Freestyling the Arimoto Way (Photo Slideshow)

By Anthony Foster
Menlo Oak Staff

Kenny Arimoto is in his fourth and final year as a liberal arts major at Menlo College, Silicon Valley's Business School. But  instead of joining the ranks of a Fortune 500 company, he plans on becoming a professional fixed freestyle bike rider. 

Being a liberal arts major at Menlo, Arimoto says, helped to awaken his “more cognitive side.”

 “Biking and college have provided not only a physical betterment but, it has also helped (me) mold a better understanding of purpose,” he said. 

Arimoto was introduced to bikes at a young age.   His parents raised him in a motocross atmosphere. He says they opened the doors to the world of “all things two-wheeled,” and he was able to race in different areas of California.

After graduating from high school, Arimoto immediately left home. He packed his car with trash bags full of clothes, and set off to pursue a career as an emergency medical responder.

But an eclectic mix of bike tricks does not fit the ideal job description of a medical responder. It did, however, start Arimoto on a path that he believes will define his future career.

Around 2009, Arimoto says he began to get serious about fixed freestyle.

Fixed freestyle is a form of professional bicycling that requires both a strong skill-set and an exceptional amount of creativity.  It goes beyond simple pedaling and incorporates tricks that maneuver around the environment, such as grinds and flips.  The fixed freestyle sport has become something of a phenomenon now and is active in competition on globally ranked levels.

Arimoto says the complexity of the sport is what drew him in. 

The skill with which Arimoto rides seems nothing but natural.  Fellow professional fixed freestyler Michael Chacon writes on his website that Arimoto is simply a “Cool dude and goes big,” after posting a video of Arimoto grinding down a rail over a set of 30 stairs.

Arimoto has been riding professionally for three years now, and the fact that he has been able to remain a full-time student while riding says something special about his discipline.

Finding a balance between education and the life of a professional fixed freestyler has made Arimoto appreciate just how unique his college experience has been.“Through the madness of school, training, and school in general, I have found a beautiful medium,” he says. 

Arimoto admits that there have been times when he has struggled to balance biking and school. Despite the struggles he kept a positive outlook.

“I have learned through classes, bikes, and my current life, (that) the differences … intertwine,” he said.

Arimoto believes that what separates a professional from the ranks of others is being able to bring something different, creative or unique to the game.  Over the years, he has learned from the styles of others, used his lessons in college and thought deeply on how to create his own style of bike riding.

Arimoto’s plans for the near future are simple.  First, he plans he hopes to continue his job at Chrome Bags, a San Francisco-based biking clothing and gear manufacturer and retailer.

His second plan is inspirational, and rings true for college students everywhere.

“I plan to travel the world for specific competitions and work as much as possible to start paying back these loans!”


Click here for a photo slideshow of Kenny Arimoto.