Now, Kris Fox is no stranger to the BMX scene, but it seems that in 2014 the world caught a bit of Kris Fox fever. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? How come I’ve never heard of him? All very good questions to ask when you witness his riding, which can only be described as Stauffer, Aitken, Hawk and Dugan all rolled into one. Big claims indeed but I have no doubt the riders named above would have no qualms with that statement. We’ve had Kris in this mag a couple of times this year but we never really got to tell you about the man himself, and having spent some time getting to know him I think everyone could learn a thing or two about his outlook on life and riding. We shot so many photo’s over the summer of 2014, even after a road trip feature, a bike check and this  gallery we still have some left over. Each of these pictures have been chosen carefully, because I knew each had its own story or specific memory attached to it for Kris to reflect on and tell us about.

Yo Kris, ok so let’s start with a deep one. Who is Kris Fox?
Ha-ha, well, I would like to think that I am a very simple man. I love life and I love the family and friends I have around me. I kind of keep to myself while doing my best to live my life as a good man and doing my best to treat others well. People are here for people. I love riding my bike and enjoying good times with my friends. I like to think of BMX as more of an art form and something that I will always love to do instead of using it for materialistic gain in life. That pretty much sums me up and I hope it all made sense.

Tell us where you grew up, how you discovered riding and what pushed you to be where you are now?
I was born in Orange County in California and my dad quickly got work inland from there so we moved about an hour and a half away. I grew up in Southern California bouncing between Orange County, where the most family members still lived, and the High Desert as a child. But, with that being said, the majority of my childhood was spent in a small town in the high desert. I met a group of kids through my mom’s job who were just getting into BMX racing and they took me to the track for the first time when I was about 6 years old. I am still in contact with those friends as well, which is awesome. From then on, I fell in love with simply riding a bike. I grew up an only child, so I feel like riding my bike gave me a sense of identity. With no brothers or sisters, I feel riding gave me something to look forward to and to focus on and I truly think that love and desire to ride pushed and moulded me into the type of human being I am today, strictly from loving and continuing to love it so much.

I think most people will realise just by the way you control your bike that you’re from a race background, but they may not realise to what extent. So tell us a bit about growing up racing, the lifestyle and the discipline involved.
Yes, I grew up racing first. There was a point in racing for me that it got so serious and turned into a career so much, that I never thought in a million years I would do something else. I won some amateur state and world championships, won a Super-X pro championship, and made it to the Olympic Long Team in 2008 as an alternate. The lifestyle and discipline that comes along with all of that is incredible. It got to the point where I was actually a resident at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California training full time, all day, every day.

What do you consider your greatest achievements to date and what are the standout moments so far in your career?
Honestly, I think my greatest achievement is the way I do my best to stay true to the personal way I like to ride. It might sound cheesy, but it’s the truth. I can look at my riding as my personal art form and my creative outlet. Any emotion I am feeling or anything I want to do, I have the freedom of doing when I am on my bike my own way. I feel everyone on the planet has that freedom for themselves, so I am thankful that I found one that works for me. From a materialistic standpoint, a friend recently brought up that I made it as alternate for the 2008 Olympics for racing, and also made it as alternate for the 2014 X-Games for freestyle. Never thought in a million years that could happen to me in two separate disciplines, so that’s a huge blessing that I am overly thankful for. BMX is awesome.

Being quite a shy person by your own admission, how do you deal with having the spotlight on you at crowded events like races and big scale comps?
Ha-ha yeah, that’s always hard for me at times. When I raced, it wasn’t as hard because I was tucked away in a full-face helmet with seven other guys. Now when I drop in, I’m in the bowl by myself. What helps me the most is riding with friends and riding with an iPod. Music helps me relax during almost any situation. So once the right songs are playing and I get into my rhythm, the anxiety goes away and it’s smooth sailings from there.

Everyone needs time away from riding bikes now and again, so what do you do when you’re not hitting something at full speed?
I’m a simple man. I simply love enjoying being home here in Huntington Beach with all of my close friends. Enjoying the culture of Huntington, enjoying coffee next to the pier, hanging out and sharing laughs in our garage/clubhouse. Basically, just enjoying the blessings and a peaceful life for what it is. When I am the most at peace, I feel like that is when I feel the best on my bike. My friends and Huntington Beach will always give me that peace of mind. 

Can you sum up what BMX means to you now, how it has influenced your life day-to-day and the opportunities it’s given you?
If anyone has made it through all of my ramblings this far they might already know how much BMX means to me. But I mean what I say about the sport… I love it. BMX has given me so much through my life, much more than I could have ever asked for. I’ve met my best friends and all around amazing people though it, I’ve gotten to see the world though it, it’s given me an identity, and it’s something I can always lean on when things are going good or bad. I am blessed that I literally live my dream and the exact life I could ever want everyday. I respect the fact that it is a blessing through the act of riding a bike. With that mind set, I feel like I can live happily at peace and do my best to be a good human being in this world. Doing my best to live my life for the good really matters to me, and riding helps me keep that going. So thank you BMX!

And before we move on to these pictures, what can we expect from Kris Fox in 2015?
Hanging out with friends and family, enjoying Huntington Beach, and riding as much as I possibly can while having fun with all of my friends!

Intro and question by: Dunk
Photos by: Dunk
Captions by: Kris Fox