BMX Icon Daniel Sandoval: All You Need to Know

Brakeless, Badass, and Bring on the “Oh Shit” Moments

“When they added another 5-10 feet to the roll-in, I was stoked. Everyone else was kind of hesitant, and they were up there not wanting to drop in. As soon as I went to the top, I knew I was going to be better. I rely on speed and pushing and pulling because I'm brakeless. If anything, I want to over jump the jumps than case them.”

A Method to His Madness: Manipulating His Adrenaline

For most, the drop-in is a moment of pure adrenaline, especially when attempting something new. For Daniel, he’s manipulating his adrenaline to hit at the perfect time. “For the last year and a half, I ride with an Apple Watch and watch my heart rate. I'll notice sometimes my heart rate will be resting at like 165 on top of a roll in or just before my run. I'll focus on breathing to get my heart rate down because you don't want your first trick to be blown out because of too much adrenaline and being too excited. Once you hit your first trick, your heart rate will probably jump to about 160 to 170, so you don't want to drop in like that. So, I learned to try to calm down a bit and then drop in when I'm ready.”

Work Smarter Not Harder

So what? He monitors his heart rate and practices breathing techniques. How does that make an impact? “A lot of riders don't think about that, they’re so hyped and when they drop in, they over calculate, and you can see it in their riding. They could pull a little too hard or they'll land a little sketchy and on top of just riding, those miscalculations can also make your heart rate go up.”

From just dropping in and going for it, to focusing on his athlete abilities and taking care of himself, Daniel has noticed a major improvement in his performance, and he’s ready to test the boundaries even more.

Defining a BMX Rider vs a BMX Athlete

“For me, the fitness aspect has been better to focus on than just riding.” He focuses on certain muscle groups and works them dynamically. Daniel is defining being a BMX rider vs a BMX athlete. “It’s crazy because three years ago, I didn't really go to the gym and do any of that because I already considered myself an athlete. I look back now and I'm like, ‘Wow, like, you were nowhere near an athlete.’ To hit that full potential and see where you can go and what you can do, that's my whole outlook on riding my bike. I am trying to get to that next level and show people you can do a lot more than what the average person can do.”

Daniel’s Ready to Get Dirty

“I'm a really good dirt rider.” He’s now competing in the Monster Energy BMX Triple Challenge, but that’s not how it started. After getting shut down to be an alternate for BMX Dirt X Games Minneapolis, Daniel was added to the roster the day of the event. “The day of the contest, someone said, 'Hey, you're in for Dirt.' And I haven't even dropped in for it, nothing. It was a big thing for me, because when I dropped in and I got to finals. And look, they had a week of practice, I had an hour. There’s a lot of guys that deserve that spot as well, but give me a chance.” He’s now crushing it and ready for more…

New Rule: Only Challenge Daniel on Your Best Day

Daniel wants to be challenged and win because he earned it, not because another rider was having an off day. He’s more motivated on competing with himself, than with the competition. “I would obviously love to win every event, that would be sweet, but I also want to try to win every event when everyone else is having their best day. There's nothing worse than everyone falling, and you win just because you landed an ‘okay’ run.”

Daniel’s Pregame Ritual + Favorite Monster Drink

He’s not superstitious, and doesn’t have to do anything before an event, but “Music is a big part of my career, if the right music is playing near me or I have my headphones in, it helps me get focused.” Right now he’s focused and listening to “any of Juice WRLD songs” and drinking Juice Monster Khaotic to match.

Daniel’s approach is mindful and calculated, something we can all watch for at his next event. He's prepped on every aspect to improve his performance, from building some ramps in his backyard to hitting the gym to practicing his breathing techniques. We’re stoked to see what Daniel Sandoval will do as our newest Monster Energy BMX Athlete.