Red Bull Batalla's 2020 champion Rapder checks out a different freestyle
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In your own battles, you often make references to sport. Do you play football yourself?
I’ve been in love with football and playing since I was a little kid. I actually trained and played in the minor leagues for Atlas FC in my home city of Guadalajara. I’m still a big fan.
What do you think about the skills these freestylers are showcasing?
I respect freestyle a lot, because even though there are similarities between freestyle and team football, in freestyle you need both technique and a very personal style. I think freestyle is more complex, so I really appreciate what I’m seeing.
Do you see similarities between this and what you do at Red Bull Batalla?
Definitely. First, the kind of freestyle that I do and the sport of freestyle football both come from the street, and that’s very important to me. And yes, these two disciplines have a lot in common, but I think freestyle football is much more complex. In my world, we have to be strong mentally. But if you are a freestyle footballer, it’s not only about your mental focus, but also about being in good physical shape to respond to your opponent. And you have to master not only your own body, but an external object, the ball.
Brynjar Fagerli in action at the Red Bull Street Style World Final
© Gianfranco Tripodo/Red Bull Content Pool
Another similarity seems to be that whether you’re improvising lines or freestyling with a football, the best in the world find a rhythm and flow. Would you agree?
Totally. They are very similar that way. In Red Bull Batalla, we can’t prepare any kind of routine ahead of time, we just have to react to our opponents and improvise. And even though the athletes in Red Bull Street Style can generally prepare a routine, they still have to react to what their opponent is doing in order to beat them.
You’ve got your first title defence of Red Bull Batalla coming up very soon. Which do you think is harder, climbing to the top or staying there?
Personally, I don’t think there’s much difference. The situation is the same for me as it is for the freestylers here: the whole field is leveling up, so the opponents you face in a big finale are at a very high level.
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You’ve really been immersed in the competitive environment at the Palau de la Música. Does that adjust your mindset for your own final in Chile?
Yes, learning about a new discipline helps you understand what it will take to perform well in your own sport. And seeing the concentration of these guys and girls – everything it took for them to get ready here – gets me really excited and motivated for what’s coming on December 11.
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