Munich, January 13, 2020 – Since his breakthrough on to the global Slopestyle scene in 2017, Erik Fedko has made difficult tricks look playfully easy. This uniqueness of style is exactly what the 21-year-old world class athlete has in common with Troy Lee Designs. In 2020, the German rider officially joins TLD as a head to toe athlete. See Fedko’s first video in Troy Lee Designs below :
From the importance of the right equipment to the special feature of being part of the TLD Family right up to his goals in 2020 - we caught up with Erik:
How important is the right equipment for you?
Erik: On a scale from 1-10, the importance of proper gear is definitely a 10! The helmet especially is the most important piece of equipment for a rider like me. Our sport is already dangerous enough, so having the right equipment and protection is essential.
The Who's Who of the bike scene is equipped by TLD. What’s it like for you to be part of the TLD family now?
Erik: I'm stoked to be on the TLD team. I've been raving about TLD all these years and now I'm allowed to wear the three magic letters. It’s a dream come true.
What is special about TLD?
Erik: The D3/D4 helmet models are simply unique products: super light, resistant and safe! In general, I am extremely impressed by the quality of the TLD products. The prominent designs are definitely an eye-catcher as well.
In which TLD products will we see you this year?
Erik: On the dirt jumper, I will wear either a D3 or a D4 helmet, the Raid Knee Guards and a TLD jersey. On the big bike, I'll be riding in full TLD gear, which also includes the 5900 Chest Protector.
How do you prepare for the new season?
Erik: At the end of the 2019 season, I took a relaxing vacation. After that, I spent a lot of time shredding in indoor bike parks to maintain my level and to work on my riding. I got the finishing touches in Barcelona where I trained for two weeks at the famous La Poma Bike Park. I can’t wait for the new season to get started.
What are your goals for 2020?
Erik: I want to have fun and get good results. In 2018, I finished third in the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championships. This year I want to end up in the Top 3 again.
TLD’s Global Category Director of Bike Craig “Stikman” Glaspell added, “We have taken our time to find the right rider for the next generation of slopestyle and could not be happier than this addition of Erik to the TLD family. 2018 Joyride competition was when Troy and I got to watch him in person and we were hooked, the sickest style ever. Erik’s combination of his young age, incredible style on the bike, aggressive yet smooth tricks made it a no brainer for us to start having conversations. Getting to know him over the 2019 season definitely sealed the relationship as he is a cool kid off the bike as well!
Watching him ride the bike park at Whistler on his DH bike was super fun to see him try new things, he seems down for anything on a bike and we love that about him. I think the key was asking our current riders like Semenuk, Zink and VanSteenbergen who they think is the next big thing in slopestyle and they all verified that Erik is the rider who is perfect for TLD, Can’t wait for some fun years ahead and seeing Erik ride-because it is magical to watch him in action-welcome to the family buddy.”
Don’t miss Erik’s updates about his season and follow him on social media to stay up to date. Also follow him to check out his best tricks, which he posts on Instagram and YouTube.
The season opener of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championships 2020 with Erik will take place on March 7 in Rotorua (NZL). Watch it live on Red Bull TV!