Look Up – Nuno “Pintas” Barroso

Look Up – Nuno “Pintas” Barroso

words & PHOTOS: HÉCTOR SAURA


Nuno Barroso, also known as “Pintas”, is a 25-year-old Dirt Jump rider from Portugal. At 13, one of his friends showed him a magazine and discovered what Dirt Jump was. “I saw that it was possible to fly and do tricks on a bike”, and that’s when he found out what he really wanted to do, “Since then, riding has meant everything to me. Bikes have made me who I am today, and I couldn’t imagine my life without them.”

He works full-time at his dad’s logging and coal company, piling up pieces of trees and coal and driving all kinds of machines and tractors. Although he doesn’t have much free time to ride because of work, he still tries to keep progressing and not lose motivation. “Seeing that I’m getting older, my passion for riding keeps me motivated.”

His approach to riding used to be all about progression, trying and doing new tricks, “I was the first to do 720-barspins and 360-windshield whips”, but that is not important for him anymore. “If I feel good on the bike, I think I could do almost every trick I did before, but riding with style rather than just doing crazy tricks is what I look for now.”

The Enduro scene in Portugal is on the rise, bringing new opportunities to local riders, but when it comes to Dirt Jump, there aren’t many. “We are only a handful of riders spread in the country.” As far as contests go, there are none, so from time to time, Nuno and his friends organize some local shows “To bring more people into Dirt Jump and keep the sport alive.”

“I have been riding alone for a long time, but I hope that changes soon as a few of my old friends are getting back into it. All I want in the future is to stay healthy, keep riding, and have fun on my bike.”