Stop what you are doing! Flat spin into the world of TSG team ripper Chris Visscher as you watch his latest short film, Well Rounded. If the first line and last trick doesn’t make you want to jump in the saddle and ride then you need your pulse checking!
by DANNY BURROW – photos & video by VALENTIN MÜLLER
Swiss mountain biker and TSG team ripper Chris Visscher has just released a killer short film, Well Rounded, and it is a must-watch. Filmed in the BikeKingdom Park and at his home resort of Davos, it takes a deep dive into the life of “Grizzly,” the rider, mechanic, and shaper, and puts his definition of Well Rounded into stunning pictures. The icing on the cake of Well Rounded is a basket full of peachy lines and tricks, starting with a white-knuckle scree ride and ending in a flat spin that Chris tags as “the cleanest and best” he’s ever done. Take it from us it’s a must watch. Enjoy!
Chris’ Well Rounded’ is an amazing short film. It is action-packed and delivers a cool, insightful look into you as a human and a rider. What does well-rounded as a mountain biker mean to you?
“Well-rounded” to me means that a rider practices mountain biking in its entirety and is skilled in all areas. This includes disciplines like downhill, freeride, dirt, and enduro and participating in races and competitions. Coaching in the biking field and building trails and parks are also part of it for me. Maybe “well-rounded mountain biker” would have been a more fitting title, ha-ha!
In the movie, you talk about riding ‘in the tunnel’ – what is it like to ride in that state of mind? And is the process you go through to put yourself into it?
In those moments, it feels like everything around me goes quiet and fades away.
The “tunnel” is quite a fascinating phenomenon for me when riding and one of the reasons why I love mountain biking so much. Everyone experiences it in their own way, but not everyone can switch it on and off at will. In those moments, it feels like everything around me goes quiet and fades away. I’m often so in the moment that I can’t even think. I act instinctively, and that’s exactly what riding means to me. I can forget everything, even if it’s just for a moment. I can focus incredibly well when I want to pull off a trick or ride a challenging line. Of course, the thoughts and feelings come back afterward, often quite overwhelming.
That first descent looks like a beast: Where was it? Can you describe it in detail and how it felt to ride?
We filmed the entire freeride segment at my home in Davos. The slope itself isn’t anything special to ride, but it’s great for filming because it’s easily accessible, and the colours of the rocks are amazing. As a rider, you have a lot of space and can play with the terrain.
It strikes me that you’re a perfectionist, whether riding, working on bikes, or building jumps. Would you say that is true? And if so, why?
I’m definitely a perfectionist. I find a sense of security in my perfectionism.
I’m definitely a perfectionist. I find a sense of security in my perfectionism. I’m perfectly prepared for tricks and technical lines. I see it almost like my signature when building trails, so every rider who hits my trails will know: “Ah, Grizzly built this.”
That last hit in the video: Was that one of your builds? And how sweet did that three feel? Man, that trick looked SO bad ass!!!
In fact, I built that jump myself—my idea of the perfect trick jump. A steep take off, the landing higher than the take off, and clear edges so I can immediately see where I need to land after a rotation. I’ve been doing the flat spin lookback for about a year, but the flat spin in the film was the cleanest and best one I’ve ever done. It took us three tries to get it. I went so high the first time that I jumped out of Valentin’s frame. The second attempt was good, but I didn’t land perfectly, and the camera angle wasn’t quite right either.
Watch Well Rounded now
