There are some faces that have been in the race scene for years, and then there are also just as many that disappear. Jerry Schipper however is one face that can be put into both camps. He made his first spannering appearance way back in 1996 and then went on to work for some of the legendary teams of the time, including Giant Global Racing and Specialized Mt Dew, which at the time was the home of none other than the one and only Shaun Palmer. After then going onto do product development and tech support for both Manitou and Hayes he finally hung up his towel in 2001 thanks to a new lady coming onto his personal scene. Anyway, it didn’t take long for him to feel trapped in a ‘normal’ life that he wasn’t accustomed to, so he kicked the girlfriend out, sold his house and car, bought a rucksack, and then buggered off around the world blowing all his money whilst having the best year of his life. There was one thing though that he still missed, and that was the race scene. So, now his face is back once more, this time as the chief spanner wielder at the MS Intense pits. Here’s the ‘endtroducing’ of the man who couldn’t stay away…

Who Is Jerry Schipper?
The team mechanic from MS Intense Factory Racing.
Where do you live?
I’ve got no fixed abode really. I do have a mail address in the
Netherlands, but in the summer I work for the team and then in the
winter I teach survival training in Alice Springs, Australia.
What do you do?
I repair and tune the team bikes of the MS Intense team.
What made you decide to get back into the race scene?
As soon as you work on the scene you become addicted, and it
was always in the back of my mind to return. I am happy to be back
thanks to MS racing.
What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
Pulling guts out of chicken arses in a chicken factory.
Where’s your favourite place?
Dream land…Bali.
Where’s your favourite place to ride?
Alp d’Huez.
When are you happiest?
When I see other people having fun and enjoying themselves.
What makes you angry?
People who can’t be themselves and people who try to be funny. Oh,
and dog shit on the side walk.
What makes you happy?
Hot chicks in the pits.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Live your life how you want to live it! That made me the person
I am now.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever given?
Follow your heart.
What are your extravagances?
Tattoos.
Who do you admire?
One of my best friends who is recovering from breast cancer. I have
never seen a person so strong and willing to live.
What’s the most important thing in your life?
Grandpa’s wallet.
What would you never throw away?
My Shaun Palmer signed shirt.
What’s your greatest fear?
Depth. I went diving once and it freaked me out.
What was your luckiest escape?
When I got away from a Taipan snake in the outback.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
Scratch my balls, have a coffee, and drop the kids off at the pool.
What’s the last thing you do at night?
Go through the day in my mind.
What would be your dream meal?
Indonesian rice dice (?) on Jimbaran beach, Bali.
What things do you always carry with you?
Grandpa’s wallet and a memory stick.
Do you have any regrets?
Yes, that I stepped away from the scene in 2001.
What’s the most important lesson that you’ve learnt?
That you really can live without a f–kin cell phone!
If you could have dinner with three famous people (dead or
alive) who would they be?
Carmen Electra, Jesus (just to hear his side of the story),
and the Dalai Lama.
Who is your favourite rider?
Johan Engstrom and Greg Herbold.
What’s your favourite bike product of all time?
A Chris King headset.
What’s your least favourite bike product of all time?
Bar ends.
What’s your favourite motto or saying?
Follow your heart.
What saying do you use too much?
OK.
What bike are you riding at the moment?
None.
What was the last magazine you read?
FH M.
What are you listening to at the moment?
Dispatch, The Killers and Shiny Toy Guns.
What one thing would you change about yourself?
I wish I weighed a bit more.
What are your weaknesses?
Being too emotional.
What does the future hold for you?
Enjoying life and living day by day.
What does the future hold for mountain biking?
Freeride/downhill and all the other extreme stuff is on its way back
from a bit of a dip, and I really hope that our sport gets even more
interesting for outside sponsors so more people can get a chance
in the sport.
How would you like to be remembered?
As the guy who always had a smile on his face.

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