Being a professional BMX rider is no walk in the park. To channel your time and energy into chasing your dreams and an uncommon profession (in Singapore, that is) takes a lot of guts.
Meet Ariff Juf. The 32-year-old started off with riding BMX when he was 17, and continued to compete and clinch numerable first places in many local and international competitions. Building up his rapport amongst other professional BMX riders, Ariff has travelled the world and made valuable business connections – something that came in handy when he founded distribution company SSTBMX.
Riding for a living is one thing, but managing your own company certainly takes tenacity and confidence. SSTBMX (derived from the acronyms SST for ‘sunsetrails’ and BMX) is Ariff’s pride and joy. Back when it was a one man show, he ran the company from ordering of parts, online marketing, web designing, photo shoots, and video promos – all while managing a team of riders.
Today, the well-established SSTBMX has organised successful events and demos that include Jim Beam Flow Jam in Wavehouse, SAFRA Runway Cycling, and Sunset Jams (’05-’08); with a list of impressive clients like Cathay Cineleisure and Bike Asia.
Nookmag (N): Hi Ariff! Tell us more about the sunset trails and what SSTBMX is up to nowadays.
Ariff Juf (A): Hello! Sunsetrails was a place where my local boys and I used to ride our dirtjumps. The name ‘sunsetrails’ came about due to the spectacular sunset view and the ‘trails’ which represented the series of dirtjumps that we made. For 8 good years, Sunsetrails was the place where most BMX riders headed to but sadly it was demolished in 2010. Sunsetrails was a big part of my childhood so I decided to name my company after it.
Currently the team consist of me, Sallehin ,Farhaan Bakar aka Curly B , Nizam “The General”, Markus and Alex Sneesby. We just came back from Myanmar where we attended the Pre SEA GAMES cycling competition. To be at my age and racing with riders nearly 10 years my junior is a big challenge but hey, I got into semi-finals! I came to realise that, age is never a factor to my ridings. Kudos to myself haha! Most importantly I made a lot of business connections and got to know how the BMX market is like in other parts of Asia. These experiences and the newfound business knowledge that comes with it allows to me to implement new ideas to SSTBMX.
N: Any exciting plans you guys are gearing up for this year?
A: Recently we just had a BMX demo at Bishan park for the community event Project Yellow Feet. We have a few BMX demos and event coming up this year. For a start, next month we will be involved in Social Stars award at Marina Bay Sands. This is a big event because Hollywood stars such as Aerosmith will be present for this award show. Later in the year, we should be having the 3rd BYOB Wavehouse Sentosa Anniversary event.
N: How would you describe your riders? Tell us the challenges you face as a team leader?
A: Every rider in the team has their own strength and talent. Sallehin is a National BMX Racer. He is fast and furious on the BMX track and flowy on the jumps. Farhaan Bakar has the flowy combo air trick which is hard to find around here. Nizam is “The General” of technical riding; the way he rides the streets will blow your mind away. Markus and Alex are our newest riders. They have a lot of potential and their technical styles and stamina is impressive and encouraging.
With this mixture, we learn to better ourselves through team motivation, sharing of tips, and also to have fun in style! As team manager I face many challenges, especially when it comes to a big event and when I have to accommodate and balance everyone’s’ different schedules… but it’s all good! And just a shout out: a big thank you to Sallehin, Farhaan and Nizam who have stayed with me all these years.
N: From a rider perspective, what is your major focus during preparation? What phases do you go through building up to the major contests?
A: With years of riding, going for competitions, the experiences has made me gain a lot in terms of my mental and physical preparation for any future contest seasons. For physical preparation, without a doubt, I will have fixed gym regime, cardio workout and also track time. As for mental preparation, I do research and obtain information about my competitors, this allows me to study what are his weakness and strength in their riding styles.
N: What’s your take on the BMX scene in Singapore?
A: BMX is a sport to stay and the local talent is getting better. The only thing is that we riders need more support from the government and the private sector in terms of more facilities and supported events. Sporting brands in Singapore are still hesitant in supporting these talented riders to endorse or sponsor them as brand ambassadors. We should always be proud of our local talents because if we are not opening up our own perceptions, then who will?
N: What are your hopes and plans for SSTBMX?
A: In the next few years, we are expected to have our own office cum warehouse. Getting involved in more community and international projects would be great too. But ultimately, my goal is to make SSTBMX a renowned BMX company that runs its own labelled products. We want to be known for establishing great demos and competitions, not only in Singapore but throughout Asia.
When I’m not riding…
I spend time with my lovely wife who cycles as well – though not with a BMX bicycle – and then head to a spa.
I love my Converse Chucks because…
They are the most rugged and cool shoes of all time, even back when I was in high school. Converse never seems to run out of fashion. Converse rocks!
Conversation seeks out inspiring individuals who possess a creative spirit and brim with passion. It offers an insight into the lives of these individuals and the things that drives them. This edition is proudly sponsored by Converse.
Photos by Sulhan S
