Francisco "Coco" Zurita is a relatively new rider in the Vert ranks, and he brings a unique style to the Dew Tour. This 23-year-old from Santiago, Chile, finished 9th overall on the tour last year, dropping flairs and double tailwhips at height into his smooth and stylish airs. What you may not know, however, is that he racked up that overall score while actually working at a booth in the Dew Tour's Festival Village for one of his sponsors at each stop. Thankfully, he's been able to quit working and focus on riding full-time, and he lives at Woodward West in California from February until November, so we should be seeing him go off on tour this year. Here's a little background info we got on him before he suited up for Vert Finals in Cleveland.

Q: How did you first get into BMX?
A: I had an older cousin who used to ride. I saw him riding and it made me feel like riding, too. I got a cheap BMX bike and got started when I was 13.

Q: Did you have much to ride in Santiago?
A: Back then we had a park with three mini ramps with different extensions. We had a vert ramp and a lot of street riding there, too, but I was a little young for that. I started out riding mini ramps.

Q: When did you first come to the States?
A: My first time was in 2003. I came to Dallas to work and just rode on the weekends. After a few months, I hooked up with a demo company and started doing shows. Step by step I started working less and doing more shows, and then I hooked up with GT and did shows for them for two or three years.

Q: What got you into Vert?
A: It just happened. I was doing a lot of shows for GT, and one of the guys rode Vert, so I rode with him a lot. I rode in the first year of the Dew Tour but I didn't do very well. Before the second year I rode a lot of Vert -- not with any special intentions, I just did it. Then the GT guys told me that the only event I would be able to do was Vert, because I was supposed to work at the booth, too. They said my friend was going to do Park, and while he rode I would have to work, and while I did Vert, he'd work. At the first contest, I was surprised that I made it in to Prelims and I was even more surprised at the second stop because I got into Finals. It was a blessing; I wouldn't call it luck, I think God just had everything ready. I really thank God for everything.

Q: What riders do you look up to?
Ruben Alcantara, Taj Mihelich and Joe Rich were a big influence on me, especially Joe Rich, because he rides Vert. That's why I started riding it. Mikey Aitken, too, and guys like Chase Hawk. I'm really into stylish riders like that. I see those guys and I want people to see me like that, too. That's why my priority is sometimes with style over tricks. I try to balance it, but I give a lot of importance to style.

Q: What are your goals for this year?
A: I would love to win a contest. I want to ride better and better. Now I look up to Jamie Bestwick a lot; he's an amazing rider and I would love to ride the way he does. I'm just going to keep working until I get that, maybe even better than that. But to win would be amazing.