Name: Vivian Smeets
Nicknames: Viv
Age: 30
Started Riding: Freeride/DH since 2007 and cross country for more than 15 years.
Current Bike(s): Intense Slopestyle 2009, Specialized Stumpjumper 2007, Bianchi Via Nirone 2006
Riding Styles: Everything from Cross Country, Enduro to Freeride/DH. But I prefer FR/DH the most.
Racing Highlights: 1st place- Back to the roots race 2010 and 1st place – Belgium championship 2009.
Riding Highlights: Summer holiday 2010. We made a roadtrip to Morzine, Pila, Finale Ligure and Verbier. Two full weeks of riding in perfect weather circumstances combined with a tremendous
atmosphere and a lot of fun with my friends. After the riding; tasty italian food, ice cream, wines and a lot of beers.
Best biking day: The day that we were guided in Verbier (CH) by the Pure Gravity MTB Institute. Magnificent views, riding at the glacier, a stunning landscape of mountains, quaint Swiss villages and more than 2000 m downhill. www.puregravity.co.uk
Discipline do you want to try: I would like to try MX, my first lesson is already booked for 2011.
Fav Female Rider:Anneke Beerten, a Dutch top-ranked female four-cross rider. Excellent skills and highly passionate about the mountainbike sport.
Fav Male Rider: Gee Atherton, one of the world’s most talented and versatile bike riders.
Best Trick you perform: I don’t have enough patience to practice tricks I gues J Just go fast and enjoy the ride!
What has biking taught you:Expand your personal boundaries and enjoy each ride to the maximum!
Career: I work as a Product Manager within the Medical Devices Industry. I have a background as a Physiotherapist /Health Scientist.
Fav place to ride:Lac Blanc, Portes du Soleil, Switzerland
Fav people to ride with:My friends. And it would be nice if more women would ride mountainbike DH.
Headphones or no headphones:I only use headphones on my roadbike when I ride alone.
Fav music:Two door cinema club, Artic Monkeys, Daft Punk, MGMT
Other sports:Snowboarding, wakeboarding
iphone, Blackberry or Android: Blackberry, but it’s unfortunately not crash proof
Cats or Dogs: Definitely a dog. I have a young black Labrador, called Duke. Always enthusiastic, energetic and delighted to work and play hard.
Dream bike: Customized Intense slopestyle 2011 or Intense 951
Fav Biking Gear: My troy lee helmet and my 5.10 shoes, the best shoes in town for flatties.
Clipped in or Flats: Flats for freeriding and DH and clipped for cross country and road
Shuttle or Climb: The shuttle for sure when there is on present and open!
Thanks Vivian! We hope you have a successful season ahead!
