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At 17, Enzo had already been riding the park behind LooseFest for years before it became a stop on his season. For most riders, LooseFest is a career highlight but for Enzo, it was something bigger - a dream he’d been carrying since he was 10 years old, and this year he got to see it come true.
We caught up with Enzo after the event to hear how it felt to ride the line, tackle its toughest feature, and share a run with the man who built it.
A slope he grew up on
For those unaware or not in the MTB scene, LooseFest is a rider-run freeride mountain bike gathering held annually at the Bike Park Ferme Libert in Malmedy, Belgium. Founded by mountain bike legend Nico Vink, the event prioritises progression, style, and community over points and podiums.
For Enzo, this event meant something more.. This wasn't a new venue or an unfamiliar line, it was the same bike park he had been riding for years, the place where the inspiration of competing first took hold.
"It was not the first time I saw the line, because I have been riding this bike park since I was 10 years old. Every time I was on the slope I said to myself, 'one day I will do it.'"
That history changes how an event like this lands. LooseFest wasn't just another stop on the calendar for Enzo. It was a goal he’d had for himself for six years, finally being seen through.
"I would describe Loosefest as unimaginable. Before being a major event of my season, it's my biggest childhood dream - and it was incredible."
Familiarity with the park meant he was riding slopes he understood, rather than sizing up something unknown, and that showed in how he felt heading into it.
"During the trackwalk, I felt really good about doing these jumps."
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Committing to the stepdown
Despite knowing the park, the jumps still presented a range of challenges for Enzo, it wasn’t all smooth sailing (or riding for that matter). The step down after the first three doubles was the toughest stage of the line for Enzo.
“The step down is quite scary because it is flat and you have to give a good pop shot before jumping it.”
Despite being a clear physical challenge, the mental side of freeride is just as important - commitment over caution can be what gets the results. Once Enzo trusted the pop shot, the feature stopped being the thing that could go wrong and became the highlight of the run.
“The first time I did it, the feeling was crazy. I felt like I was flying in the air.”
Riding Protected
Riding lines like this, and trusting in the commitment to go full send is not something Enzo does without impact protection. Throughout the event, he wore the ION X RE ZRO® Nico Vink ARCON HD Pro, and having trusted protection mattered just as much as his faith in riding.
“I rode with Nico Vink's ARCON HD chest protection, I loved riding with it because I feel safe when I wear it, and it was a good feeling because during this kind of ride you have to feel confident with your protection””
Feeling safe and secure in your protection can help riders with the mental challenges that go into the jumps they’re doing. That confidence is exactly what our shear-thinning protection is designed to give a rider. It stays flexible and ventilated through the run, so it never gets in the way of the movement the sport demands, while always ready to take the impact if something does not go to plan. For Enzo, that meant being able to focus fully on the line in front of him, rather than the risk behind it.
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Riding with an icon
Despite all the buildup to the step down, Enzo's standout moment from the event came from somewhere else entirely. LooseFest's course was built by Nico Vink, and during the event, Enzo found himself riding in front of the legend himself.
"The best moment of Loosefest for me was when I rode in front of Nico on the line. It was just magical - I was able to ride with the legend who built the line, while leading the way. It was really incredible."
It's a true pinch me moment. A rider who spent years watching a slope and telling himself he'd ride it one day, to finally doing just that, alongside one of the sport's biggest names.
For Enzo, that's what Loosefest meant this year: a childhood dream, ridden properly, in front of the person who built it.
Enzo has been making noise in the MTB scene, and we’re so grateful to have him as one of RE ZRO’s athletes.
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