JUSTIN DOWELL TALKS HIS HYPER STYLE

At just 22 years young, Justin Dowell has already taken home an X Games medal, a FISE World Cup victory, a World Championship, and represented his country in Freestyle’s inaugural appearance at The Olympics. What now? Well, Justin has a new bike sponsor, and a calendar packed full of events for the first time since 2019 - and he’s fired up. We caught up with Justin at his home in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, to take a look into his current mentality…

Tell us about your new bike sponsor…

"At the beginning of 2022, I signed with Hyper Bikes. It just seemed like the best fit. For years, when people would ask me who I wanted to ride for, Hyper was always the number one choice."

You have a bit of a history with Hyper, right?

"Yeah. Even years before riding for them, I knew the family that owns the company. I used to compete against the sons of the owner - Clay, and Shane. It relays back to the fact that, before the sponsorship, we were already friends. It made the transition to the team seamless. I just feel like I’m at home with Hyper."

Aside from your personal relationship, why do you think it’s such a good fit?

"They’ve been the brand that pushes park riding forward, and they make some of the best parts in the game that fit my style. Also, I’m excited about their involvement in the USA BMX Freestyle Series. I grew up riding amateur events like this, and that’s actually where I met the Hyper family. You can expect to see me at a few of the stops representing Hyper."

How’s living in North Carolina?

"I’m loving it. I used to come here a lot as a kid, and it fits right in with what I need. I’m from Virginia, and this is really close by."

What’s your daily routine like?

"I go to DDASC for the first couple hours of the day and ride with Daniel Dhers, Marin Rantes, and the locals. I come home, and if I want to ride again, I ride the resi in my backyard that I built a few months back. But I also enjoy just hanging out around my property. Sometimes I ride my pit bike around, or I go and pedal my boat in the lake or something. Doing things outside of riding makes BMX even more fun for me because it’s not occupying my brain 24/7."

What does your travel schedule look like for this year?

"In 2020 and 2021 combined, I think I was only out of the country three times. In the next couple of months alone, I’m already going to break that. Just knowing that alone is a huge surge in motivation for me. I’m excited to get back in the swing of traveling and competing. I can’t wait to get on the road again."

Do you have your sights set on The Olympics in 2024, or is that not on the radar yet?

"Yeah - the qualification period is starting up again this year. I obviously didn’t get the result I wanted at the previous Olympics, but I know what it takes to get to the Games. I did it before, and I think I can do it again. I really want to change a lot of minds. I want to put my head down, work hard, and get good results for me and for the country I represent."

Any final thoughts?

"I just want to say thanks to Shane and Clay at Hyper for this opportunity. It honestly really boosted my motivation for everything coming up in 2022. I won’t let you guys down. I’m going to try my best to represent the brand and do well."