"Oh man, you and your harebrained ideas …"

Nobody has ever jumped as high on a BMX bike than Kevin Robinson did at Red Bull Experiment in Central Park, New York. In an interview, the 36-year-old American talks about how the seeming ten-minute flight felt – and why he wouldn’t have gone home without a world record.

So, Kevin, has your wife filed for divorce?

[Laughs]. No, not yet. She’s just as tough as I am.

By way of explanation, when you fell at Red Bull Experiment on June 12, she got hit by your bike and had to get four stitches on her arm ...

... in the meantime, everything’s great ...

How did you come up with the idea for Red Bull Experiment – a world record attempt for the highest air with a BMX bike?

The event was actually meant to be a tribute to my friend and teacher Mat Hofmann. At the beginning of the Nineties he set a BMX height record, but never got the respect he deserved. I wanted to change that.

Just for the record: 54 feet, the height you beat his record with, is equal to about six floors. When you’re up there, do you think, ‘Oh, damn! What am I doing here?’ or does the adrenaline cover up all your feelings?

Well, during the very first jump you think, ‘Oh, man, you and your harebrained ideas ...’ But with each further attempt it gets easier. The great thing about such a high air is that the flight seems to last ten minutes. If something goes wrong, you also have time to develop Plan B ...

Isn’t 16 meters up a little, er, limiting to develop plans?

No, you can still do something. Even if you don’t land correctly, you can still prepare for the fall – and avoid more serious injuries.

It took you six attempts to break the record, and then you cut back because you still weren’t happy. How much does that tell us about the character of K-Rob?

I’ve always done things in the face of adversity and taken on challenges. For me it was clear that this day would end with a new record – or with me in hospital.

It wasn’t only your ambition that was over-dimensional but also the ramp you jumped from ...

Yeah, it was 27 feet high. The bike was also especially made, was geometrically different. The wheelbase was much longer than on a normal BMX bike. That was to minimize rotation. The next time, though, I’m going to use a 32- or 34-foot ramp.

There’s going to be a next time?

Yeah, you bet! I’m not the kind of guy who’s happy to sit back when he’s achieved something.

In Central Park athletes like freeskier Simon Dumont, BMX colleague Jill Kintner and New England Patriots’ Wes Welker and Lonnie Paxton cheered you on for this attitude. Which athlete do you most admire?

In the very first instance it’s Mat Hofmann. Then of course, the ones you mentioned, because they’re good friends of mine. And I also really respect Junior Seau, who’s also a good buddy. He’s a linebacker for the New England Patriots and has played football at top level for 18 years.

So he’s been in the business longer than you. When you take part in the X Games 14 in a few weeks’ time, you’re going to do so as one of the few athletes to participate in all the X Games events. What goals do you have? An eighth X Games medal?

To have fun. And of course I want to do as well as I can in the Big Air and Vert contests.

You showed how great your form is at the Panasonic Open in Baltimore. How happy were you with your fourth place?

Very. I hardly had time to train for the vert, and the handling of the bike seemed unusual during the first few attempts. But despite that I managed to get a good starting position in the AST overall standings.

How much of a kick do you actually still get out of contests? You’ve already won everything that was possible to win.

I still really love competitions. But I like doing my own thing. This recent record and my charity projects – all this is just as important to me.

On July 11 the next Red Bull Experiment is being held in Santa Monica. On an FMX bike, Ronnie Renner wants to achieve the same thing you did: the highest air world record. What tips have you got for him?

Ronnie’s got enough experience to know what it’s about. But I’ll be there to fire him up, for sure.