Page 14 Jason Finn - Trials Freestyler - Exclusive Interview
Have you had any injuries over the years?
Yes, broken wrist, broken femur from riding BMX I have various scars from lacerations. I’ve damaged various ligaments, cruciate being the worse, a hematoma and just loads and loads of cuts and scrapes. You have to remember that Tarmac or Concrete is not forgiving at all. I did have one bad crash where I smashed my crash helmet up as well. I used this during 1999. I was doing a doughnut. I like to make my doughnuts special so I thought what could I do on the end of it to make it special. So, I did a one handed doughnut and as you shut off the wheel grips so you can come straight into a wheelie. It’s difficult. As the wheel slows down you can feel the grip coming in. You shut off and the bike comes into a wheelie. How weird is that? As you roll off the front wheel comes off and your wheel comes up in the air. You then have to blip it to keep the wheelie going. This was in 1998 when I had this accident. I was riding a special 275 Stan Stephens tuned Montesa 315. The engine was very special. I had a habit of making my throttle lighter and lighter and lighter. When I crashed I came out of the doughnut I shut off, it gripped, I blipped the throttle and it stuck open and I was going towards the crowd. I put the front down quick and pulled the clutch in and as I’ve come in the front brake has locked up and the bars have twisted and I’ve gone over the bars and I’ve hit the tarmac floor real hard. My hands went down on the tarmac. It completely ripped all of the gloves up off my palms. I’ve rolled over and the skin off the back of my fingers has also been ripped off. My face then came down so quick onto the tarmac. My head bounced off the tarmac. I had tarmac on my tooth. What you do at a show is get straight back on the bike. I got back up and picked my bike up, I looked down and remember seeing that blood was dripping all over the tank .Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked around and it was the ambulance man telling me enough is enough. That was one crash. It was my own fault for making the throttle lighter and lighter.
Yes, broken wrist, broken femur from riding BMX I have various scars from lacerations. I’ve damaged various ligaments, cruciate being the worse, a hematoma and just loads and loads of cuts and scrapes. You have to remember that Tarmac or Concrete is not forgiving at all. I did have one bad crash where I smashed my crash helmet up as well. I used this during 1999. I was doing a doughnut. I like to make my doughnuts special so I thought what could I do on the end of it to make it special. So, I did a one handed doughnut and as you shut off the wheel grips so you can come straight into a wheelie. It’s difficult. As the wheel slows down you can feel the grip coming in. You shut off and the bike comes into a wheelie. How weird is that? As you roll off the front wheel comes off and your wheel comes up in the air. You then have to blip it to keep the wheelie going. This was in 1998 when I had this accident. I was riding a special 275 Stan Stephens tuned Montesa 315. The engine was very special. I had a habit of making my throttle lighter and lighter and lighter. When I crashed I came out of the doughnut I shut off, it gripped, I blipped the throttle and it stuck open and I was going towards the crowd. I put the front down quick and pulled the clutch in and as I’ve come in the front brake has locked up and the bars have twisted and I’ve gone over the bars and I’ve hit the tarmac floor real hard. My hands went down on the tarmac. It completely ripped all of the gloves up off my palms. I’ve rolled over and the skin off the back of my fingers has also been ripped off. My face then came down so quick onto the tarmac. My head bounced off the tarmac. I had tarmac on my tooth. What you do at a show is get straight back on the bike. I got back up and picked my bike up, I looked down and remember seeing that blood was dripping all over the tank .Then someone tapped me on the shoulder. I looked around and it was the ambulance man telling me enough is enough. That was one crash. It was my own fault for making the throttle lighter and lighter.
Another one was, Adam Norris was at a show I was doing and he joined in with me and Gary Rothwell who was on road bikes. I was looking out for Gary on the road bike cos I didn't want that hitting me, I was just coming out of a trick and I see Adam heading fast towards me, before we both knew what happened, he hit my front wheel and folded it in half, he went straight over the bars and landed the other side of the Spectator fence, unfortunately he broke his collar bone, and I had a very bad whack next to the middle leg. Adam is another great guy.
Did you ever suffer with pre show nerves?
I always had a little buzz. If I didn’t I’d be worried. It’s more about excitement.
What were the names of the other people in your team?
Craig Clemons, Bill Hales. They were the main two. Dan Clark stood in for me for one day at a 10 day Motorshow in 2004 as my Aunty Died of cancer aged 46, and I had to go to her funeral
Did you ever suffer with pre show nerves?
I always had a little buzz. If I didn’t I’d be worried. It’s more about excitement.
What were the names of the other people in your team?
Craig Clemons, Bill Hales. They were the main two. Dan Clark stood in for me for one day at a 10 day Motorshow in 2004 as my Aunty Died of cancer aged 46, and I had to go to her funeral
Jason, tell me about you relationship with Garibaldi?
It all started off when I bought one of Jordi’ suits in an auction at the dirt bike show. I bought it over the phone. I’ve worn it many times, it’s criminal. It’s still in good nick though. |
After wards, I approached Garibaldi and told them what I was doing with Beta back then and making videos and all that. They said I could be an importer and they were really pushing it. They saw my videos which included Garibaldi adverts I’d placed in them without being an importer.
This rare photo is Garibaldi founders Isabel Garibaldi and Josep Maria Guillamet. 7 time World Champion Phil Read in the Middle
This rare photo is Garibaldi founders Isabel Garibaldi and Josep Maria Guillamet. 7 time World Champion Phil Read in the Middle
At this time, I had bought Jordi suits from them, but in my name and to how I wanted them. They only made special suits for Jordi. Then Colomer came on board. They then offered to make special suits for me and I couldn’t believe it. They just make 2 piece suits for the public to buy. I wasn’t an importer yet. I picked a suit that they had already made for Jordi and asked them to make it more for me, in my design. This was in 91' and the time of Jordi’s blue and green beta suit. I agreed a design with them and this was my first suit and my own identity. Before this I had styled myself on Jordi. I then went out to see the owners, Isobel and her daughter Georgina Garibaldi, Jose Fernandez the man that invented the Garibaldi one piece designs etc had an office above the shop. This is where all the Sponsored Riders had their measurements for their suits, me, Jordi and Marc were the only one's from Trials, Ot-Pi did have a brief time at Garibaldi, but seemed to prefer his suits baggy?? They went to incredible trouble to get the fit just right. I was about 11st 10lbs and from memory Jordi was 11st 4lbs according to stats in Jose office. I was half an inch taller than Jordi, I was 5ft 11 inches. Jose has now since left and has his own leather motorcycle clothing company. To me, he is Garibaldi. Him and his wife Merchi were lovely people. Garibaldi sponsored me and provided me with 3 suits 3 cool jackets, 3 rain Jackets, and paddock jackets each year. The production costs for mine and Jordi's suits cost a fortune as they were so limited and not mass produced. I would provide them with an idea of what I wanted in terms of design and they would incorporate it into the one piece suits they made for me. Later I became the UK importer for Garibaldi and operated the importership with another guy. We had so much gear here. I bought all of their back stock, everything. Tony Croucher dealt with Team Jason Finn Imports. I just dealt with Jose with my sponsorship.
Did you have an agent who organised your sponsorship and events?
Terry Minter was my agent for a couple of years
Did you have an agent who organised your sponsorship and events?
Terry Minter was my agent for a couple of years
|
|