Welcome back to the top, Nicholi Rogatkin!
Massachusetts, United States. Recently took home 1st place in Slopestyle 2022 at Crankworx Cairns: #2 in the World. 2016 World Champion and 2018 Triple Crown Winner. The winningest FMB World Tour athlete with over 25 wins.
Magicshine Staff
Oct 14 2022
Oct 14 2022
At Magicshine, we love to push riders outside of their comfort zones so they can show themselves what they’re made of. There’s nothing quite like the hopping on a mountain bike at night for the first time and wondering whether that twig you heard snap over your shoulder is a squirrel or a cougar (that’s a story for another time, and yes, it was a squirrel). As a part of that commitment to pushing limits, we want to partner with likeminded riders across all skill-levels in the mountain biking community and support whatever style of riding they prefer. And that’s where Nicholi Rogatkin comes into the picture. Since he turned pro a decade ago, Nicholi Rogatkin has taken the freeride and slopestyle world by storm. Nicholi exemplifies what it means to push the limits and power through adversity. Who can forget his crash at Red Bull Rampage 2015, followed by his even more astounding ability to get BACK on his bike and finish the run (seriously, if you haven’t seen it, watch this).
With numerous top 3 finishes in his career, Nicholi sits firmly amongst the upper echelons of world slopestyle rankings. In Australia this past weekend, Nicholi once again found himself atop the podium with a first-place finish in Slopestyle at Crankworx Cairns. With that honor regained, we wanted to congratulate Nicholi and introduce him to those of you living under a rock.
With numerous top 3 finishes in his career, Nicholi sits firmly amongst the upper echelons of world slopestyle rankings. In Australia this past weekend, Nicholi once again found himself atop the podium with a first-place finish in Slopestyle at Crankworx Cairns. With that honor regained, we wanted to congratulate Nicholi and introduce him to those of you living under a rock.
What Doesn’t Kill Him Makes Him Stronger
The stoke of winning the slopestyle event at Crankworx Cairns was evident the instant Nicholi landed the cash roll-tailwhip on the final jump of his second run and he jumped off his bike to celebrate with friends. Despite enduring some of the gnarliest crashes we’ve seen, Nicholi’s ability to keep charging the top and reclaiming podiums is what most inspires his followers (and sponsors!) most. Anyone who doubts that he still has what it takes is setting themselves up for disappointment.
All Because of Passion and Thrill
At only 5 years old, it dawned on Nicholi that bike riding would be his lifetime passion. At 12 years old, he was ready to enter his first pro contest. Nicholi seized every event as an opportunity to improve, and this passion initially encouraged him to keep competing even when the results didn’t yield a top three finish. This appetite for improvement is what has led to the success Nicholi has enjoyed, and he deserves everything he has achieved.
Practice and Practice Smartly
Practice makes perfect, and to throw down a double downside tailwhip at a major event like Nicholi did this weekend requires serious training, both mentally and physically.
Nicholi’s dedication and focus lead right up to the main event, and he considers, doing practice in competition training is as crucially important, as this type of training is so unique. Being familiar with the competition venue is important as well.
Thank You for Keeping Nicholi Company
Looking back at all contests Nicholi entered, he was never alone. The support of his father, brother, friends, and competitors undoubtedly makes every event more meaningful. And now, we at Magicshine will work hard to be the strong backup for Nicholi.
Magicshine is proud to be a new sponsor for Nicholi Rogatkin, and we recently interviewed him as we begin this incredible collaboration.
Magicshine is proud to be a new sponsor for Nicholi Rogatkin, and we recently interviewed him as we begin this incredible collaboration.
read more about the interview content
In our chat with Nicholi, we wanted to see what it is that gives him the drive to keep pushing limits wherever he goes.
Magicshine: You’ve turned many people’s favorite hobby into a career. How did you end up riding bikes professionally? When did you begin competing at events?
Nicholi Rogatkin: Bike riding has been my passion since I was a 5 year old kid! So it’s absolutely a dream come true for me to be riding bikes now as my career. I first started riding at age 5, and I did my first pro contest at age 12. I started competing to push my riding level more, as it was always a big motivation for me to show big tricks in competition!
Magicshine: It should come as no surprise to anyone that mountain biking is dangerous. How do your friends and family feel about you riding?
Nicholi: Mountain biking is definitely dangerous but that is part of the thrill of the sport. My family has always understood the danger and encouraged me to push it harder! A lot of my friends are fellow riders and competitors, so they of course understand the danger as well! My mom and dad and my younger bro have always been my best supporters, I’ll always be thankful for that!
Magicshine: We learned that initially rode BMX, but later you turned to mountain biking. Why? Could you tell us the difference between BMX and MTB? Which one do you think is more difficult?
Nicholi: Yes! I started on a small 16” bike in the skateparks around USA back in the day! My passion was always big jumps and big tricks, so around age 16 I started trying all my tricks on MTB and did some competitions. The main difference between BMX and MTB is the bike size and wheel size, MTB has bigger bikes and therefore bigger jumps! Both sports are difficult in their own way, and pro riders in both categories are pushing the level every day!
Magicshine: I watched a lot of videos you post on your media and learned that you seem to be very successful in combining BMX and MTB. Has your previous BMX experience laid a firm foundation for your MTB later?
Nicholi: I absolutely think my BMX background was a good foundation for MTB, I think I was able to use my skills in the right way! I had to adjust my riding a lot from BMX to MTB, it was not easy and took a long time. But I think the BMX foundation was great for so many tricks and other aspects of riding.
Magicshine: What do you think is the biggest achievement you’ve made?
Nicholi: I think my biggest achievement is competing at the top of MTB for so long! I will try to keep it going as long as I can.
Magicshine: Every time I watch online, I feel really worried, especially when you do challenging and really dangerous tricks. Do you get scared? How do you overcome that fear?
Nicholi: Of course I have fear, I understand the danger more than anyone! Being confident in scary moments makes it possible to do some incredible things, so staying confident is my strategy of how I overcome the nerves and the fear.
Magicshine: Success always comes along with failure. I noticed that you once failed several times in an event. (Watch this awesome video from Red Bull about Nicholi’s journey)
Nicholi Rogatkin: Bike riding has been my passion since I was a 5 year old kid! So it’s absolutely a dream come true for me to be riding bikes now as my career. I first started riding at age 5, and I did my first pro contest at age 12. I started competing to push my riding level more, as it was always a big motivation for me to show big tricks in competition!
Magicshine: It should come as no surprise to anyone that mountain biking is dangerous. How do your friends and family feel about you riding?Nicholi: Mountain biking is definitely dangerous but that is part of the thrill of the sport. My family has always understood the danger and encouraged me to push it harder! A lot of my friends are fellow riders and competitors, so they of course understand the danger as well! My mom and dad and my younger bro have always been my best supporters, I’ll always be thankful for that!
Magicshine: We learned that initially rode BMX, but later you turned to mountain biking. Why? Could you tell us the difference between BMX and MTB? Which one do you think is more difficult?
Nicholi: Yes! I started on a small 16” bike in the skateparks around USA back in the day! My passion was always big jumps and big tricks, so around age 16 I started trying all my tricks on MTB and did some competitions. The main difference between BMX and MTB is the bike size and wheel size, MTB has bigger bikes and therefore bigger jumps! Both sports are difficult in their own way, and pro riders in both categories are pushing the level every day!
Magicshine: I watched a lot of videos you post on your media and learned that you seem to be very successful in combining BMX and MTB. Has your previous BMX experience laid a firm foundation for your MTB later?Nicholi: I absolutely think my BMX background was a good foundation for MTB, I think I was able to use my skills in the right way! I had to adjust my riding a lot from BMX to MTB, it was not easy and took a long time. But I think the BMX foundation was great for so many tricks and other aspects of riding.
Magicshine: What do you think is the biggest achievement you’ve made?
Nicholi: I think my biggest achievement is competing at the top of MTB for so long! I will try to keep it going as long as I can.
Magicshine: Every time I watch online, I feel really worried, especially when you do challenging and really dangerous tricks. Do you get scared? How do you overcome that fear?
Nicholi: Of course I have fear, I understand the danger more than anyone! Being confident in scary moments makes it possible to do some incredible things, so staying confident is my strategy of how I overcome the nerves and the fear.
Magicshine: Success always comes along with failure. I noticed that you once failed several times in an event. (Watch this awesome video from Red Bull about Nicholi’s journey)
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But you never appeared to be sad, or frustrated, You seem to remain calm and positive. Could you tell us what you think about this success and failure?
Nicholi: I am lucky to have done so many different competitions in my life since I was so young. So I’ve had the chance to experience so many different types of moments. Staying positive through contests makes it much more enjoyable, as contests always involve nerves and pressure!
Magicshine: Of all the events you have participated in, is there a most impressive/fulfilling/saddest? Do you have a clear plan for the following days/years?
Nicholi: My winning runs at Red Bull Joyride and District Ride will always stay in my memory, those moments felt like a dream! In the following years I will continue pushing to win another World Championship and keep pushing the progression of the sport!
Magicshine: There’s no doubt you spend hours practicing. Interestingly enough, I watched a video on your TikTok. You were practicing in a hotel because of quarantine. Where and how often do you practice?
Do your friends join you? And have you ever practiced cycling at night or before dawn?
Nicholi: My practice always depends heavily on what events are ahead of me. I do most of my practice in competition training, as that training is so unique. In those situations, I have some of my best friends riding with me. There have definitely been times during sunrise / sunset where I did some training but never with lights. Stoked to try out some riding in the dark with Magicshine lights on!
Magicshine: In addition, I am curious how many bicycles you have? Do you have a favorite bike brand or component brand?
Nicholi: I have a few different types of bikes for different types of riding! Hardtail bike for Slopestyle, trail bike for bike park, and downhill bike for huge jumps and Freeride! All my bikes are from Specialized, and all equipped with SRAM parts and other accessories! Very happy and confident with all my bikes!
Magicshine is stoked to be partnering with Nicholi and help him push the limits no matter what time of day he is riding. Be sure to follow Nicholi on Instagram and TikTok to see what he’s up to and support him on his quest to reclaim the world title.
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