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Chris "Big-Air" Burandt is one of the most recognized freestyle riders in North America, and one of the nicest.
Burandt has been in countless Sledneck movies and participated in numerous other freestyle events with big name riders like Ryan Britt and Jimmy "Blaze" Fejes. He's wowed thousands of fans with big time tricks, and a fun attitude.
As a fan and a long-time wanna-be freestyle rider myself, I wondered how this guy got started and what makes him different. Here's what Chris had to say.
When did you first start racing and how did you progress to where you are now?
Big-Air's answer: Well, I first started riding in the mountains when I was about 6 years old. Basically I was a free-rider in the Colorado rockies until 1999. That was my first year racing.
Why'd you start racing?I guess it was my competitive nature that brought me to racing. I wanted to test my skills against others. It was kind of funny because I was the only snocrosser with a mountain strap on his handlebars, looking like I just came off the hill.
Do you like the adrenaline from a race or mountain riding better? My true passion is free-riding. That and I've always liked hitting big jumps better than racing, and honestly it's more fun for me to hear the crowds cheer after you pull some big air. When I was racing snocross I always loved hitting the big jumps in front of the fans and it didn't matter if I was in first or in last, I always tried to pull something big across the finish.
So you've got to go big, huh?Definitely! It's kind of how I progressed into FSX and got involved with the Slednecks guys. In 2000 I was up in West Yellowstone, Mont., and the Slednecks had a big air contest. I only had a couple of tricks in my bag, but after hitting the jump a couple times, I rode back past where everyone else was starting their run-up, and just pinned it. I went so big that I came down way past the landing out in the flats. Looking back, it was kind of crazy, maybe stupid, but from then on everyone was calling me "Big-Air" Burandt. The Slednecks came up to me and asked me to come ride with them after that competition and Slednecks 3 was my first video back in 2000.
Have you ever been seriously hurt?I've been pretty lucky, nothing all that bad. I did have a torn ligament ankle injury in early 2003. I was doing a demo show off a jump with a short, really sketchy landing. I overshot my landing and bailed out from like 30 feet up ... twice.
What was your last season like? By far my busiest and best ever. I won the Milwaukee Red Bull Fuel and Fury event, and won every big-air contest I entered last year. I also was lucky and got hooked up with Arctic Cat. They set me up with a new truck, trailer and an M7 as kind of a trial. So I put together the "M7 Tour" out West to show everyone what the M7 could do. I stopped by all kinds of dealers and shows. It was great, things went really well, and I'm already signed with Arctic Cat for this next year.
How do you train?In the winter I just ride all the time, or as much as possible. Every day I can, I ride. Last year I was a storm chaser, finding snow wherever I could from Colorado to California. I rode Sept. 29 - June 11.
In the summer I try to live on my dirt bike. I'm not a big motocross rider, but do a lot of cross-country type riding. I've been riding my little mini-bike a lot lately and think that's a blast! I also spent a lot of time doing the "Cornfield Tour" across the Midwest this summer. Basically it's a freestyle exhibition with 5 stops.
What kind of sponsorship support do you have?I have been fortunate to get help from a lot of people. My major sponsors are: Arctic Cat, Slednecks, Scott USA, HMK boots, Boondocker, D&D and Cutler.
Who was your biggest influence? Well, growing up it was always my dad, until I turned 14 and started schooling him! But seriously, my dad really got me started like a lot of other guys out there and it really was kind of a family-bonding thing.
What have been your most memorable wins, awards or moments? I would have to say the Milwaukee Red Bull Fuel and Fury and the 2003 X-Games Snocross when I finished 5th on a Mountain Cat non-race sled. I roosted Tucker (Hibbert) pretty good on one of the turns and that was just fun.
What are your goals this season? I want to be more of a working part of the industry and hope that my Arctic Cat partnership can enhance people's love for the sport. I will be doing all the Red Bull contests this year, and all the big air events I can, but my main focus is the M7 tour and factory promotions.
Any final thoughts?I just want everyone to know that I am not rich and don't see it in the near future. I do this because I love the sport and want to get more people involved.
For more info on Chris or other Sledneck riders, visit:
www.slednecks.com