CATFISH INTERVIEW

I didn't feel I could do him justice myself, so Catfish had all his friends submit questions to use for this interview. The product is probably one of the best things that's ever appeared on The Come Up. Check it out:

Who are you? How old? All that stuff?

I'm Zachary Alexander Yankush. I'm a grandpa at 31 years old. I live in Dayton, Ohio with my dog, Simone. My nickname is Catfish. I have an enormous penis.

You've come up over the past couple years. Whats up with that?

I haven't really come up. I've always been here. Just lurking. Bubbling son. No...it's awesome. I think a lot of it has to do with my website.. Catfishcatfish.com . I met so many people in the industry because of it. There really wasn't and still isn't a site like that. I think a lot of riders could relate to my ramblings because they lived the same or similar lives. My website embodied BMX culture. We as riders know we live totally separate lives from "normal" people so riders really related to the site. I couldn't believe how it took off. Next thing I know..I am working in BMX, announcing the fucking X-games and going on Road Fools.

What was Road Fools like?

That was a dream. Every rider dreams about going on Road Fools. I never ever thought i would get that call. At first when Stu asked me...I figured he wanted a commentator..but then when he told me I was going as a rider i was just like "WHAT"? I'm sure the fact that I am a complete baffoon had something to do with it but I'll take it. It was amazing. Watching those boys get down was awesome. Especially the bangers that were on Road Fools 15. It was amazing.

Explain the shift in mindset when the werewolf mask goes on.

I owned a warewolf mask for a while. It was awesome. I wore it everywhere. Long story short..this fat kid that lived across the street from me stole 250 bucks from my house. I gave him every chance to pay me back. He didn't. So one night I put the wolf mask on and waited in his driveway for him to come home from the club. When he got home... I whooped his ass in front of all his boys, a bunch of girls, and a cop. I choked him out and while he was on the ground I kicked him in the face and knocked him out. It will be on the catfishcatfish.com video.

How important was Colin Winklemann to both the sport of BMX, and in your personal life? ( inspiration, motivation, life lessons )

Wow... that really is a good question. Colin was huge to BMX and to me personally for a couple reasons. In the early 90s he was the dude you could count on at contests to go ape shit. He would do the biggest gaps. This was back when I had just started going to contests...I remember being so stoked to just see him at a contest because you KNEW shit was going to go down. I think Colin really pushed the limits before we even knew what those limits were. It also ruled because Colin was from Ohio. Ohio sucks and always has but it's my home and I remember how excited I was that there was this amazing BMX rider..putting in work for Ohio. Jump ahead 5 years... Section 8 skatepark was booming and Nate Wessle brought Colin to Ohio to help build the bowl. Thats where I really became good friends with Colin. We just connected..I guess probably because we were both half out of our minds. A couple years later I have the honor of working for DK and I think the fact that I knew Colin and he put in a good word for me was a main reason I got the job. So here I am... pretty much owing the life I live to a friend that I cant talk to anymore. His death fucked me up pretty bad... just because I don't think he truly understood his impact on people and more importantly on BMX. He continues to inspire me in my riding. I catch myself just pushing it sometimes when a trick scares me... I tell myself... "this is for Colin".

How do you feel about the current state of the BMX industry?

It's awesome and it's lame. It's amazing and it sucks. The industry is so damn fickle that it's hard to answer that from one day to the next. I wish there was more money in it for riders on the comeup (no pun intended), I wish there were more rider owned companies, I wish contests were fair. I think progression in manufacturing has done wonders for us. I just wish more kids understood how things can be improved. Everyone always bitches about not being sponsored yet you are wearing Nike Dunks and a fucking NBA fitted. If we are to keep pushing BMX...we need to spend that way. Fuck the mall. Fuck Lids. Fuck Foot Locker. Oh and Fuck skateboarding on all levels. Why do we keep supporting them and what they do? We need out own shit! BMX has a way more interesting culture than Skateboarding... we need to promote that. Keep our own style. When riders can learn to do that... we'll be headed in the right direction. I get fired up about this shit. It's like hip-hop. You would never see KRS one rocking out in girls jeans. That's not hip-hop. Thats what I am talking about. I'm not saying that we need to conform to one style...not at all. We just need to realize that in order to market the BMX lifestyle..we need to look good doing it. To the outside world...a boy in girls jeans riding a BMX bike is ridiculous. You're not being original if you are wearing girls jeans and doing tailwhips. I know the whole girls jeans thing has been smashed into the ground but FUCK....why would any company want to associate itself with a rider that looks like he fell out of a Dashboard video. If I had my way...Every BMX video would have a hip-hop soundtrack and no tailwhips.



( Catfish with Lil Jon. Seriously. )


How has the contest rider changed over the years?

Actually they really haven't. In 1988 I entered contests against dudes that were hell bent on winning and getting sponsors. I still see that at every contest.

What is more important, doing your own tricks with your own style, or having credibility and doing the "now" style tricks.

Good god. This one is easy. Who stands out more to you? A 16 year old tailwhiping a box jump, or a 31 year old doing a peg manual while dribbling the front end of the bike on the ground? If I am judging a contest...a hang five across a deck wins over a flair.

Best accomplishment on a bmx bike?

A couple stand out for me. I won the King of New York overall in like 97 or 98 for expert street and flat. That was huge to me. It was a series held at Mullaly Rink in the Bronx. So much fun...so raw. I loved it... plus i got to ride NYC three times in one summer. I met so many amazing people at the comps and had the best time ever. I pulled a triple decade in a show one time. I was stoked on that. My first 720 on resi was a big deal. I don't know-I'm old so every day on my bike is an accomplishment. Just the other night i pulled my first tailwhip in over 10 years. That one was for Bradd Simms.

On a scale of one to ten, what is the drama level on a regular day, as opposed to the weekend.

A regular day I deal with a drama level of about 6... on Saturdays its a 7 and by Sunday a 9 or 10.



( Switch footed tailwhip nosepick to switch footer. Peep the sequence here. )

Explain your view on shows, and why they are important to the industry.

I think shows rule hands down. Shows are one aspect of my job and honestly I could do shows the rest of my life and be happy. As riders we all know the first time we saw someone riding BMX. For a lot of us that was the light bulb going off above our heads. Doing shows- I get to be that guy. I love watching the looks on kids faces when I am riding flat in front of them or even better as they are watching someone hit a box jump. Every show I do... there is someone in the audience that gets hooked. I love that shit.

Do you feel you are doing something to benefit the sport, or is it truly just a "circus" industry?

I doubt that there are many kids rushing out and buying DK's because I did a show at their school. I do think that shows help people "understand" BMX more. It's not a circus to them as it's portrayed on TV. When people see shows they can appreciate how difficult BMX is and how skilled BMX riders are. I don't think TV can convey that on a personal level. So the next time they see BMX on TV they will have a much greater appreciation of it.

Best/worst tattoo.

Best tattoo: Loch Ness monster giving a lap dance to a unicorn while bigfoot touches himself and smokes crack

Worst tattoo: Wu Tang Clan (We don't really talk about this one though)

Explain the current state of flatland, and how you are taking flatland to the ramps.

Fuck. Thats what I think about the current state of flatland. It's insane. I have so much respect for kids that are getting into flat. It's so damn hard. I still love it though because you don't need anything, just some flat ground. Flatland today is all about dedication. I like the fact that kids are doing more flatland tricks on street and park. I could never go big so I just incorporated flat onto the ramps. Back in the day we just rode "freestyle" not street or flat or ramps... we rode everything. Growing up watching guys like DMC, Degroot, BV, Nate Hanson, Bobby Fisher, and Rick Molinterno it was just a natural progression. I think this is a HUGE untapped aspect of bmx. There is still so much to be done. I really want to see an uprail or upledge to decade off. Someone has to throw one of those soon. Lino where you at?

What is your rap battle record 100 wins, 2 losses?

Hahha. Not that many. I don't know for sure but in legit rap battles in the clubs-I'm sitting about 25+ wins I have only lost once. I got robbed too. I will lyrically destroy anyone. I put that on my momma.

Does hip hop have a place in bmx?

Absolutely. Hip-hop and BMX parallel each other so much (i.e both relatively new, lots of people making money off both that shouldn't be, still not widely accepted by the masses) . Plus Hip-hop makes BMX look soooo much better than white people screaming. Hip- hop and BMX have always gone hand in hand with me. I swear to God that the first contest I ever entered (OFA, Cleveland Ohio 1988) I rode to Eazy Duz It by Eazy-E. Swear words and all. My dumb ass entered 13 and under flatland riding to the most profane song ever. The dude that put the contest on came up to me after my run and told me i would not be welcome back if I play that type of music in my runs.

You have the power to make or break any bmxer in the industry, what do you look for in a rider and how can people come up?

I wouldn't say that..although I do like to call myself the most powerful man in BMX. I just know a lot of people and a lot of my friends are in the industry. People fuck with me and then I fuck them. There was this dude named New Philly Billy in Ohio...he sucks so I called everyone in my phone that owned a bike company and told them he sucks. Did I hurt his career? Probably not. Is it funny when Mat Hoffman gets a voicemail from me telling him never to sponsor New Philly Billy in a dope freestyle rap? Fuck yes. People that want to come up need to realize that BMX is a business. Marketing yourself is hands down the most important aspect of making it in this industry. You can be the best rider in the world and have a shitty attitude and you'll get nowhere. Attitude gets you so much farther than riding ability. People that want to make BMX better. I am always looking for people that can market themselves. Also being able to compose a sentence without using the word fuck.



Contests vs. video part, what wins?

Video part all day. You can't tell a riders true ability in a 2 minute run.

What is your job?

I am the Team Manager for DK Bicycle Company. I also help out with the System Cycle riders. I do all the TM stuff in addition to handling the Stunt Team. We do a ton of shows all over the place.

Tell us about the job you came from before you got the DK job. What parts of your old professional life do you carry over into the "core" bmx scene.

I worked for Ford Motor Company as an Inventory Control Manager. It sucked but i was making bank. Jobs like that really make you appreciate riding your bike as I would work 12 hour days sometimes. Ugh..it was bad. Plus the fact that it was a union environment and I was non-union so everyone hated me. Plus my Volkswagen was faster than their shitty Mustangs...they didn't like that either. I didn't carry anything over. I left it all there and started fresh when I got here at DK.

I saw you spit in a girls face once, how was that?

If you cross me..I won't forget. That young lady crossed me and never thought she would see me again. I didn't want her to leave without a little piece of me so I gave her some saliva in her eye.

Would you rather ride or announce a contest?

Good question. I like riding contests because I am a damn clown and I think they are super fun. I love announcing too though because I make shit more fun than it normally would be. I would have to say I would rather ride in the comp... especially if it's a good layout.

Best Lou Bickle story you were involved in.

I once pulled into a parking lot of our old warehouse and I saw Lou in the corner of the parking lot huddled over a small smoking mass. I pulled up to him and realized that he was burning money... like a lot. He probably had a couple thousand dollars in 20s that he was burning. They were all counterfit and he was scared of the feds.

Best 4th grade story you've been involved in.

In the same year I personally watched him bite off two separate ears in fights. One I video taped and when we ran back to my car to get the hell out of there 4th showed me that he had a chunk of ear stuck in his teeth.

Explain Local Exposure and how you feel it helps the sport of BMX. Does it make too much of being sponsored? Or is it more about riding bmx with BMX stars.

Local Exposure is an awesome idea. Its a great way to promote BMX, let locals ride with pros, and give ams an opportunity to come up (again sorry) I think everyone makes a big deal out of being sponsored..granted it's nice to get free stuff and certainly helps out riders that wouldn't normally get seen but for the most part LET is just a good time. Plus there isn't just one winner. The riders we meet at each stop are going to stick in the heads of all the pros. Thats networking...and that is one of the most important aspects of the sponsorship game.

Who were your influences in BMX when you were growing up?

Kevin Jones, Chase Gouin, Chad Degroot, Mark Hilson, Chris Rye, Mat Hoffman, Eric Evans, Pete Brandt, Greg MacComber, my little brother Adam, and anyone that made a 'zine.

Best trick you've ever seen with your own eyes.

I watched a trick a couple weeks ago that I never though would be possible. Scotty Cranmer did a LEGIT wallride to tailwhip. Bunnyhop-wallride-tailwhip. Hands down the best.

Future shredders?

Craig Mast, Brett Banasiewicz, Zack Gerber, Charlie Bowers,

Who is Simone and how many casualties has she collected?

Simone is my dog. She's a pitbull and bi-polar as fuck. Her bite count is over 50 people. I tell people don't put your face near her face! Most of them riders. She got Anthony Cico good. Her dumb ass bit my favorite street rider of all time Brad Simms and he had to go the hospital. It was a strippers fault though. She also bit Doyle in the face and he bled.

Why do you talk so much shit on the internet?

I'm actually glad you asked this. I do because we need it. It frustrates me to no end that a new video, rider, product comes out and the message board whores talk shit on it before anyone has a chance to form their own opinion. I understand that it's just the internet and only a small percentage of people online represent the BMX community as a whole, yet it still kills me that morons are out there just to talk shit. Thats perfectly fine...it's America and you are entitled to it. However...when I get fired up..I want to fire other people up. If you talk shit on my friends' video... I'm going to talk shit on your mom. If you talk shit on my dead friend... I am going to make fun of the moles on your face and I am going to mace you when we cross paths. I know how to get to people... I always have. Words hurt way more than fists do. Please keep in mind that I don't talk shit without reason. I have always been a little tiger and I learned how hard words hurt... I cherish that.

Last words?

I just want to thank all the legit riders out there. The ones that are doing it for the love of doing it. I have always been that way... job in BMX or not. BMX is the best thing ever and when you lose site of that... you lose site of everything. So thanks to everyone that has been down. Thanks to everyone that is/was stoked on catfishcatfish.com I owe a ton to all of you. Everyone on the team. All the strippers of the world. Everyone at DK/System Cycle. Wann, Kyle, and Chad at UGP. Povah and Scott Towne at Etnies. Cottle and crew at OBMX. Jim at Konig Wheels. Jeana at Maxxis tires. Marco and Chris at Props. Molly at X-games. Allan and Mary Cooke, Nate Wessel. Steve Luckett. Section 8 Skatepark (R.I.P.) My moms and dad. My dog Simone. Ryan Mills, Brad Simms, Anthony Naps, Ronnie Naps, Zack Gerber, Chris Gerber, BK, Quinn, The secret weapon, Scotty Cranmer and the intimidator. Lianna love. Dane Beardsley. Chris Doyle, Colin Winklemann, RM59, Everyone in Greenville. Everyone with bad tattoos. Most importantly..I want to thank all the haters. Especially on BMXBOARD...you little fuckers make my life sooooo much better you have no idea. Granted I am always stoked to get a huge box of goodies from sponsors but now when I get one...i get even more giddy because I know none of you fuckers are getting it. Thanks for hating me.....it just makes me happier. While you haters are struggling...I'm driving a fresh whip with a fresher whip in the trunk. Holler.

BONUS: Check out this video of a road trip Catfish went on and filmed. His explanation of the events under the video.



This video is wild. Not even too much of me. I filmed all of it though.The first clip is in Albuquerque, NM. Some dude named coppertop thought he could jump a chopper bike. Then me eating shit on a moped. Daddys first 7. 4th grade knocking himself stupid. He almost died from that crash. I had to record it off the TV. Thats me you hear in the background saying "I love it." A very intoxicated double decade in my living room with Quinn playing on mypace.

The next clip is awesome. This enormous man was getting out of his car
at like 2 in the morning. We were on a porch across the street kicking
it with Ice Money. (Long story..but thats how I roll!)
Anyhow..this huge dude gets out of the car with Taco Bell and 4th grade
yells at him 'Give me that food asshole!" and dude sets the food down
and yells back "Come kick my ass and take it pussy!"
I honestly didn't think 4th would step up..but he did. I ran into the
house to grab the video camera. Before I could even turn it on..4th
grade walked up to this dude and broke a bottle over his face. Blood
was everywhere...Then the fight starts. Watch it...it's good.

The last couple clips are Snake. You may know Snake from the Square One
video where he eats the stick of butter. Snake was my dude. I pour
cereal on him.