Nikki Croft - Interview?

Photos by Nathan Beddows

Dear Niki,
When you open this magazine and see the next few pages, I hope you feel as proud as I do to see you in here. I know that in the past you have doubted your abilities on a bike on many occasions, but all that ends here. I am a great advocate of good argument, but one thing even I know is that you can’t argue with facts! And in front of you is hard solid evidence of your abilities. If you ever, and I mean EVER! doubt yourself again in my presence I am going to hit you so hard with this magazine you are going to wish the concept of negativity had never been invented. Your courage, strength and determination on a bike is inspirational to everyone who knows you. So enjoy this article in front of you. You damn well earned it!
—Orlando

I'd like to say I was into quality, but I think deep down I’m a quantity man.” - Nikki Croft



I really think something is wrong with Niki; the guy is a maniac, he lives on Value chocolate, custard creams and has weird compulsive bunnyhop barspin or bunnyhop tailwhip habits (he has to do one, or the other, before he fires out a new street line).
I have seen him take the worst man-slaps in the world and when you consider his ankles are glass and are held together with Meccano and staples it’s a wonder he can walk: even today he was out riding with a broken toe.
He is a monster and will destroy anything in his path on the streets, he’ll blast 10ft airs in your face on a ramp, and then fight the doormen later on in the evening if they bother his friends. Most days he’ll scare the crap out of me by doing the most dangerous line ever, and if he can’t do it first try he’ll punch himself in the face and do it again – this leads me to believe that he really doesn’t care for his personal wellbeing too much, although he cares greatly about his family, friends and punk/hardcore music.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Niki for getting me out of the pub and back on my bike just by being such a good laugh to ride with, he is an integral part of the Nottingham BMX scene even though he’s not even 20, a hub of energy that gets everyone out on their bikes even in the rain sometimes.
—Alan Cairns 15/05/2007.



RIDE: Name?
NIKI: Niki Croft.
Age?
19 – going on 14.
Location?
Currently living in the prostitute capital of Nottingham, originally from Stabbo [Stapleford].
Who do you ride for?
Mutiny Bikes, Primo, Orchid, Seventies.
Fave spots?
 Anywhere that’s new with the new faces and surroundings.
Fave riders?
 Van Homan, and anyone who rides that keeps BMX going, and everyone that I’ve ever rode with.
Fave drinks?
 Tea, Dr Pepper and the not so easily forgotten ‘grass jelly drink’ from Kangaroo Land.
Fave food?
 Smartprice that you don’t have to cook.
Fave music?
 Old school punk / hardcore. None of that mediocre shit you hear today.
Fave TV show?
 The Young ones, That 70s Show, He-Man, Top Cat.
Fave celeb?
 Kate Moss.
When was the last time you had credit?
 Last October as a birthday present.
Any thanks?
 Well, I ain’t doing this to drop names, everyone I say thanks to I mean it, because these people have gone out their way to help me on more than one occasion; Big Phil, Gaz and all the Mutiny boys, Orlando, Beddows, my Dad, Gav at Mode BMX, he is pretty much the reason why I am riding for Mutiny. Alan at Non-Stop, I’d like to say thanks to Alan Cairns for helping me out with money and giving me tubes, everyone at Seventies, especially Mad Jon – he is actually mad. Wakey, STP, Tillett, A-Mike, Grantham Charlie, anyone that has ever fed me, anyone that has ever inspired me to go ride! I’d also like to thank Orlando for his sarcasm and salty personality, and for giving me one T-shirt… once. If I’ve missed your name out sorry, stop sobbing and go ride…

Dear Ride,
We interviewed Niki, but afterwards he decided that he wasn’t entirely feeling the full content. We decided on a compromise where we would run the photos and here are a few self-explanatory quotes from the interview. We thought you could just run these quotes at your leisure with the pictures. Dig did a similar thing with Bob Scerbo a few years back. I hope you catch my drift.
—Orlando









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