6 Questions With Mike Ardelean

1) Looking back at old pictures in magazines and videos, is there any one time period in your time as a sponsored pro that you find embarrassing? One style of dress or trick?

Well of course the Mosh Easy Style video was an embarrassment but whatever. Mosh as a bike company easily out-shined every other corporate-owned company back then, despite the wack video, so I just write that off and try to forget the indoor grind box feeble grind they put in, haha. Other than that, the cornrows are whatever... and the footage of me fighting (i.e. defending myself from) Adam Banton in the Samurai video is too funny to regret.

2) Are your pegs gone for good or do you think they might re-appear on your bike in the future? Do you ever roll up to a nice ledge spot and miss being able to just slide a long icepick grind?

I feel like they're gone for good but who knows. Right now I don't miss them at all. I generally keep it pretty simple so I don't really find myself wishing I was hangover toothpicking up 10 to tailwhip. A clean axle grind down a solid rail feels good to me. When I'm at a nice ledge spot, I just mess around with manuals or flat ground. There's always some trick to work on.

3) BMX is clearly more focused now on aesthetic simplicity moreso than ever before. Riders with 4 pegs and front brakes are seemingly a dying breed, do you think that style of riding will ever re-emerge or is brakelessness going to become the standard?

As far as I'm concerned that style of riding isn't dying... well maybe it is but I love watching any style. It's not a BMX issue for me, it's a life issue. The look of a minimal bike makes me want to ride just like the look of a minimal, tastefully done apartment makes me want to chill in it. Less is more for me... clutter gives me mental blocks.

4) Who are the 3 riders you currently find most inspiring?

Eddie Cleveland, Dan Closser, Ian Schwartz.

5) What is the status of your clothing line, Lavar? Do you feel like, based on some of the internet discussion of your stuff that some of your designs might be going over kid's heads?

Not really. My partner Juse is a dope designer but our gear isn't for everyone. We make what we're into and a lot of our influence comes from fashion. Not corny Sunset Strip fashion or wack all-over print street fashion, I just mean we know what we're into. Our idea of what's good is different from what most BMX kids are into, but it's not rocket science. It's just us. We're small, and we get orders for more clothes than we can produce, so we're very honored and very happy. We appreciate everyone's opinion but we think forward, so feedback from forward thinkers is what we take most seriously.

6) What are you working on for 2007 in terms of filming, and your various buisness/creative ventures?

For 2007 I'm moving in as Brand Manager of Mosh, so we'll be able to get going with a lot of team-designed products that were on hold for a while. I've been working from home on Mosh stuff for the last two years, maintaining the team and ads and soft goods and getting distribution and everything else lined up, but we had to chill on
most of the parts we wanted to create until now. Basically Ian Schwartz, Eddie, Rich, Bohan and the whole crew have designs and ideas on deck that will all be coming out in 07, and we all feel like Mosh has a ton of potential that's all going to be put on the table for the new year.

Other than that I'm just riding, filming for the United video, finishing my Ride UK interview, and working on the Lavar Spring line. Staying super busy and trying to keep it all together.