FMX
What Drives Tom Pagés to Push the Limits of FMX
The reigning champion of Red Bull X-Fighters Madrid explains what drives him to develop new tricks.
3 min
Tom Pagès talks tricks in Ride: World Elements
Tom Pagès shares his tips for innovation in this clip from the upcoming movie Ride: World Elements.
FMX star Tom Pagés is a one-off. He can land tricks that no one else can, including the bikeflip — and he's always expanding his repertoire. When on form, he's unbeatable. But beneath the helmet, is a complex and deep-thinking man determined to compete on his own terms and re-write the vocabulary of FMX.
"Freestyle motocross is a mental sport," says Pagès. "My strength is in the preparation. I arrive to the arena every single time fully concentrated and prepared. That's the key to success.
"I rehearse tricks hundreds of times. First I practice on softer ground and when I feel secure enough, I take the padding away. I practice twice a day for several hours. And I try not to leave any room for mistakes."
Tom Pagès soars over Las Ventas at X-Fighters
© Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Beneath the tough exterior Tom Pagès is shy and quite private: That's why his helmet is a particularly important part of his armour. "I think my helmet is an envelope where I can escape the stress while facing 40,000 fans," he says.
"It's a huge deal for me that Eigo rides with me. It helps me perform and lets me know that if something bad were to happen, then I would be with him."
I try not to leave any room for mistakes.
FMX is fiercely competitive but the riders are a close community. When a serious accident happens, it affects all the riders. After Sato's accident, Pagès had to choose between going into his friend's funeral or heading to Mexico for the Red Bull X-Fighters seasonpremiere. He chose to compete and dedicate his ride to his fallen friend.
"I thought of Eigo during every trick and screamed as loud as I could every time I landed. It was my way to mourn," Pagès says.
2 min
Tom Pages on his X Fighters 2013 triumph
2013 X Fighters Tom Pages talks to redbull.com at the season finale in Madrid...
Like so many other riders, Pagès came to freestyle motocross via BMX. His biggest inspiration was his older brother, Charles. They competed in BMX but the drive to pull off bigger tricks brought them to FMX.
Pagès still remembers his first trick with an FMX bike — a Clicker. Once he mastered that, he moved on to learn more. He developed incredibly quickly and there seemed to be no obstacle that he couldn't overcome. In 2009, he became a true legend when he and his brother became the first to pull front flips on video — he was still only 24 years old.
1 min
Tom Pagès does the first Bike Flip in competition!
Thomas Pagès makes history at Red Bull X-Fighters in Madrid with the first competitive Bike Flip.
But by the end of that year Pagès had fallen out of love with FMX, becoming disillusioned by what he saw as the increased commercialization of a sport that seemed to be evolving into little more than a backflip contest.
He sold his bike and turned his back on the sport.
Eventually, however, he turned to new coaches to help him rediscover his love for FMX. Pagès began to explore what had drawn him to the sport in the first place. He decided hat he would only focus on tricks that would give him genuine joy — that decision reignited his passion and he got on an FMX bike again.
Pagès developed a portfolio of so-called "new age" tricks. He developed a unique style and got back to the roots of freestyle motocross.
That love of the sport still drives him on. It's what helped him continue after Sato's death. In fact he was so inspired — and inspiring — that his comeback ended with a spectacular run to the Red Bull X-Fighters title in 2013.
Tom Pagés celebrates winning in South Africa
© Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool
Tom Pagés wins X Games gold in Texas
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
Close-up of the image of Eigo Sato on Tom’s helmet
© Balazs Gardi/Red Bull Content Pool
Tom Pages tames the scorpion
© Sebastian Marko/Red Bull Content Pool
So, what does the future hold for Tom Pagès? Is he going to hang up his helmet? It seems he's determined to keep pushing the envelope. "I always carry post-it notes with me, and during lunch breaks I write names of new tricks I would like to practice," Pagès says.
"There's always something you can do bigger, cleaner and flashier in FMX. The most important thing is to test your own limits and get outside your comfort zone — until one day you feel so good that only you can slow you down."
You can watch Tom Pagès in action at Red Bull X-Fighters in Madrid tomorrow night Live on Red Bull TV.