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BMX rider Kenneth Tencio just took an unforgettable road trip around his home nation of Costa Rica – watch it and read our interview with him right here.
As an incredibly proud Costa Rican, Kenneth Tencio is keen to show the world where he’s from. From the Caribbean and Pacific coasts to the tropical rainforest, jungle and mountain ranges, the country’s diverse environment is what Tencio is keen to show off in his latest project: De Costa a Costa (from coast to coast).Join Tencio as he takes his BMX on a 330km road trip across Costa Rica from the Caribbean to the Pacific coast with a route and location stops in between that are symbolic to him. Showing he can ride almost any location, however hard or unimaginable, Tencio also delivers a bag of tricks that are creative in the extreme.Watch the video in full in the player above and read our interview with him below.Why did you want to travel Costa Rica in this way?I wanted to show where I come from. After having travelled abroad and represented Costa Rica, I realised that not many people know anything about my country and I wanted to show the country off through my sport. It became a mission. Besides, it’s the best way to say thank you for the support that I have received during my pro BMX career from Costa Rica and the people here.
Did you personally select the places you visited on this road trip? And if so did any of these places have any important significance?Yes, it was my choices in terms of the locations. First, Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo have beautiful scenery. They also represent the Afro-Caribbean culture that is so rich and unique in the country. The first time I went to that part of Costa Rica I was so enchanted with the whole place. I visualised myself performing some tricks on location in those destinations.The Zurquí tunnel was important as this is when you leave the Caribbean side of Costa Rica and go inland in search of the cities. It is also a famous road pass in Costa Rica [it’s the country’s only road tunnel and was excavated from the Hondura mountain] so I felt that most Costa Ricans could easily identify with it.The city of Cartago is the place where I am originally from, so it is very special to me. It was where I spent my formative years riding a BMX to becoming a professional athlete. On the Pacific side, Jacó in the province of Puntarenas is the place that has welcomed me the most these last five years and it is now where I base myself when I am back home in Costa Rica.
For some of the tricks for De Costa de Costa we see you used some natural obstacles found in the environment you were in. Was this planned beforehand or did it happen as you went along?When we planned the project we had an idea of what we wanted to do and had mapped out some plans but there were scenario changes along the way as well as unknown variables including the constantly changing environment that is a tropical country. At those times I had to come up with other tricks and yes I had to practise them on the spot, but I was already mentally prepared for this to happen.Were there moments where you were challenged physically and mentally?What I like most about these projects is that they test me. We have moments, not only of physical fatigue, but also of mental fatigue. For example, there are tricks that normally are not so difficult for me, but due to weather conditions or different external factors, they were. For instance meal times, which are so important, sometimes didn’t exist as we had to continue filming in the best conditions.Having to shoot at several locations also meant there was extra pressure, but when you see the result, then everything is worth it and you end up enjoying it more.
Is there a trick that you think was a big test and you managed to perform during the project?Most of the tricks were a challenge, because some are simple in regular conditions, but got complicated. These tricks were a mental issue because I knew there was a cliff or the possibility of falling into the sea.Learn more about Kenneth Tencio