page 4 2013 Tommi Ahvala Feature Interview
So we are cruising along. The dictaphone comes out and starts to record. What you are reading here is word for word exactly as the questions are asked and as Tommi replies. One day I will upload the audio and you will hear the laughs we had : )
The interview text spans 39 pages of A4 text alone. Once I've added the many many many photos I could produce a book with all of this material :), but that's not what it's all about. It's about the trial. It's about the hero's of the trial.
It's in the detail that the surprises come out, and boy are you in for a treat.
The interview text spans 39 pages of A4 text alone. Once I've added the many many many photos I could produce a book with all of this material :), but that's not what it's all about. It's about the trial. It's about the hero's of the trial.
It's in the detail that the surprises come out, and boy are you in for a treat.
tommi ahvala - exclusive interview
Where were you born?
I was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1971.
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have just one brother and his name is Jommi and he was born in 66 so he about 5 and half years older than me.
What did your father and mother do for work?
They both worked at the Finnish TV. My mum was, I don’t know if it’s called ….mixer, there’s a director for the program that tells camera 1, camera 2 and my mum was pushing the buttons and making it happen and then my father was designing those boards that my mother used. My father was a designer for these.
I was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1971.
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have just one brother and his name is Jommi and he was born in 66 so he about 5 and half years older than me.
What did your father and mother do for work?
They both worked at the Finnish TV. My mum was, I don’t know if it’s called ….mixer, there’s a director for the program that tells camera 1, camera 2 and my mum was pushing the buttons and making it happen and then my father was designing those boards that my mother used. My father was a designer for these.
Have your family always been into bikes?
My father rode a little bit when he was younger, just a few enduro events but he only had a bike for a while, say a couple of years only, so not that involved, but of course when me and my brother started riding the whole family got very involved in the sport.
So did Jommi start riding first?
Yes, just a little bit sooner. We had the World Round here back in 77,78, I think and of course Yrjo Vesterinen was World Champion at the time so we went o so see. It’s actually only 2 miles from where I live now. We went to see that and I guess as boys we liked bicycles and motorcycles and everything that made noise so ….and my mother and father thought trials would be the safest and cheapest way and pretty much the only motorsport that we could afford at the time to get involved, so after that event I remember my brother got a little trials bike and I kept crying on the living room floor till I got my own as well. I was 6 years old back then, that’s how it started.
What was the name of the first motorcycle that you ever had?
Um, it was actually my first trials bike, was a little Bultaco Chispa that I still have nowadays but my very first bike was made by Fantic. It was one of those weird looking mopeds. I don’t remember the model name, it had a big orange tank.
My father rode a little bit when he was younger, just a few enduro events but he only had a bike for a while, say a couple of years only, so not that involved, but of course when me and my brother started riding the whole family got very involved in the sport.
So did Jommi start riding first?
Yes, just a little bit sooner. We had the World Round here back in 77,78, I think and of course Yrjo Vesterinen was World Champion at the time so we went o so see. It’s actually only 2 miles from where I live now. We went to see that and I guess as boys we liked bicycles and motorcycles and everything that made noise so ….and my mother and father thought trials would be the safest and cheapest way and pretty much the only motorsport that we could afford at the time to get involved, so after that event I remember my brother got a little trials bike and I kept crying on the living room floor till I got my own as well. I was 6 years old back then, that’s how it started.
What was the name of the first motorcycle that you ever had?
Um, it was actually my first trials bike, was a little Bultaco Chispa that I still have nowadays but my very first bike was made by Fantic. It was one of those weird looking mopeds. I don’t remember the model name, it had a big orange tank.
Aged only 6 Tommi on his first ever motorcycle. Not yet competing, but at the trials and riding around the paddock
Did Jommi get into competitions at this time?
Yes, I think we started competing right away. Back then you couldn’t compete until you were 10 years old and of course me being born in November I had to wait a very long time, but I was always at the competitions back then we had 40 events a year here in Finland so we were going all summer long, every weekend from April until September basically, so we were at competitions all of the time and I would go there all of the time. After the event I would ride the sections, but officially I couldn’t enter, actually I started my competition career in Sweden as we used to have this traditional two day race at the beginning of November in Sweden that a lot of Fins would enter. They would go there and it was abroad so fun and you had the ferry trip so it was nice trip for the kids. It was just a couple of weeks before my tenth birthday so we had special permission from the Finnish Federation so that I could ride there although I wasn’t ten yet. I actually started there. My first race was in Sweden.
Yes, I think we started competing right away. Back then you couldn’t compete until you were 10 years old and of course me being born in November I had to wait a very long time, but I was always at the competitions back then we had 40 events a year here in Finland so we were going all summer long, every weekend from April until September basically, so we were at competitions all of the time and I would go there all of the time. After the event I would ride the sections, but officially I couldn’t enter, actually I started my competition career in Sweden as we used to have this traditional two day race at the beginning of November in Sweden that a lot of Fins would enter. They would go there and it was abroad so fun and you had the ferry trip so it was nice trip for the kids. It was just a couple of weeks before my tenth birthday so we had special permission from the Finnish Federation so that I could ride there although I wasn’t ten yet. I actually started there. My first race was in Sweden.
A nice photo of Jommi, Tommi's older brother, with a 7 year old Tommi at the family Summer cottage in the forest. Also, Tommi practising on his Bultaco Chispa with mum in the back ground.
Was trials in Finland big back then?
Yes, we had a lot of competitors, there would be 100 - 150 riders at each event.
Was it very popular like football?
No, never but it was way more popular due to Yrjo Vesterinen being World Champion so it got a lot more recognition than it does now a days, we had more riders but it wasn’t more on TV or in newspapers than it is now.
Who was your bike hero when you were growing up?
I didn’t really have one. I think Vesterinen was a little bit before I could understand what being a World Champion meant. I’ve never asked anyone for their signature to this day, so I don’t know its being a narcissist ha ha but I don’t really care about other people to much ha ha. I don’t know if that’s the right way to say it but I never really had heroes. I really like that French stunt man Jon Pierre Goy. Those were pretty much the only videos I watched when I was a kid and then later Diego Bosis had a really big influence on me. I really liked him as a top rider as well. If I really had to say two names, that would be the two.
Which local club did you belong to?
I belonged to a motorcycle club here called Vantaa. It’s a city north of here. It’s like three cities joined together. Espoo, Helsinki and Vantaa. They had a famous motocross track. We had a World Championship races every year. It was one of the only soft sand tracks here in Finland and we always had the best organisation so we were always involved in those races as well. We were always timekeepers at the races there.
Yes, we had a lot of competitors, there would be 100 - 150 riders at each event.
Was it very popular like football?
No, never but it was way more popular due to Yrjo Vesterinen being World Champion so it got a lot more recognition than it does now a days, we had more riders but it wasn’t more on TV or in newspapers than it is now.
Who was your bike hero when you were growing up?
I didn’t really have one. I think Vesterinen was a little bit before I could understand what being a World Champion meant. I’ve never asked anyone for their signature to this day, so I don’t know its being a narcissist ha ha but I don’t really care about other people to much ha ha. I don’t know if that’s the right way to say it but I never really had heroes. I really like that French stunt man Jon Pierre Goy. Those were pretty much the only videos I watched when I was a kid and then later Diego Bosis had a really big influence on me. I really liked him as a top rider as well. If I really had to say two names, that would be the two.
Which local club did you belong to?
I belonged to a motorcycle club here called Vantaa. It’s a city north of here. It’s like three cities joined together. Espoo, Helsinki and Vantaa. They had a famous motocross track. We had a World Championship races every year. It was one of the only soft sand tracks here in Finland and we always had the best organisation so we were always involved in those races as well. We were always timekeepers at the races there.
Although to young to compete, it didn't stop a 7 year old Tommi Ahvala practising intensely and getting to a pretty good standard.
Did your father ride as well?
At the beginning he didn’t, but then he got himself a little Honda TL 125, little 4 stroke and he rode that a couple of times I remember but not very much. We still have a Montesa 348 that was kind of his bike as well but very rarely would he go out. I only remember seeing him ride a couple of times.
At the beginning he didn’t, but then he got himself a little Honda TL 125, little 4 stroke and he rode that a couple of times I remember but not very much. We still have a Montesa 348 that was kind of his bike as well but very rarely would he go out. I only remember seeing him ride a couple of times.
Tommi's father Jourko Ahvala was heavily involved in running and organising events to World Championship level. Here are some pictures of him riding.