I was fully committed, training every single day. I quickly worked my way up to riding alongside top Czech riders like Jaramini Soukup, Johan Walsel, Daniel Baudyš, and Petr Macháček.

I started winning amateur contests and secured my first sponsors. During this time, I joined the amateur team Muddgear.

Moving to a professional team opened new opportunities. I started traveling and riding internationally – Australia, the UK, and across Europe.

Joining District marked a turning point in my career. For the first time, I was able to make a living from riding. I launched my own merch and, combined with my salary from District and sales through Gizmania, I became financially independent through scootering.

I also began consistently winning competitions with prize money.

Key achievements that year:

• First Czech National Championship (pro)
• FISE Montpellier Spine Contest win
• King of Kings World Champion (UK)

At the end of the year, I also performed in a circus, riding mega ramp.

I won Best Trick World Champion at Barcelona Extreme. During this period, I also had my own signature deck and kids’ scooter model.

My first trip to the US ended after four days due to a broken leg. Despite that, I came back strong and won King of Kings World Championship again.

One week later, I placed 3rd at Nitro World Games (mega ramp) in Paris.

This was one of the toughest periods of my career. Along with COVID, I lost my salary from District and my merch stopped generating income. I found myself struggling financially.

Despite everything, I didn’t quit. I built the biggest mega ramp in the Czech Republic – RichParadise. I joined Ethic, started traveling again, filming projects, and competing.

I went on to win King of Kings again, making it back-to-back victories.

Scootering opened doors to brands like Footshop and Adidas, where I started working on campaigns focused on style and storytelling.

I was nominated for and won Esquire Man of the Year – Athlete category.

We hosted a major event at RichParadise in collaboration with Adidas.

I traveled worldwide (USA, Costa Rica, Argentina) and released the “Richard Zelinka – Welcome to Ethic” edit, pushing the level of scootering further.

I expanded into off-road riding, motorcycles, and dirt. I added biking and focused heavily on content creation across YouTube and Instagram, combining action with strong visuals.

I continue to develop a freestyle lifestyle approach. I co-own a company focused on electric motorcycles and actively contribute to its growth.

I started riding FMX on an electric Talaria bike and collaborate closely with the brand.

Alongside that, I create content around cars and lifestyle, building a space that connects riding, style, and community. And most importantly – we’re building it together.