1) So let's get the basics out of the way, where did you grow up and how
did you get into bike riding?
Brooklyn NY…I got into riding the first time my friend Anthony Scariolla Stole a BMXplus and we tried to the stuff we saw in the magazines…But then all those kids I grew up with started becoming skinheads, and celebrating Hitler’s birthday and shit. So I started playing Basketball instead, One of the kids I played ball with had a Woody Itson picture taped to his school book, he talked me into fixing my flat and it was on again…
2) How is bike riding different for you now than it was when you first started?
Well “riding” hasn’t changed at all, except I ride way less…I mean my understanding of the business of BMX has changed, and always does, but tonight if I go pedal around the neighborhood and try to learn something new, it feels just as fucking awesome as it did back in the day. In some ways It’s more important to me then it was then. Then I just did it, now I really feel the need to go ride.
3) You've worked for a lot of different companies over the years. Standard, Primo, Ride... how did you get involved with BMX as a career and not just as a hobby?
It was so different when I got started. There weren’t many careers’ to be had. So it wasn’t like when I started I ever thought I’d get paid, travel or have a career out of this. First I started making my own vid NYHC (NEW YORK HARDCORE). Then I did some videos for Base and sent footage into a video Magazine called 20 inch…Then actually Robbie Morales hooked me up, he need someone to film him for a standard video, at the
same time who ever was making it fell through, So Rick (Moliterno) asked if I could do it, I wasn’t sure if I could but I was like “fuck yeah I can” That was Domination, and I guess how I got started in the industry.
4) Word on the streets is that you've broken off all ties with Ride magazine. What prompted that? What are your feelings on what's going on over there?
It’s not a total Break off, I mean I’m not working for them, and I quit mainly cause I disagree with a lot of the direction of the company, but Jeff Z and Ryan Fudger are friends of mine and probably always will be.
5) Everyone has been waiting for a long time for the Flipside DVD... what's the hold up on that project? Is it coming out soon?
Flipside is out during this interview. The concept was based on two road trips; the first went amazing, then second never fully pulled through. Scheduling with Mirra is super hard. He was awesome to us on the first trip, but is a super busy guy. Then Mirra got hurt at X-games, Nigel broke his wrist, Ralphy Broke his ankle and when we finally got a second trip (the NY trip) Harrington got hurt the week before…Shit was
cursed. At the same time, I had reached my boiling point with my boss at Transworld and had quit. During all that I was also trying to finish the Volume Video (ON THE CLOCK). It’s been a busy last few months.
6) You got Blackman onto Volume and are probably the main reason that everyone in BMX knows who he is now, but you had a falling out and he got dropped from Volume. What happened there? Are you guys still cool?
If I didn’t put him in a video someone else would have. Edwin was the one who put me on to Black, Ed did so much for that kid. Black was real hard to take on a trip, he breaks a lot of the unwritten rules of the road, plus he is really ungrateful. He owed me NOTHING, I saw him shit on his friend Nigel, and Bite the hand that was feeding him (Edwin). The guys at the shack were giving him a place to live, the kid was wearing all clothes given to him by sponsored dudes in the shack, and he was totally ungrateful, he was selling parts…now don’t get me wrong everyone has got to eat, but he was eatin’ and he got greedy. Castillo is my friend and I asked him to put Black on, I didn’t ask him to kick him off, but I didn’t argue the decision when it came around either. I know Black kinda blames me for what happened in regards to his sponsors, and I kinda feel bad, but the only person to blame is BLACKMAN. I never in the history of bikes saw a kid get so much in so little of a time and ruin for himself.I hope he pulls out of it, Black is a funny, nice, kid when he wants to
be. I have nothing against him, but I’d never go out of my way for him again.
7) Is it true that dudes at Ride have hated on you for wanting to give New York City coverage?
Yeah, but it wasn’t dudes, just the editor of Ride (Keith Mulligan, who is from NY). It was a conversation that started my downward spiral there. To put it in perspective he was bummed I didn’t include him or them in my concept or Ideas for videos. Which is true, but they never really backed my videos, You’d see massive 10 page articles on Road Fools, I was lucky if I got a caption, and they never needed or wanted to be included before. Livin and Exile and Drop the Hammer were my last two videos, and those went over well, so I new it wasn’t a case of me fucking up.
The thing is Magazines are dying, mainly because they aren’t that different then 8 tracks or cavemen painting on walls, Publishing is an art form but a dying one. So, now the editor is getting on my shit, because they need to pay more attention to “alternative” forms of media. Except the problem is, for me video isn’t an alternative form of media, it’s the primary one. So in an effort to be more “involved” told me that himself and “many others” were bummed on how much I try to include NY and NYC in all my videos. Which is crazy 'cause every video I’ve made since I came to Cali had Cali in it and no one was bummed on that. I really don’t totally understand where the weird “ YOU USE TOO MUCH NY” Thing came from, and to be honest I don’t care. I just realized that the ego of the magazine was going to get pushed into my stuff and I couldn’t really go forward knowing that.
That’s how I ended up with VitalBMX.com and VitalMEDIA. Vital isn’t a bunch of people giving you their skewed perspective on things, I mean there is some of that, but the sites are intended to be way more user controlled. So like any rider can go on there, rate product, upload their own stuff, interact with other riders, and then still get news and pro pictures and videos. The whole Idea is way more in the direction that the people involved can now be more involved, and that is a good thing. Now that I just realized what a fucking commercial I sound like, I’ll be done… So check out “ON THE CLOCK” and then go ride don't you know that the internet is only good for porn!
Thanks to Glenn for the interview. Check out his video part from 1999's street classic, Neighborhood Superheroes. Kinda funny how some of the fish eye stuff he was doing then is now becoming the norm...
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