Bike
BMX
Kriss Kyle: Where did it all begin?
How did this plucky Scot go from riding his local skatepark to pushing the boundaries of BMX?
With his latest project, Don't Look Down, Kriss Kyle has cemented his status as a BMX legend.
But how did he start out? As you can see from these photos, before he was pushing the boundaries of BMX bike tricks, aeronautical engineering and skate park building, Kriss was a mere lad ripping around his hometown of Stranrear.
Kriss Kyle was on wheels from a young age
© [unknown]
"I was never in the house as a kid, I was always on two wheels. Whether it was rollerblading, skateboarding or on a bike."
Kriss Kyle's first bike was a BMX/MTB hybrid
© [unknown]
"My first bike was half-mountain bike, half-BMX. I remember my dad took me out to the park and took my stabilisers off. I could go so fast but I didn’t know how to stop so I would just keep going until I crashed, it was amazing.
"I started BMX when I was 10 years old. I was just hooked on it. My big brother was doing it, he looked like he was having so much fun. I begged my Mum and Dad to give me a BMX for my 10th birthday. I haven’t looked back since I got on that bike. It was a 16-inch Hero 360.
"BMX kind of took over my life. It was all that I wanted to do. I couldn’t get it out of my head. I never thought I would be a professional. I just kept doing what I wanted to do."
Despite appearances, Kriss was not a model student
© [unknown]
"School life was shit! Only messing, school was good. I had a couple of friends who also rode BMX so I hung out with them. They ended up quitting though, so we grew apart. I would go to school and hang around by myself. I was a bit of a loner.
"I remember sitting in class wondering why I was there. It would be sunny outside and I would just want to ride my bike.
"I would wander home after class instead of going to the next class, grab my bike and go ride. School just didn’t appeal to me. BMX was my life."
Kriss Kyle at home in Unit 23
© Ricky Adam/Red Bull Content Pool
"I moved away from home when I was about 14 years old. I did it all by myself, hopping around from place to place. I had no money so I would be eating sweets out of the café in the skate park.
"Chick Mailey, the guy who owns Unit 23, took me in and treated me like a son. He said I could stay at Unit if I wanted to. It was a dream come true.
"I didn’t have a bed so I was sleeping on a two-seater couch. It was super scary as I was the only person in this massive warehouse at night. It was hard to be away from home but as soon as it was morning and my friends were back in the skatepark, it was just another good day. Then it would be night again and I would be lying there shitting myself all over again."
"I first realised I could do this for a living when I was about 18. I couldn’t believe I was getting paid to ride my bike. I have spent the last few years riding in the most incredible places. It is amazing. "I have just finished the biggest project of my life with Kaleidoscope and now I have my face on a Red Bull can. It's crazy. It’s all happened so quickly. It feels like only yesterday that I was riding my local skatepark."
