Teresa Fernàndez-Miranda

Teresa Miranda Fernández has been leading the female Spanish BMX scene for a hot minute. She’s the definition of Spanish BMX style - the essence of flow and effortless style to match. A true bowl rider, going high on transitions with a unique approach that nobody else can match. Teresa has been part of the Vans family for many years and was a standout presence at the Vans Pro Cup contests back in the day. Hailing from San Sebastián in the Basque Country, now Teresa is living the nomadic Van life, travelling the Iberian Peninsular and further afield. We gave Teresa a call as part of our ongoing rider profile series to talk all things BMX, Van life, community and cross over sports… 

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Teresa, but everyone knows me as Tere or affectionately as Terete. I just turned 31. I was born in San Sebastián, in the Basque Country, but my parents moved to central Spain when I was little, so I lived away from San Sebastián until I was 24. Later, I moved to the east coast of Spain for love, and now I live on the road in my van. I discovered BMX thanks to my brother, and until recently we used to ride together, even though we lived in different cities.

I’m a very active person, from the moment I wake up, I’m constantly doing things. If it involves sports, even better. I’m cheerful and I love joking around and laughing with my friends. I enjoy riding my BMX with friends, driving, being outdoors, and catching a good sunset.

Where are you right now?

Right now, I’m driving my van on the way to the best BMX event in Spain. The event is called OMarisquiño, and it takes place in Vigo, Galicia. Right now, it’s the only major BMX event in Spain. This year marks its 25th anniversary - it’s a unique event, one of the few weekends where I get to reunite with most of my friends from all over Spain. The vibe during these days is absolutely amazing.

Talk us through your journey in BMX?

My first memories are with my brother, we used to go to the skatepark together. But I always stayed on the sidelines because I was really shy. It took me a long time to feel confident enough to ride when there were people I didn’t know around… I think I’ve always kept the same riding style. At first, I only focused on learning tricks. Then, when I started traveling to different cities and riding outside my local skatepark, I began to learn how to flow through bowls. Even now, I feel I am still doing the same thing, just higher, faster… and sometimes I do stuff that feels crazy and I honestly don’t even know how I dare to try it…

What’s an average day like?

Well, for the past few months I’ve been living in my van, so my routine is a bit different than being in one fixed spot… I usually wake up to the sound of the waves, make a good cup of coffee, fix myself some breakfast, and then go for a walk on the beach, I like to spend some time there. Around lunchtime, I eat something and head to the skatepark early. I try to spend the whole afternoon riding BMX with my friends.
 

How do you find Van Life?

For me, living in my van is one of the craziest and best decisions I’ve ever made. I had never felt such a sense of freedom before. Waking up every day with the sea in front of me is wonderful. Having my home in the mountains, by the beach, or at the best skatepark in Spain is just incredible.

I don’t know how long I’ll be able to live this way, but what I do know is that I’ll enjoy it every single day.

Describe your local scene?

Honestly, sadly there fewer and fewer people are riding these days, which makes me a bit sad. I feel I started at the best possible time though. The ones who are still around keep that same passion for BMX as if it were their first day on a bike. I feel very lucky because some of my longtime friends are still riding.

We live in different parts of Spain, but we try to take trips to meet up on weekends. We often head to the Basque Country, where the skateparks and spots are great, and also to Málaga in the winter, where the weather is amazing and there are plenty of quality skateparks. We always manage to take advantage of a BMX event to catch up.

Where do you like to ride in Spain and further afield?

I’m living in my van, so I don’t really consider any city “home”, but I love riding in Vigo, Madrid, and Málaga - in those cities I have good friends to enjoy BMX with. Further afield, I love traveling to the U.S, especially California has a special place in my heart. Going there always brings me so much joy. I love the skateparks, the dirt jumps, and the people - there’s something special about all of it. One of my all-time favourite trips was the one we did with Vans and The Bloom, 10 days of pure BMX, traveling up the coast of California from south to north.

What have you been working on recently?

Unfortunately, I’ve had several injuries over the past few months, so I haven’t been able to do much. Three weeks ago, I had a crash during a competition and ended up with a bone bruise on my scaphoid. At first, the doctors thought I had a fractured scaphoid, but it turned out to be a bone bruise instead of a break. I’ve already started rehab, so I’m counting on being back in a few weeks. Recovery is going well and as soon as I recover from this last injury, I’m going to start preparing for the upcoming competitions I have in the next few months.
 

Do you usually ride with a specific crew?

Most of my riding trips are with my closest friends. When we go to skateparks or dirt jumps, there’s usually some local riders around. I almost always ride with my crew.

Even though it might sound weird, I don’t like riding with music in my headphones. If there’s a speaker around, I enjoy listening to pop-rock - I’m into pretty much any band in that style.

How does it feel to be a female rider in your community today?

It’s a positive experience. There’s still a long way to go, but I think being a girl in this community is definitely something good. People are starting to appreciate more and more when a girl rides BMX and stands out among the guys. I feel more and more girls are getting into BMX, which is amazing. I have a few friends who are super motivated to learn and have been riding a lot in the past couple of years. It’s always been my dream to see more girls riding and to be able to organize girls-only events. We’ll keep working to make that happen one day.

Anahi Valentina has been riding really strong these past few months. She’s progressing a lot, and I think that’s helping push women’s BMX in a big way.

And how do you see the scene in Europe and around the world?

The BMX scene in Europe is growing a lot, the level is rising fast, both in the women’s and men’s categories. It’s great for our sport to see more people getting into it and discovering what BMX is all about

What, and who, inspires you in BMX?

What inspires me the most is being able to travel anywhere in the world with my bike.
As a woman in this sport, I’ve always looked up to Angie Marino and Perris Benegas.
Dennis Enarson has also always been a huge inspiration, and of course, Sergio Layos.
I’m lucky to say he’s one of my best friends; we still travel and ride together all over Spain and beyond. He’s always supported me and given me great advice. Kevin Peraza has also been, and still is, a big reference for me.

And outside of BMX? What gets you fired up? What are your interests?

Traveling has always been one of my biggest dreams. I love trying new sports and continuing to learn in the ones I already practice, like snowboarding, enduro, and drifting. In the last few seasons, I haven’t been able to do many snow trips, just day trips, going up and back the same day. This year I’d like to do a multi-day trip so I can build more good memories and stories. I really feel enduro helps BMX a lot. It gives me more endurance for contest runs, and riding my BMX feels easier after riding the mountain bike because of the weight and size difference.

I’m a very active person, doing any kind of sport puts me in a good mood and helps me feel free.

Who do you look up to?

I admire a lot of people, especially local artists. Watching them grow professionally and seeing how far they’re getting, often with fewer resources than others, really inspires me. One artist I’m obsessed with is Noan (@SoyNoan), a singer from my hometown.

I also look up to female athletes who are brave enough to do the sports they do, like Meri Hidalgo (@Merihidalgo), a snowboarder. I’m also a big fan of Rebeca Aramburu (@rebetxiki) — she’s a drifter. I could name so many more people I admire and closely follow…

How would you describe the vibe within the Vans BMX team?

Honestly, it’s the best feeling I’ve ever had. Being part of the team is like having a big family all over the world. No matter which country you travel to, it always feels like you’re surrounded by the best people.

There are no words to truly describe it.

Favourite Vans shoe to ride in?

I’ve always really liked the Slip-Ons, but lately I’ve been riding a lot in the Sk8-Hi. Honestly, I think I could ride in any model, I love them all!

Any last words? A message for the internet? A message to your past self?

If there’s one thing I wish I had known when I started this journey, it’s that it really doesn’t matter what people think or say. If something motivates you and makes you happy, just do it. Forget what they say, forget what they think. No matter how many times you fall, you always have to get back up and keep going. No one will ever understand that feeling of joy better than you.

Thanks to BMX, I’ve been able to travel the world and meet amazing people I now get to call family.