The number of people that have DMed me saying, “this is what I want to do when I retire,” is staggering. But let’s face it; we all wanna be this guy when we retire. Old school aero bars, elastomer shocks, a three-speed front chainring… as the guy making the video says, “this guy doesn’t give a fuck!”
For us in the bike world, it’s rare to find a character like this; the soulful, seemingly penniless prophet that absolutely rips. It happens in the surf world all the time. They even have a name for it in surfing; a soul surfer. As defined on soulandsurf.com: “Soul surfers care less about who won the last pro-surfer competition or which surfer earns the most from their sponsors. And more about how they feel in the ocean, why they surf, what it means to commit to a surfing lifestyle and how surf is deeply woven into their lives.”
So who is he?
According to Aussie Josiah Malouf, the rider the whole world is envying is Jack Wittenberg. “The fella’s name is Jack, he’s an OG BMX racer,” says Malouf. “He’s one of the most skilled individuals I’ve ever seen on a bike. He’s come out to a community event I’ve run a few times and absolutely shredded that old rig on some decent sized jumps. Super skilled bloke and great to chat to. Absolute legend. He pops out to the jumps once in a while. Yeah he was a professional BMX racer that was signed to some big factory team in the ’80s and ’90s. Never seen him wear a helmet, never seen him wear shoes, and he’s so giving and so friendly. But because of his physical appearance, some people will try and disparage him and make fun of him. Parents get a little weirded out. I’m in the process of trying to get his contact.”
Apparently he’s a tough guy to get a hold of. Which only adds to his mystique. Sure would be cool if he doesn’t own a cell phone huh?
Location, location, location
Are you ready to retire?
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…