THE GONZ INTERVIEW.

Point blank, if you don't know The Gonz, you don't know street. During the 90's The Gonz changed the way that street was ridden by doing barspins onto and off of everything, insane wallride variations and monster gaps all with no brakes, at a time when riding brakeless wasn't even close to being accepted by most BMXers. He even did a fucking flair off of a tree. Then during the early 2000's, after his sponsorship deals with S&M and Standard fell apart, Marc went underground, not to be heard from for a couple of years. However with appearances in a bunch of videos and the cover of Ride BMX, The Gonz is back in a big way in 2006. It's not easy to get the man to sit down and answer questions but with a lot of pestering I got it done. Peep game:


First off, what's your name, where do you come from and what is your favorite food?

My name is Marco Antonio Gonzalez. My parents are from Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico. Not too many people know this but I was born in mexico and my mom snuck me into America in a pinata! My favorite food is anything free...

Was the Gonz ever really gone from bmx? Did you ever think you were done with bike riding or did you just need a break?

The Gonz will be a part of BMX forever! I was done bike riding for about 4 years.... didnt think I'd ever start again... but I did... thank the lord... this sport is boring without me.

What did you think of your time on Mega Tour 4? Particularly that ladder climbing incident?

It was very fun.... thank you Ron Wilkerson.... it was cool... all I brought to wear was this all black rock cowboy getup with a black fur coat and shiny white shoes..... I just acted like a rock star for two weeks.. it was fun...I think I rode my bike like three times... ha ha.

You just got the cover of RIDE paying tribute to an old bmx photo. Who's idea was that and how does it feel to get your first RIDE cover in like 6 years?

It was my idea! Pretty sneaky.... it feels great... getting a cover is sweet any way you look at it.....

What was your life like back during the days of On The Down Low compared to now? Did you just ride around doing huge barspin gaps every day?

Yeah pretty much, I tried to keep the gnarliness level up... I was into some pretty heavy black magic at the time... which might explain some things.....

What happened to some of the guys you were shredding with back in the Ells videos? Ratboy, Chris Toth, that Scotty guy... we haven't heard anything about any of them in a while.

Ratboy is still riding crazier than ever, but he wants nothing to do with the media part of it.... last I heard, Chris Toth was mentally unstable. Supposedly from the crazy backbreaking rail bail he took... his mom said he was at some psychiatric evaluation place....

Simple question, What is wrong with BMX right now?

Nothing

And on the other hand, what is right about it?

Everything

How old is your son now and how has raising him been?

He's 12... it's hard because I am an avid anti-authoritarianist, anarchist, schizophrenic weirdo and his mom is a normal American worker bee.

You were one of the original brakeless pioneers, but you've had brakes on your bike for a while now. Now it's to the point where it's considered totally normal to have no brakes. How do you feel about that and did you ever hope it would get to that point? Could you ever see yourself taking your brakes off again?

It's good to see an idea I was a part of grow to be such an influential style... during it's peak in Arizona there were only two bikes with brakes on them in the whole state.... I was just trying to infuse a different perspective on riding based more on a free flowing simple bike style.... aesthetics... clean lines.... and yes I just got my new failure frame with no brake mounts.... sooooo.....

When you got your last RIDE interview, you seemed really stoked on vegetarianism. Are you still into that?

I was just kidding... I really could care less about poor helpless animals being cruelly slaughtered for the enjoyment of spoiled americans!

I hope this doesn't sound presumptious, but I assume you've experimented with drugs a decent amount. What are your thoughts on that? Is that still a part of your life?

Go to Erowids Vaults ( www.erowid.org ) on the internet and do your research....

What would you say to a 16 year old kid who asked you about experimenting with drugs?

Drugs can be very dangerous just as they can be very beautiful. Depending upon the manner in which you use them of course.... drugs can be a tool for enlightenment or destruction... the only advice I can give is do your research before you experiment... learn what youre getting into... don't abuse drugs... use them to gain hidden knowledge then move on..... simple.

Should getting a GONZ RULES forehead tattoo be a mandatory bmx initiation ritual?

Oh, but of course.. my darlings... only then will you be allowed into heaven...

Do you watch many current BMX videos? What in particular stands out to you? Do you see the Animal video series as being sort of a logical extension of what you were doing in the 90s?

I havent really seen any new videos in a long time...I'm not sure what's up in the video world.... I will say that probobly nobody is doing wut me and ells were doing... as far as the psychological aspect of the films.... the way they affected you as a whole if you were open to it and watched it in the right way ( by yourself, in the middle of the night, on acid). I have not seen the Animal videos.....

Have you ever considered moving out of AZ?

Yes.. the summers in AZ are hell!!!!!...... So now I live in San Diego, 15 minutes from the beach... the only thing that sucks is that my kids are in AZ....

What is Ells ( ed note: Ells is the dude who edited and filmed most of On The Down Low, Shutdown and all the other classic Arizona videos which prominently featured The Gonz ) up to?

Ells completely stopped doing videos with Sombra Finding Shade being the last installment in our experiment.... he has been playing disturbing wierdo metal with his band Magnetplan for the last 6 years.... they practice 4 times a week and they are insane........

In an old interview on freedombmx.com you said, and I quote "Basically I consider skateboarding to be the ultimate form of freeform physical and mental art in the world." Do you really consider skateboarding to be superior as a form of expression compared to bmx or was that statement taken out of context?

At that point in time BMX was kinda gay... there was no Mike Aitken yet.... no Reuben Alcantara yet... So there was no cool street shit..... that I liked... skateboarding style was what I liked.... there is some cool shit going on now in BMX.... but its taking a long time.... like dudes complaining about girl pants.... first of all they are rock star pants.... not girl pants.... secondly who gives a fuck? This is freestyle.... I should be able to wear a bikini if I want to.... there are no rules in this game...... only that you entertain.... then people love you... fuck the norm.

You are not a cowboy, but you are seen wearing a cowboy hate more than most cowboys. What is the reason for this?

I was just trying to inject a different sense of thinking into BMXers heads.... and cowboy hats rule......

At 32, does the world make more or less sense to you now than it did when you were younger?

I realize now how important my role in society is.... I'm kind of like Eminem or Marylin Manson..... you know, questioning what the popular beliefs are really based upon.... false bullshit implanted by mind controlling religious dictators.....

What are your main goals to accomplish in the future? Is there anything you haven't done yet that you feel you have to do by the time you die?

I would like to leave society and join a secret tribe of time traveling heroin junkies through the backstreets of a wartorn Paris.... if that makes any sense....

Any last words, advice for the kids or thanks?

Forget every single thing you have ever learned or thought you knew! Then starting from scratch... make up your own world, exactly how you believe it should be!! Good luck.... Love the Gonz