INFLUX: Is riding your full-time job ? Or do you work on the side ?

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IN: Does riding change when it becomes a full-time job? What’s the difference between riding recreationally vs. professionally?

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IN: What has been the best part of your riding career?

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IN: You still ride the bike park a lot, why?

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IN: No gaps and no rap in that last video we filmed? Was it a personal choice?

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Yes, riding is my full-time job. 100% of my income comes from it. I am lucky.Yes for sure it does. It is still obviously extremely fun, and I am grateful that I've been able to do that the last three years but when you get paid to do something it becomes a job. And a job means, responsibilities and objectives. You can't always do what you want anymore but as an independent, and not a racer on a team, I come to a brand with a proposal of what I can do and what I want to do, so in the end, I still end up doing what I like and I what I feel comfortable doing. No one tells me what to do, I chose it myself at the beginning of the year, so I don't feel under pressure, other than my own pressure to do good.When you ride for fun, you do not have to give anything to anyone else than yourself. It is your own pleasure and satisfaction. It's a bit selfish but that's how it is as you finance yourself your hobby. When it becomes your job, you have to make sure the people who finance your season, trips, video (brands and followers) get their investment back. When everyone ends up happy about your work, then it becomes the nicest reward you can get.Everything in the past three years. I have lived excellent experiences, met amazing people. Travelling to the best places, and riding mind-blowing tracks with people I would have never got to know otherwise has been a huge satisfaction. But in the end, I always come back to Whistler to the bike park and it always feels as fresh as the first day. The bike park has been the hub of my career, and going there every day, sitting on the lift with random people who like my work is always a good time. Makes me want to work harder and ride better.Well it is the best place to ride from everything I've seen so far. The trails, the community and everything around is made to have a good time and share that with other people, whatever each other’s level is. Why would I not ride it a lot?Yes, for sure. Recently I really enjoyed riding more technical stuff. I still love the iconic trails such as A-line, Crabapple Hits, Dirt Merchant. Those rockstar big air trails are super fun, but riding the tech, less famous trails in the bike park can be just as rewarding. When you can feel yourself float over the rocks and roots of In Deep, the feeling is just as good as scrubbing and whipping down A-line. I also wanted to show another aspect of my riding - something more quiet, less aggressive.Whistler Mountain Bike Park and Race Face Performance ProductsOliver Haggren UrbanInflux Productions// Chris Ricci