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Bilko's Back!

Written by Goba Thursday, 18 March 2010 08:41

Here's hoping more gold for Bilko in 2010! Pic: Daniel Eduarte/ESPN Action Sports

Last weekend Aussie freestyle larrikin and X Games gold medalist Blake "Bilko" Williams returned to the spotlight when he entered his first competition since 2009 X Games – an event where he experienced the highs of winning freestyle gold, and the lows of re-injuring his knee that would see the likable lad from Victoria sit out the rest of the season. Making his return to X-Knights in Costa Rica was tough one for Bilko, not only because he had not long been back on the bike, but the fact that only one year ago he lost one of his best mates, Jeremy Lusk, at the same event. We caught up with Bilko to chat about his first comp back not long after he'd been sitting on his arse for 38 hours on the long flight back from Costa Rica. Read on to see what he had to say.

Bilko, you've not long returned from Costa Rica where you finished third in your first comp back since winning gold at X Games last year, how was the event for you mate?

I felt good although I was a little nervous the whole time because it was where Jeremy Lusk crashed last year, and plus I hadn't done a contest since X-Games last year where I injured my knee again, or done any of my gnarly Flip tricks. I did my first Cliff Hanger Flip and 360 in practice since at he event so getting them down in windy conditions made me feel pretty good. I also had my mechanic, Buddy, from America there so my bike was good to go and I felt confident I'd make the top three. I knew Dany Torres would be hard to beat as he was riding insane, but I crusied through qualifying and then through the next round, which had eight riders competing for the final three places. During my run in the final I hit the second jump and felt there was something wromng with my bike as I went for a Double Grab and my seat was all loose. It turned out that the tab bolted to the petrol tank, that holds the front of the seat, fell out. It wasn't anyone's fault as its not a bolt you'd check everyday. So instead of pulling in for Buddy to fix it I just kept riding and did a few gay/safer tricks as I didn't want to risk doing anything stupid and injuring myself again. I remember doing a Double Nac and the seat was like pointing towards my head, so I concentrated on putting on more of a show for the crowd.

If you look closely you can see Bilko's bike seat totally lifted off the frame.

Jeremy Lusk was a close friend of yours, did the fact that he suffered his life-ending crash at this same event last year play on your mind a lot:

From the moment I arrived at Costa Rica Jeremy's crash never left my mind, like it was the last ever event he rode and it definitely played on my mind out on the course. They did a tribute to Jeremy at the start of the show, playing footage of him, so it was fresh in everyones minds. We were riding in the same stadium where one of our good mates passed away only one year ago, and he's no longer with us, so I had butterflies for sure, and during the run when my seat came loose I thought, OK, don't push it too hard, especially being my first comp back and only riding for a month. The other thing was we were all riding for the same prize money so there was no reason to push too hard if we weren't feeling it.

How's your body holding up as you've been on the recovery trail for a while now:

Yeah it was fine until about ten minutes ago. I was sitting at my desk and something popped in my knee and it's really hurting right now. I don't know what happened there, maybe its just jammed up from being on the plane for so long. But nah, I'm all good, my shoulder and right knee feels good, and my left knee is always going to feel trashed. I've had some lower back pain the last few weeks, but I think that's from all the flying I've done – 38hrs each way via LA to Costa Rica. I'm feeling good about the year ahead, like I said I've got my Cliff Hanger Flips back while in Costa Rica, and my Flip tricks are getting better, plus I have the 360 that I never really lost. Now I'm just looking forward to a couple of weekends at home practising at my set-up that's just been rebuilt by my good mate Woffa, who owns an excavation company in Newcastle. He just happened to be down here with a spare day or two up his sleeve, thanks mate! I now have a big 120-foot landing, and I just need to bust out some fresh foam around the edges of my pit as the stuff in the middle spreads to the outside too easily and you end up going straight through it. I'll just put all the scrap foam I have around the outside and it should be good to go.

Bilko says he had to revert to some gay tricks when his seat came loose, this ain't one of them!
Pic: Daniel Eduarte/ESPN Action Sports

What's the plan for the coming months:

I definitely want to be 100 per cent fit in the next four weeks before I go to Mexico City for the first round of X-Fighters. My aim is to get on the podium there, although Mexico City is not much fun at all because the altitude really messes with my bike. A stock 250F there usually runs like a 150F so I'm really happy that the X-Fighters crew are shipping my own bike there from the States, which has so many modifications to make it perform the way I want it to for freestyle. At the other rounds I might have to take some engine parts if they can't ship my own bike, but I'll have to wait and see how that works out.