In conversation with one of India’s best
Supercross rider CS Santosh
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| CS Santosh: The next big thing. (Image Credit: Cristiano) |
CS Santosh is arguably India’s
most accomplished Supercross champion and one of the finest off-road racers on
two-wheels.
His natural talent, skill as
well as his hard work has led him to not only become the Supercross Champion on
the national circuit four times, but also win numerous races in the Sri Lankan
Championship. Last year, he also participated in the World Cross Country
Championship where an unfortunate fire accident ended his run prematurely; he
was running in top 10 when the incident took place.
We caught up with the
30-year-old champion to know what goes inside that helmet of his. When asked
about what goes in the making of a world-class professional rider, he said,
“When it comes down to racing you have to be born with talent, skill is acquired
through years of practice. I would say that hard work is granted, in order to
be successful you have to be willing to put in the work and make sacrifices.
The mind is the most important aspect in a professional athlete. There is
always a wave of ups and downs that you experience and mental toughness and
will to succeed will see you through. I always bet on myself!”
Off road racing is a very
physical sport and he trains through the year mostly with running, swimming and
spending a lot of his time in the gym pumping iron and cross training.
He recently established his own
Motocross Park – Big Rock Motopark at Kolar to train the next generation of
motocross riders. “Big Rock was built to fill the need for an Off Road park in
India. At this park not only do we have beginner to intermediate level tracks
but they are also really safe. We also have killer trail riding which is the
main attraction! Apart from the tracks we also have 6 off road bikes mainly the
Honda 230Fs,” said Santosh. “We provide riding gear and all the protection
necessary along with basic training for you to be able to have fun. It’s a one
stop shop for off roaders and we entertain only enthusiasts,” he added.
Having a facility of this scale
comes with its own scale of problems. Sourcing the equipment was the biggest
issue since all of it had to be imported and in a country like India where even
an event like Formula 1 is categorized as “Entertainment”, importing equipment,
spares, tools and bikes for off-roading brings a new level of headache.
But everything’s finally in
place. “Eventually, it should function like the parks abroad and we will also
host events and races in time,” says an optimistic Santosh.
A typical day for him includes
training, riding his beloved motorcycle at the Big Rock Facility and taking
people out on the trails around the park! The toughest race for him so far has
been the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge. After last year’s failed attempt, he’ll be
back on the saddle in Abu Dhabi to try his luck for the second time when the race
gets underway from 3rd of April. “I’m really excited to go back there!” says an
animated Santosh. We wish him all the best for the same, counting on him to
bring the trophy to India.
If you wish to get a glimpse of what goes in the making of an
off-road champion, hitch a ride to Kolar and train with the man himself at his Big RockMotopark facility
Discalimer: This article first appeared on RedBull.com
Discalimer: This article first appeared on RedBull.com
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