For many athletes around the globe, the covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the way that they see the world and their respective sports. Last month, we hit up our Free Ride Athlete Johny Salido and asked him to go on an adventure, to pick a destination of his choice, and bring a videographer that he wanted to work with to capture it all. We ended up with this epic video.  

 

After the trip we had the chance to kick it with Salido on a zoom call for a WPL Exclusive interview and learn a little bit more about what he’s been up to during the pandemic. Check out our discussion below! 

WPL: Johny, what were you doing when the global lockdowns started? 

Johny: When the pandemic hit hard, and the lockdowns started to happen I had been on the road for about 6 weeks riding in Barcelona, Colombia, and the US. It all happened so quickly and it seemed like every day I was canceling an upcoming event, and travel plans. It was pretty clear from my perspective that It was going to be some time before I could get back on the road and continue shredding, so I decided to start working on some projects that I’ve been dreaming of doing, but had not found the time until now.

I guess you could say that  if the pandemic never happened I would not have had the opportunity to create my Freeride event in Guadalajara, “Free Ride Fiesta” coming February 1-8 2021, or my new clothing line Gud Life. 

WPL: That’s all really exciting, Mexico looks like an incredible place to be a Freeride rider. When we asked you to pick a spot to go ride you chose San Sebastián del Oeste, Jalisco. Is there something special about San Sebastian del Oeste? 

 

Johny: Yeah, I think you could say that it’s a special place for me. To be honest, I love everything about San Sebastian. The small town feel, with epic trails is hard to beat. There’s a small team of people that maintain the trails in San Sebastian, and it’s not only awesome to support them, but the forest there is truly an amazing place to spend time and escape the big city vibes. In a lot of ways, being in San Sebastian makes me feel free, and that’s something I love. 

WPL: So we gave you the complete freedom to choose a videographer of your choice. Why did you choose to work with Juan Diego to capture this trip? 

Johny: Juan is super talented, and he’s amazing to collaborate with. We’ve worked together in the past and when this opportunity came up Juan was without a doubt my first choice. 

 

WPL: Johny, you are the only athlete on the WPL roster from Mexico. What does it feel like to represent Mexico on an international level at events, and through platforms like your WPL sponsorship? 

Johny: It’s honestly amazing, I can’t tell you how awesome it is to represent my country through all the available platforms. I think I’m honestly just super grateful to be able to not only represent my country, but to work with brands and products that I truly believe in. WPL gives me the opportunity to do what I want on my bike, but I think the most important thing is that I can add some value to the brand in sharing their awesome products with my following, and in return share my passion for these products with new markets. It’s an awesome partnership, what more can I say. 

WPL: So what’s next for Johny Salido? 

Johny: I’m still organizing everything for “Freeride Fiesta” which I’m super stoked about. Besides that, I think only time will tell how covid develops and when we are able to travel without restrictions again. In the meantime, I’ll just be riding my local trails and jumps

WPL: Johny, thanks so much for your passion and for taking the time to put this awesome project together!

Johny: The pleasure is mine, working and doing projects with I brand I believe in is really all I can ask for. See you on the trails!