JAM REPORT TRAILDAYS BERLIN 2020
- PART 2 -

DAY 3 

WILDAU
TRAILS

INTERVIEW
DANIEL TRAEDER

Wildau Trails

Please introduce yourself.
My name is Daniel, I am 35 years old. I ride BMX since I am 17 years old, I do calisthenics and my profession is carpenter and soon I will be a personal trainer.
For how long do you ride BMX?
I got into it bit by bit. Everything started 1999 with riding MTB trails. But soon I realised that I needed more action. In 2000 I started to build small jumps in the forest, usually I just put a plank on some sticks and then we jumped it again and again with our rusty bikes.
Then I saw BMX for the first time at a youth fair. I literally thought this is the coolest thing I have ever seen. I took a while until I had my first BMX. It was quite expensive and neither I nor my mum had enough money to buy one. But since I grew up in Berlin, I knew how to get stuff without money…
When did you started the spot in Wildau and how did that happen? The spots seems quite perfect.
The spot exists since 2003. There was a fairly big BMX scene in this area, in the surroundings of berlin. A few kids had another spot in Schulzendorf (editor’s note: Schulzendorf is the village next to Wildau) and again a few others had a spot in Wildau on a field. But both of the spots have been illegal and there was a lot of struggle with the authorities. We already had been in contact with the council of Wildau and at the same time the head of the youth club wanted to give us the spot where we are today. This all happened at the same time and it went really quick. In the end we got the perfect place for trails.
Does anyone helps you with the work at the trails?
This depends on the type of work that has to be done and also when it has to be done.
It changed through the years. In the first years we have been a big group of people so we could move dirt fast and could get a lot of stuff done. Within a few years the group got smaller until there have only been 2-3 dudes left. At that time we stopped building new jumps. We had to focus on keeping the line running. Then there was a point where we decided to build everything a size larger. We finished that for half of the line. Unfortunately the other guys had others obligations to handle. The work stopped. The spot was halfway done and was laying more or less dead for a few years. There already have been talks about closing down the spot. Luckily at that time the locals from another spot in Berlin, Waldspielplatz, came over to help digging. The property rights in their spot has been unsure so they had to leave their trails. So the guys helped me to finish the line and also built some new jumps with me. At the time they have been allowed to go back to their spot, I was the only one left at the spot in Wildau. From time to time I organised diggings sessions, various people were helping me. Mostly with moving dirt of course. But seeing the whole amount of work that I did at the spot, it was only a small part. I have been digging alone for most parts in the last years. The spot in Wildau does not only requiers to work with clay. I have to keep the place clean, build the roll in, the stairs, benches. Also we had a lot of fallen trees through the years. The Leaves in the winter means a lot of work too.
There are not many people in the area that knows how to do a proper lip. So that means there is no one that helps me with that. The next problem is, that the people who do know how to make a flowy lip, do not build it the way I want it. I mean they have a different style that does not fit my line. At the moment I dig alone, but also I don´t build anything new anymore. The spot is done, of course there would be some things I could add to the line, but I have no plans to do that until there may come another period without work.
The next thing will be a refurbishing of the roll in, new stairs and after the winter I will have enough stuff to do to keep the spot going.

Like we were saying before, the Traildays in Berlin are a traditional event for a lot of trailsriders and your spot is a main part of that, most say it is a highlight between all the jams. How did that came?

Back in the day when the Highway2Hill started, most of the pros came a few days earlier for practice. We already had a few sessions at the Mellowpark and I offered a session at my trails on Friday. They had practice on Wednesday and Thursday and were keen to keep on riding on Friday too. Through the years the Friday session at the Wildau trails established as a main event. 
Are there any other annual events at your spot?
Yes, I always try to realise two jams per year. The other one is supposed to be in September. Next to the trails is a youth club and we try to find a date to have an event together. In that way there will be more spectators and the kids can have a look what is going on at the spot. Maybe they are interested too. Apart from that everybody is always welcome to ride a session after they spoke to me shortly.

Does anyone help you preparing the jams?
No.
What about your calisthenics park that is next to your trails? Is digging not enough workout for you?
Hahahah, the calisthenics park belongs to the council and not to me. Digging is not a workout and it is not periodically to be a workout. Digging does not offer a systematic approach for an extensive fitness. Calisthenics is another passion beside bmx.

What do you do when someone comes to your spot without a brake and 4pegs?
Uiuiuiuiui!!!!! Big slap in their face and when they ask why, they get another one. Hahah
There are only to guys who are allowed to ride with pegs at my spot, Ralle (Daniel Juchatz) and Kevin (Kevin Liehn). All others I ask to remove the pegs.
To ride without brakes can be really dangerous and I have seen a lot of people crashing out of weird flight paths because they had no brakes. I like to check the riding level in advance, but I never ban anyone from the spot.
Do you spend more time at the trails or at the calisthenics park?
This is a hard question. I have spent so much time at my trails, half of my life, I can not keep up with that with the time I spent at the calisthenics park.

Decision: Digging shirtless in the sun or digging in drizzle rain with perfect sticking clay?
That doesn´t matter, but I do not go to the spot when it is colder than minus 5°C.

What do you play at the jams, 90´s trash or metal?
There will be no trash at my trails, but a soft mix with flowy music.

Will you do another jam next year?
Of course, the Friday after ascension day is a safe date and in September we will hopefully find a date.

Who do you whish to come to your next jam? (Also notional people are possible)
I like it when everybody comes that can ride a bmx bike. The more people come the better it is. I like it when pros come to the trails and ride them as high as possible. This is really pleasant to see. Also I would like to have Sergio Layos at my trails one day.

If someone wants to visit the Wildau trails, how to get in contact with you? What do they have to bring?

You can always get in contact with me through Instagram @toyscout. Or you talk to someone who has been at my spot and ask for my number. No problem, everyone is always welcome. Everyone should bring the necessary protection. You will not be allowed to ride without a helmet.

​

Thanks for the interview Daniel!

DAY 4 
STRAWBERRY
TRAILS

INTERVIEW WITH
MELVIN, HAKON & CORNELIUS

Strawberry trails

You are the guys behind the Strawberrytrails. Please introduce yourself at first.
We are three dudes from Berlin, Hakon, Melvin and Cornelius, who mainly ride and dig at the Strawberrytrails in Frohnau.
Hakon is the oldest, born in 1998. He has been a racer before he decided to switch to trails because it is way more chilled. What does not mean, that he is not ready to spice up the lines with a few moves.
Cornelius is the tallest. He is getting more confortable with every line. Also he already has a few tricks in his bag, that soon will be transfered from the trick jump to the trailline. Also he is a very talented dude behind the camera and takes good pictures that already has been used for Leafcycles and others.
Melvin sticks out because he flys higher than all the others. It does happen that his wheels are above his head, but he does that to impress the girls mainly. Also he is very keen to learn new tricks on the freshly extended wooden ramp into soft landing. Still the goal is to do these tricks at the fairly big trailsine someday, which seriously would be mental. Melvin just got the push into the team of Leafcycles and is really happy about that.
Through the years we have been able to make a lot of friends in the german trails scene what led to riding a lot of different spots.

For how long do the Strawberrytrails exist, and when did you got involved at the spot?
Around 2000. Hakon and Melvin started 6 years ago. Cornelius started shortly after.

Why do you call the spot “Strawberrytrails”?
There were growing strawberries in the wild, so that’s the simple reason for the name.

Traditionally the Sunday after the Jam in the Mellowpark is kind of a downday for most of the people. Too many beers and so on.. plus the forecast has been looking terrible. Nevertheless you made it happen, that a few of the traildudes came to Frohnau. How have you made that happen?
We have been talking to a lot of people and told them it is really worth it to have a good sunset session at our trails. Then we were hoping for the best.

Why is your line different than the other lines in Berlin?
It probably is the diversity of different jumps in one line. The lines starts really small and technical and gets bigger with every jump. The bottom section is fairly big and no joke.

You have no access to water at your trails, that can be a serious issue. how do you handle that?
We have lots of canisters that we fill up in the village and bring it here with the car or the cargo bike. Else we just wait for the next rain, and sometimes we there is no other way then to accept that the jumps are not perfect for a few sessions.

Decision: Rather digging without a shirt in good weather, or digging in colt drizzle but having perfect sticky clay
As we said, we don´t have sufficient water at the spot, so there is no other way than to dig in the rain. That is way more fun anyways. You do not have to water every five minutes and you never have to use the pickaxe.

Who does most of the work?
Actually we spend the same amount of time at the spot more or less. Sometimes one of us does not have the time to come out to the trails to dig, but that happens to each of us. And while digging everyone is taking a break at some point and just stands at the site, talk shit and watch the others work. But as soon as there is enough wet clay, the motivation is high.

According to what you show in Instagram, you all do spend a lot of time practising new tricks. Does that cut short your time for digging or does that gives you more motivation to keep digging?
It is the contrary, because we plan to do these tricks on the trailsline someday. So maybe we have to change the line to make it possible to do more tricks. On the other hand we do not want to loose the trailsy character of the line. Sometimes it is hard to find the right balance.
Despite the rain in the afternoon, your line was perfectly fine to ride on sunday, how is that possible?
We cover the jumps with thick truck tarpaulin, and sometimes we even cover the flats. The forecast is our friend too. It helps a lot to check it frequently, so we knew when we had to put the covers. Of course we could not prevent all the flats from getting wet, but for those who got wet, we just quickly dug out the wet clay and put dry clay instead.

 When you go to the spot for digging only, do you still use the BMX/MTB or do you choose the city bike.
By foot, with the car or with the normal bikes, but the stuntbikes will stay at home in this case.

How many shovels did you brake in rage, due to a collapsed landing?
That actually did not happened to us in the recent past, because we learned a lot from our mistakes. We watch for the moisture a lot, it should not be too wet and not to dry.

During a session, beer or water?
Water and beer afterwards.

While digging, beer or water?
Depends on the mood.

While partying beer or booze?
Both. Most important is that it is a lot.

How to get in contact with you if someone want to visit you at your trails?
We have an instagram page @strawberrytrailscrew or you can send us a message directly: @melv_99, @cornelius_hoffmann, @hakonbabik515

Do you plan to travel to other spots or jams this year?
Yes for sure! We want to go to the Jam at the Sturmbahntrails in a few weeks and we will see what else will come up. (at the time of the interview it was not published that the Jam in Plauen is cancelled).
Anything else you would like to say?
You are always welcome to visit the strawberrytrails!

Thanks for the interview!