It’s been a good month of seeing deserving women move up to pro, including Austria’s Linda Grabner, who recently turned pro with Wethepeople BMX. I reached out to Paul Robinson for more on the promotion.
Let’s tap into the origins: How long has Linda been with WTP? Do you remember the moment where you were like, “We’ve got to have her on the team”?
Yeah, I do. I just remember thinking this is someone who actually wants to push street riding forward, and I don’t think it was just for women at the time; it was for herself, although I think Linda totally understands her role in women’s BMX.
Street riding has so much culture to it, and Linda seems to be drawn to all of that, so it just made for a great fit at WTP. I’m not going to choose a rider just because they can do everything in all aspects of BMX, for me, it’s how they fit the team, how interesting they are, as well as the basics.
What was the shift that finally put her on pro?
Probably when she single-handedly averted a potential two-car, two-van pile-up midway into a 10-hour drive over the Tizi n’Test pass in Morocco, during a snowstorm at 2,093 meters above sea level.
What plans can we look forward to in the future with Linda?
Well, as soon as she’s back on the mend, I think it’s going to be more trips, more parts, probably. Linda does what Linda wants.
