Interview: STRESS BIKE SHOP - Russia

Oleg Alexandrov - STRESS BIKE SHOP, MOSCOW - RUSSIA

Can you explain how the idea for your store came to be?

It all began with the birth of the STRESS BMX brand. Then in 2014 there was a crisis in Russia, when our currency exchange rate dropped 3 times in 2 months, but still I wanted to keep the prices reasonable for the product brands. The best solution was to start selling our products ourselves, and abandon intermediaries — a sort of “direct-to-consumer model”. The store that had been our distributor also had some financial issues due to the crisis situation, so the solution was to create a monobrand store, which has grown and developed over time. Not only do we sell our own products, but we also sell other brands.

Can you tell us a bit about your personal history within BMX?

I started riding in 2002 and a couple of years later I got sponsored by a local store. There were no parks in Moscow - the street was the only choice. Later I made The Inside BMX - an online magazine dedicated to BMX, particularly video content. After that, the STRESS BMX brand was born. I stopped riding around 2010-2012, and focused on developing the brand, and later, the store. About 2 years ago though, I built my new bike and I rethought my attitude towards riding - I started liking it even more so now I ride about 1-2 times a week.

Are you primarily a BMX shop?

Basically, we’re a BMX store with all the necessary products including shoes and clothes. However, we consider it to be a community hub. BMX is a tool to rethink the world around you, it gives you a purpose and self-identity. All the parts we sell are instruments to feel complete moments of happiness when landing tricks, making friends, and learning something new about yourself.

Who’s on your team for Vans ‘The Circle’?

Two twin brothers Igor and Max Bespaliy - Russian/Ukrainian BMX legends. They’ve ridden for STRESS BMX since the beginning of the brand. Their style is filled with riding rails, edges, and all sorts of technical stuff.

Igor Kuznetsov - rides for STRESS BMX, does crazy lines with balances and grinds. This kid has a lot of control.

Vlad Glazovsky - a new name within Russian BMX, rides for STRESS BMX. Last year he won the Wintering BMX Battle in Russia (game or BIKE format competition). It seems he can do anything on a bike. Unfortunately he was injured on the second day of filming, so we decided to change him to...

Nikita Obuhov - young and talented rider, he is supported by HHX brand (Russian clothing brand), and he is also a part of SBS “Local Hero” programme (something like flow team but with a much larger number of members). He’s progressed a lot this year as a rider, and as a person too. We hope he’ll eventually join the SBS pro team. Everything depends on him.

Artem Moskvichev - a young rider, super talented, just right after a knee injury, perfect whips / barspins / hang5 / flairs etc. He has a very smooth style. He rides for STRESS BMX.

Turk Ruslan - rides for Karma BMX, a young rider, whose arsenal is filled with tricks such as hard truck, hard 540, etc., we expect bangers...

Who have you chosen to film the edit?

Kostya Chernov - the same as last year. Last year he made a very nice video, which was appreciated not only by us, but also by the judges. Hopefully this year he will make it even better. He’s a professional filmmaker and also one of the best Russian flatland riders.

Has filming gone well so far?

As I write this, we have just started filming - just two days. Vlad was already seriously injured, so we’re thinking about who'll replace him. We’ll try to do something cool and unusual. We will try to win again for sure.

Filmmaker Kostya Chernov and the team.

How’s your local BMX scene looking these days?

I would say that the Russian scene is very active, we’ve got a lot going on. There are some issues like everywhere else and it’s still a work in progress. The perception of BMX is changing in society and the younger generations. It’s interesting to see those differences in the style of riding within the street sector. Our BMX park scene is also very strong — everyone knows Kostya and Irek for example. But besides them we have a lot of talented guys. There are also some flatland riders too, but unfortunately not many.

How does it compare to when you first opened your store?

It seems to me that in recent years we’ve all become friends. Russian BMX unites and there’s less hostility. Also, for the first time in our country, BMX is being developed by those who ride, or rode, BMX - all of this is beneficial. The scene is just getting bigger.

Have you seen an increase in female riders and more diversity in general over recent years?

Yes, female BMX is developing very strongly all over the world and Russia is no exception. You can see more and more girls skateboarding or riding BMX. This makes me happy.

How important is a good BMX shop in supporting a local scene?

I believe that local stores and brands have a responsibility to develop the scene, support riders, organise competitions or street jams, etc. Beginners have no incentive or no goal without this. If we want to make BMX great, we must create more and more activities around the world, attract attention, empower young riders to prove themselves and to show them how riding can help them to cope with many things in life. The scene (shops, magazines, brands, everybody who loves BMX) on a global level should understand, that the more we do for the community, the more it gives back to us. BMX is too small to extract resources from it, so we should focus on BMX development.

Do you think BMX has been more popular lately?

In Russia it seems that BMX is growing, but perhaps this is the case all over the world. I also think that the main growth is still ahead.