Yaklaşık 4 yaşımdan beri İstanbul’da yaşamaktayım. 40 yıldır bisiklet sporcusuyum. Son 12 yıldır ülkemizin ilk Bmx ve Bmx parçası dağıtımcı firması olan Darkside Distribution’ı işletmekteyim.
What influenced you to start bmx?
Ertan: actually, at the beginning of the 80s, there was no source that could be seen and affected as it is today. There was no computer or internet. It was 1982 and I rode for the first time on the bike of a friend who had made a definite return from Germany. The next year, I started cycling constantly with a "Pinocchio" brand bike that came out of a lottery. I made progress in a very short time and mastered driving on the rear wheel by lifting the so-called "Whelie" front wheel. About a year later, when I saw young people with "Bmx" doing various movements by using their brakes and bouncing on their feet, my "Freestyle Bmx" life, simply called bicycle acrobatics, began.
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What is your favorite style? What are your favorite brands?
Ertan: I don't have a favorite style. I have a driving style that we call "Freestyle" in general and includes many disciplines such as "Street, Park, Flatland, Dirtjump". Of these, Street and Park are the disciplines that I spend more time on. As for brands, there are many valuable brands in the Bmx world and we distribute most of them. However, "Odyssey", which I call the locomotive of the BMX industry, is my favorite brand. He really invented the "Gyro" for the Bmx world and brought many patented products. The "Sunday" and "Gsport" brands it contains are also my favorite brands, and the parts of my bmx bike I use consist of these three brands.
What do you think about Bmx, Skateboarding and street sports in Turkey?
Ertan: Unfortunately, street sports do not receive the necessary attention in our country and cannot go beyond a whim. In this regard, Skateboard is undoubtedly one step ahead. Yes, they only live their enthusiasm in a period of a few years. The formations necessary for the development of these sports are not enough, but we are now in a time where everything can be accessed more easily. Especially for the last 10 years, there are "Skateparks" all over our country where we can do these sports freely. Obviously, now young people need to own these sports that they do first of all.
What advice do you have for newcomers to street sports?
Ertan: First of all, they need to understand that the sport they do adds a lot of positive things to them physically, mentally and socially. I would advise them to see this as a real sport and keep in mind that sport requires discipline.
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Ertan Üçkumru Social Media Account
Ertan Uckumru (@ertanuckumru)
Prepared by; Mikdat Anıl Balta, Enfal Altar Calapverdi
