Leanna Curtis | 2017 Crisp Bros. Racing

August 2017

Leanna Curtis | 2017 Crisp Bros. Racing

August 2017

BMX in Australia seems to have a knack for producing really fast, really talented Elite Women and Leanna Curtis is firmly in that camp. Riding for one of the coolest looking brands in the sport, Crisp Bros. Racing with their new twist on the old school vibe, it’s hard not to notice Leanna on the track.

We’ve been following her for a few years now, both in Australia and on the world stage, and are continuously impressed! Last month she just missed out on a place in the Elite Women’s Worlds final in Rock Hill after a fifth in the semi … we thought it was about time we caught up with Ms Curtis …

15: How long have you been racing BMX and how long have you been in the Elite ranks?

Leanna: I’ve been racing for 15 years, my first year in Elite was 2012. I had only raced domesticly until 2015, when I went to my first SX race in Sweden.

15: Where is your local track back home in Australia?

Leanna: My local is called Southlake/Illawarra BMX Track located in Albion Park NSW, just over an hour south of Sydney.

15: Do you have a preference for the big hill and big jumps of SX or a ‘regular’ track?

Leanna: I don’t think I have a preference between the two, I just love any track that is a bit more technical and flows nice.

15: Do you find racing in Australia is any different to racing in the US or Europe?

Leanna: Yeah, mostly because of the competition. Going overseas and especially to America, there is always a few of the top girls to race against so its always good racing.

Leanna Curtis - 2017 Worlds - Craig Dutton

15: You’ve just competed at the Worlds in Rock Hill, how was that experience for you?

Leanna: It was really good, I had a great week in Rock Hill, it was a lot of fun. I placed 9th overall after a 5th in the semi. That’s my best result at worlds so far and it was off the back of a difficult couple of months for me so I am definitely pleased with how it all went.

15: What did you think of the track, the facilities, and the event? We guess they are not all mutually exclusive.

Leanna: The track is definitely not as technical as I like but at the same time I think because it was a little basic it made for some really good racing for all ages. I found I was able to 100% focus on racing and not worry about any difficult areas on the track. The facility was awesome as well, they have one of the best set ups I’ve seen.

Leanna Curtis Crisp Bros Racing - Leanna Curtis

15: The Australian National team is crammed full of talent, just making the team is a huge achievement but being around some of the world’s best has got to be an inspiration, right?

Leanna: Yeah, it is good, having Caroline and Lauren definitely gives the rest of us in Australia a standard to push towards and I think will keep encouraging more young girls to come through.

15: With some riders based in the States and the rest in Australia do you guys get together much for camps or is it just before big international events?

Leanna: Yeah, we don’t really all get together for camps much with some riders being overseas, camps get organized and its just usually the people who are in the country that attend.

15: Can you tell us what goes on at a typical HPU camp?

Leanna: A ‘HPU’ camp is usually lots of different testing and timing around the Sleeman SX track plus talks with other professionals like nutritionists and S&C coaches.

BIKE CHECK:

Frame: Crisp Bros. Racing Pro XL

Forks: Box carbon

Bars: Elevn

Grips: A’ME

Stem: Michram Industries

Headset: Odyssey

Bottom Bracket: Shimano

Cranks: Shimano DXR 175mm

Sprocket: Michram Industries

Gearing: SX Track 46/17 | Regular Track 43/16

BIKE CHECK:

Seat: Box Components

Seat Clam: Box Components

Pedals: Shimano M424

Brake Caliper: Shimano DXR

Brake Leaver: Shimano DXR

Hubs: Onyx Racing

Rims: Alienation

Front Tyre: Arisun XL R8 1.75

Rear Tyre: Tioga PowerBlock 1.6

Plate: Mac Components #172

15: Did you have much input into how your Crisp Bros. bike looks, colours, parts etc. or do you just look forward to the next one arriving?

Leanna: Yeah, I picked the colours of this one, I’m a fan of the polished look and I thought it also ties in well with the fact that Cam, the team manager, is trying to keep the old school theme going. As far as parts go I mostly just let Cam put whatever he wants on board but I did ask for the Onyx hubs.

BIKE CHECK:

Frame: Crisp Bros. Racing Pro XL

Forks: Box carbon

Bars: Elevn

Grips: A’ME

Stem: Michram Industries

Headset: Odyssey

Bottom Bracket: Shimano

Cranks: Shimano DXR 175mm

Sprocket: Michram Industries

Gearing: SX Track 46/17 | Regular Track 43/16

Seat: Box Components

Seat Clam: Box Components

Pedals: Shimano M424

Brake Caliper: Shimano DXR

Brake Leaver: Shimano DXR

Hubs: Onyx Racing

Rims: Alienation

Front Tyre: Arisun XL R8 1.75

Rear Tyre: Tioga PowerBlock 1.6

Plate: Mac Components #172

15: Did you have much input into how your Crisp Bros. bike looks, colours, parts etc. or do you just look forward to the next one arriving?

15: You’ve just fractured your wrist at the USA BMX Mile High Nationals in Colorado … tell us what happened? Are you going to be out long?

Leanna: I crashed myself in practice when I came up short on the first jump. I have surgery on Tuesday the 15th and that will help shorten the recovery time but it will still be 6 weeks until I can ride the track again. I’ll start doing whatever training I can before then so it won’t be too bad.

15: You were at the USA BMX Grands last year, we assume you’ll be back to 100% by the end of November … is this years event on the cards?

Leanna: Yeah, I will try and get back out there for grands again this year. There is not much happening in Australia for the rest of the year so it will be something good to train towards and finish off the year with.

15: We’re sure you’re sick of this question but we have to ask … how did you get involved in the ‘BMX Bandits’ recreation video? It looked like a whole lot of fun.

Leanna: Yeah, that video was really fun, it was a week of travelling around and filming with those guys and I don’t think I took the smile off my face the whole time! My coach Luke Madill who was previously sponsored by Red Bull said that they were making this video and were after a girl and lucky for me Luke suggested me!

Watch Video HERE