Jean William Prévost
Age : 37
Location : Homebase is Montreal
Years Riding : 21
Sponsors : IGI BMX, Far East Cycles, Kick Denim, StaycoolSocks, Skingrowsback, Konkrete Shoes, Reklamation Bikes, 514 BMX
Top five places : The Laurentians north of Montreal ; Tihuanacu, Bolivia ; Bocas Del Toro, Panama ; China ; SXM
Top 3 food : Tomato Paste Spaghetti with hot sauce ; Japanese food ; Chinese food
Music Style : Rap, Trap, Deep House
Topic you hated at school : Chemistry
Topics you love in real life : Human Origins, Ancient Civilisations, BMX
Best Trip in your life : IGI South American tour @igibandwagon
Rider you looked up to as a beginner : Simon Marsan, Jesse Puente, Jeff Desroches
First thing you do when you wake up : Boil water
If you were to reincarnate what time and place would you choose :
100 years before the Europeans arrived to North America, in Montreal or in a bit of a warmer place though i’d love to see Montreal before it’s development.
What is wrong with the World : Cutting down trees
What is right with the World : Planting them
What technology do you wish existed : Flying Car
Favorite time of the year : End of Summer in Montreal
Why are we here : To take decisions
What is more important to you, happiness, purpose or money : Purpose
Why do you like travelling so much?
My dad was a World traveler; he had visited 118 countries before leaving this World. I miss him very much as he inspired me to become who I am now. As I was growing up we always had people over at the house, people from different countries and walks of life. As a teen I went to school an hour and a half away from my home, so I got used to travelling 3 hours a day everyday for the five years of high school. It’s become normality, even an addiction for me to see landscapes going by, experiencing new cultures, learning new languages and all over live life to the fullest. The big picture will only present itself on the deathbed, so might as well paint something nice in the meantime!
When did the initial thought of a peg designed to help with pivots and fluidity pivot riding creep into your mind? Were you struggling with a certain pivot trick, or trying to think of ways to make pivots easier for riders to learn?
I was working in China doing shows back in 2009 and I was going through shoes every other week doing shows and practicing everyday and that was expensive over time, I also felt discomfort riding the tube pegs or capped pegs. The idea came with the time invested on the bike. The ability to create is one of the most precious gifts of life; I will embrace it as long as I can!
You’re fluent in Spanish, French, English and Chinese Mandarin. Which one is your favorite? What other language would you want to learn?
Speaking Chinese is definitely the most entertaining language skill to have, every single country I have visited I’ve had pleasant encounters with Chinese and it’s always a treat to hear the story behind how they got there. The World is changing and as China flips the powers at play, learning Mandarin is undeniably the most useful endeavor I have ever initiated. I am still learning new words every day and as the technology to learn is getting more and more efficient it is becoming easier for anyone to learn one of the most difficult languages on the planet.
What is your life long biggest challenge?
Doing everything right, it’s not as easy as I wish it could be.
I can see your father is a big inspiration in all you undertake, how did he manage to motivate you so much?
As a kid I saw him working non-stop everyday of the week with barely any time off, every move had a purpose. His reach across the globe was so extensive as to have friends in almost every country of the World. I don’t think he knew how much he motivated me, he thought BMX was just a phase. I wish he was here to see how far I’ve made it.
Do you think that pushing the limits of flatland to the next level brings you closer to insanity or inner peace?
I don’t think flatland brings inner peace, meditation does. The closest you can get to inner peace with flatland is by winning a contest, and even then you are alone on that ship, the peace lasts one night. Flatland is but the expression of my deepest inner debates. Tricks are like flowers that take much growth to blossom. I always compare humans to plants, I am totally convinced we are closer to plants then we prone to be. I wouldn’t say it drives me insane because without it I would be driven insane from the lack of a vent. What Flatland brings is balance in all senses of the term.
Whys is originality such a focal point in your riding/life.
We are born individuals because the universe has something special to express through us, I try to embrace that fact and move away from what people think I should do and free myself from pre-establishments. I am me I am free.
What message are you trying to convey all the humans you encounter?
The ideal of fraternity, equality and freedom.
Anyone you want to send out love too?
My mom and grandma for putting up with me , my dad for inspiring me in every aspect of life, the people that are on my path that show me the way, the few mentors I have that without knowing do the most for me. BMX in general because it made my life what it is now, I feel free…thanks to everyone ho supports IGI and use and tell others about our product.