Ronnie Kim: Numero Uno

As all of the 13x’s in American can attest to, it’s pretty difficult to catch up with Ronnie Kim.

CATCHIN’ UP WITH RONNIE

The Factory Box-Meybo racer has been on a hot two and a half year win-streak - and currently holds the USA BMX No.1 Amateur title as well as World No.1. At the time of this interview, the last time he’d lost a race was in late-January 2017 at the Bluegrass Nationals. (For the record, that loss was to Josh Trerise). As hard as it may be to catch him, we were able to catch up with Mr. Numero Uno, on Sunday at the South Point arena, to ask him a few questions.

CHATTIN’ WITH THE No.1 AM

G-MO: Let’s start at the beginning - what made you want to start racing BMX?

RONNIE: So, before BMX, I was actually a soccer player. According to my parents, I’d always sit back and complain that I was never in the game. I wasn’t getting to play all the time. So when the season ended, my dad took me to Orange-Y BMX ...which, unfortunately is now closed. I raced there for the first time -at five years old, and my Dad was also racing at the time. I didn’t make the main that first time, but he got third - so he gave me his trophy to inspire me to keep trying. The funny thing is, that was my first day racing, and it was also the last day my dad ever raced.

G-MO: Wow - so you went in, and he went out. How long did it take you to move up, to say - Intermediate?

RONNIE: I think it took a good four or five months to turn Inter.

G-MO: Orange-Y is known for cranking out some talent. You are one among many fast riders to come out of Orange. How long before you began to travel?

RONNIE: When I was six, I went to the Grands that year and placed third - as a 6X.

G-MO: Not bad, in one year’s time. Who was your first sponsor?

RONNIE: The first team I got on was Wild Child. They don’t exist anymore.