INTERVIEWS

LAUNCHPAD INTERVIEW.

2007-01-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

( Jerry with George K in Vegas )

You've probably seen Jerry AKA Launchpad lurking in NYC, seen his name in the credits to a video or seen him riding in All Day or the Bulldog video, but who is he and what's he all about? It's interview time motherfuckers. First set of questions are from me, after that there are a few from Matt Brown, Steveo and Skinny.

1) Where did you get the name Launchpad?

We were riding around one day after watching a video... I think it was Domination or Exit 63... Anyway we all open and shit. Just trying things we saw in the video. I kept getting merked on everything, crash after crash but just got up and kept riding. So I had this really bad one. At least it looked bad. And Danny's like... "yo you keep crashing but you don't get hurt, your launchpad" so everybody kept calling me that. just a name that stuck. Everybody's a launchpad at sometime in their riding career... I think I'm still stuck in that phase though hahaha.

2) Where did you grow up and how did you get started in riding? What has kept you interested after all these years?

I came up in the south BX, Fort Apache is right up the block. Hunts Point down the block. So it wasn't the nicest place to be back in the day. This kid that was in my math class back in high school got me into "doing tricks" but I've always had bikes. We'd be too broke to afford the bus or train so me and my friends always rode bikes everywhere. As for still being around and riding and shit, it's fun to chill with my friends and have a good time. Cruising to spots and doing shit and learning something new once every 3 years.

3)Have you always had that picture as your default Myspace pic? Are you aware that that makes you like the only person ever to never change theirs?

Yeah it's been up there since day 1. I don't really see a need to change it.

4) You were representing Bulldog for a while but aren't now ( like everyone else ). What went down with that relationship?

I rode the frame because Jimmy Mac hooked me up with one for helping out with the video a couple years back when we first started working on it. I was never really on the team. Was just helping to promote the company and put the name out there. Money coming into bulldog meant money for trips and shit. Opportunities to do things and make ideas into reality for the video. But most of it fell through. Either way we all got love for Jimmy Mac. And there are no hard feelings.

5) You left a comment on the Blackman interview saying "FTN"... I think I know what that means haha. What are your feelings on Blackman?

Man... I don't even know where to start with that kid... I'll keep it simple. What goes around comes around

6) How is life as a BMX filmer?

Being that it's not like my full time gig, I don't have any like major deadlines for shit its pretty chill. I try to come out with my camera to the city 3 or 4 times a week, just to film whatever. I cant ride as much because as soon as we roll to a spot and you start messing around somebody will have something in mind they'll want to do so I gotta start filming. By the time everything is said and done people are ready to roll out and sometimes you don't even get a chance to ride the spot.

7) Is it lucrative? Have you ever felt like you actually got the money you deserved for filming a section/video?

Lucrative?. Not for me. I'm not pulling in any 4 figure checks every month for filming or making any videos. I don't do it for the money, if I did I would have sold off all my shit a looooong time ago. It's cool to see shit you filmed used in a video, it's even better when you can show it to some skeet or jumpoff and tell them you helped make that. I wouldn't mind living that life though. Getting some decent money to travel the world and see all this wild shit thats happening first hand. As for getting paid or recognized for work I've done, for the most part I have. It would be nice to get some kind of return on all the money that's been wasted on tapes, gear, upgrading and repairing shit, money doesn't grow on tress and shit is expensive. I'd like to thank Animal, Navaz, Glenn @ Ride, and Marco @ Props for fucking with the baby... no homo. No thanks to Shad Wackleford/Shook/Sin/Odyssey and anybody/anything else they fuck with AFWU. FTNs

8) Give us one funny story from your job as a construction worker.

Nothing funny every happens on a construction site.

( LP with his friend, Edwin )

( Questions From Matt Brown )

Who is Duke Stevens?

The Duke always comes along with me when I go on a trip, Duke Stevens makes his appearance whenever the grease is about to go down. Grime time is shine time for the Duke.

What is your current living situation and when do you and Linda the cat plan on moving out?

Right now the baby's posting back at home base in the BX. But it won't be for much longer. At the end of Jan i have a meeting with some bitchass condo association board.

Where do all the tapes go?

They get lost.

When did you first start riding and who were the first people you rode with?

Damn... back in the stone age like end 96/mid 97 maybe was when I got into it. Wasn't really doing tricks or anything. Just riding around and going places on this hoopty I had. I got into "doing tricks" like end of 97. This kid that was in my math class in high school put me on. I went into this bike shop that was down the street from my school one day to get a tube for the hoopty. And the kid was behind the counter. He hooked me up with a tube and told me to come back so we could ride around. So I go back and he closes the shop and we start pedaling down the block. Right away he starts ODin'. Jumping over hydrants and shit. Manuals, hoping over boxes and shit. Things I never seen before. I'm not gonna lie. I was open after that. We stopped meeting up and riding together cuz he got into some shit in school and disappeared for awhile. So I basically rode by myself for the next few months with some rollerbladers that lived in my building. Cruising around one day with the rollerbladers i met Danny and Billy, through them I met Casio and Rob Ramos, Lou Perez, all the old Mullays heads. Hastings, Rondel, Stretch, and this other goon Free Agent. Through him I met Oba and Snowball, Cy and Scooby Ed. It was just like all these little crews. so many people rode back in the day.

( The Snoff Shack crew sometime last year )

Some one told me Team-X is coming out hard this year what is Team X and who is on it?

Team X is a movement. Team X is me, Bob $, George K, Larry Bird & Robert Parish.

( from Steveo )

Jerry how come your settings are never set right on your camera? You can seriously tell the difference between Navaz and you in the animal trip DVD.

1. I'm more the point and shoot type. Fuck all that other shit.
2. I never bothered to ask Navaz what his settings were so we could get the same or close image from 2 different cameras
3. I was chillin.

( from Skinny )

What is a heavy hitter and how can they get in touch with you?

Any female that's top heavy and wide bottomed. All heavy hitters, jumpoffs, freakhos, and snoffers can holla at the baby threw The Come Up, or on Myspace.

PS: I'll use this space to send some shout outs..
Thanks to Adam22 for this shine time. All my peoples you know who you are. Thanks for everything. Peace.

GLENN PP MILLIGAN INTERVIEW.

2006-12-25T15:43:00.000-08:00

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...

Big James Interview.

2006-12-22T16:05:00.000-08:00

( Portrait photo by Kim )

Big James is pretty notorious in the NY area for being one of the craziest riders with the wildest style. He's getting more and more well known as time goes by, and a bunch of clips in the Animal road trip DVD have people talking non-stop. We did a quick interview to make sure people know what he's all about:

1) Where'd you get the name Big James?

I actually got the name Big James from a tattoo artist. I was getting my first tattoo, 12 years ago. I was gonna just get James on my arm, but the tattoo artist said if I would've got just plain "James" on my arm, it wouldn't have fit me , because I was too big for it (Even at 19, I was a big guy). He suggested that "Big James" would suit me better. And it did; it fits me perfect.

2) What motivates you to ride as hard as you do?

A dialed bike, great music, good weather, when everybody comes out to ride. Plus it's hard not to be motivated, when you have guys like Ed, Rone, Nigel, Blackman, Skinny and Oba killing spots on a daily basis. Well, this doesn't motivate me, but one of the main reasons I ride as hard as I do is pain from not being able to see my kids, my son Kevin & daughter, T'Ajah. But, laughing my ass off motivates the shit out of me.

3) What was the first time you saw yourself in a video or in a magazine and
how did it feel?

The first time I saw myself in a magazine , it was in Transworld BMX. The photo was taken by Dolecki, who I would like to thank.

I was psyched. Me and my girl bought every magazine we could find from Barnes and Noble, Tower, Borders. Wherever they had that mag, we bought it. My whole family had that mag. At the time, even some of my peoples from Dunkin Donuts had it.

My first video part was in the Animal, Can I Eat DVD; it was a tabletop. Me and my girl rewound and slow-mo'd the clip so many times, that the damn DVD don't work anymore. I need a new one.

4) You're known for boosting some of the highest tabletops and tucks off of banks that most people can't get very high off of. What's the secret to popping that high?

Boosting the banks is the best, besides surfing the banks. To blast out of the banks, holding tucks like holding your breath under the water and snapping tabletops like you're doing karate, shit nothing feels better than that, no trick, nothing. As for what¹s the secret, there is none, except for laying down the murder game.

( Footjam tire grab at the banks by Matt Brown )

5) Is it true you're planning on entering all the bunny hop contests this year? Have you measured your hop and do you think you can beat guys like Ruben and Seth Kimbrough who have won bunny hop contests in the past?

If I could afford to, BEWARE...

My hop was measured once, by Bob & Vinnie. It came in at 47 or 48 inches. As far as competing in a bunny hop contest, against other competitors, last I heard, the highest jump was 44 inches -- by my peoples.

6) Who are you sponsored by currently and what are you filming for?

I'm not actually sure. I know I ride for AM:PM, Prototype and J-T Customs and I think I'm getting flow from Volume. I never heard anything officially, but I believe I'm on Animal flow and I'm trying to get on Team-X, with Willie Lopez & Duke Stevens and Larry Bird. Also, I'm trying my best to get officially put on LRG.

Right now, I'm filming for Prototype, Skavenger, AM:PM and possibly for Team-X, or anything else that comes my way; as far as new opportunities, whatever comes my way, I'm on it.

7) It said on the Animal site that your doctor called you an alien... haha
what did he mean by that exactly?

My doctor can't comprehend what I do with or on my bike and he says my strength is phenomenal; that's why he calls me an alien. There's a few other little things, but that's the main reason.

8) Why did you move to San Francisco from NYC and how long were you gone for? Why did you move back?

Well, my girlfriend moved back to Chicago, so I went with her. We lived there for a year, which was pretty good. Then, she got a job offer in San Fran, so "vroom" we moved there for a year. It was great for her, but for me, I missed home too much. Then, her mom died; that's when we felt the need to go back to our real home, New York City baby!!!

Shout-outs to You Adam, thanks. Also, my wife, Kim, my mom, Ralph, Shane and Oso, Robbie Morales and Nick Benson, Glen Mulligan, Skinny, Edwin, Nigel, Rone, Joey, Bob, Vinnie, Tijon, Ramon, LRG, Erin, Cole, Andy, Russ, Ian, Oba, Blackman, Steve-O, Charles, Marlon, Ralph Berry, Dave, Jerry, A.K.A. Launchpad, Jersey Mike, RahRah and to everybody else that I know in the East, Midwest and the West. Peace!!!

CATFISH INTERVIEW

2006-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

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.

6 Questions With Mike Ardelean

2006-12-20T18:07:00.001-08:00

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.

ROBBIE MORALES INTERVIEW

2006-12-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

Robbie and I have talked a little bit through email about the BMX video world and the idea came up to do an interview with that theme. Check it out:

1) You have so far put out 4 videos through Fit; F-IT, the Barcelona video, the Puerto Rico trip and now Fit Life. When the first 3 videos came out video piracy in BMX was in it's infancy and nowhere near as wide-spread as it is now. As far as you can tell has this new technology affected the sales of Fit Life?

Ironically it may have helped. Right before the release and when we were doing the purchase order for how many FITLIFE dvds to order, I was a bit skeptical on sales. Fortunately its doing well so the piracy may have sparked some increased interest.

2) How do you feel when you see links to your video posted on BMX messageboards? Are you happy that the video is popular enough for kids to take the time to rip it or are you bummed out that kids aren't supporting rider owned companies?

Honestly I think back to when I was young and I never understood everything that goes on behind the scenes at companies. So much work goes in so when its ripped it's shocking but I doubt riders are malicious. They just want to see some rad shit, so I'm down for that.Hopefully it's so good ya want to buy the real thing, especially if there's bonus stuff that ya can't get online, like with packaging and stuff.

3) There was recently a BMX site hosted by a kid from Europe up for a few months that had links to a lot of current videos on it that was shut down. His argument was that videos are extremely expensive and take forever to get overseas and that he just wanted kids over there to be able to see the newest videos without getting gouged, what would you say to him in regards to him having the Fit video posted on his site?

I mean yeah its a bit harsh to throw it on there, but I want as many people as possible to see what FITLIFE is about. So fuck it, post it up, shit Mikey Aitken fell off a bridge for this bitch...

4) Skate videos are even easier to get online than bike videos, as far as you can tell, do skateboard company owners feel the pinch in terms of sales that some bike companies claim to?

I doubt it, the profit margins are bigger on skate decks so they can eat a loss on vids... For us it may get to the point where we just write it off but its scary dumping 30 G's into a project with the possibility of little return...

5) What are the measures you can potentially take once a video has been posted on a site like Youtube? Is it worth the trouble to contact Youtube or Google to try and have it taken down or is it too much hassle?

I didn't even bother, I got plenty of emails with instructions to email Youtube and Google and threaten them with legal action. Thanks to the riders who emailed in but this a new thing ( piracy ) and my stance was to let it be...

6) Some companies are moving towards putting their videos out for cheap ( Mosh, Lotek, Rodeo Peanut ) or free ( Animal road trip ), perhaps in response to decreased video sales. Have you considered going that route in the future?

Possibly our next vid will be a freeo... I know I would be psyched to get a free dvd...

7) Fitlife used a lot of songs which I can't imagine you got the music rights for. Why did you decide to take that risk instead of going the route of say, Props who license all their songs? How high is the risk of getting busted?

Risk is high but FITLIFE was so important to me and the riders, I wanted them to be represented with no restrictions. I have been a part of videos with cleared music and it usually sucked so I winged it on this one...

One more thing, I think the future of BMX videos is getting better... As long as people want to learn to film, edit and be creative we can get some good shit done... Websites like The Come Up BMX help also to get more content out to the masses... Seems like riders are taking in to their own hands, the way it should be.

Thanks to Robbie for the interview.

Discuss this post on The Come Up Board by clicking here.

Joey Columbo/Hi8tus Interview

2006-12-15T20:28:00.001-08:00

First off, get up on Joey Columbo's site (click here) to see some wild photography. The guy is out of Vallejo CA, knows YaBoy, and can ride and party hard. Also, Hubba's Hideout is uncapped and getting sessioned. My boy Jackson gets bossy in SF.

The newest DVD out of the North East of England, 'Hi8us', is being premiered in Newcastle, UK tomorrow night. Its the home of the NSF amongst other things, and Pete Greaves is the man with the plan. Read on for an interview...

1. What's the deail with Hi8us?

First off, Hi8-T-us. Everyone says I should have called it Hi8us but I guess that's how my Sheffield tongue deals with the number 8. Basically summertime last year I realised I had a load of footage saved up so I figured I'd make a vid. Most of that footage ended up not making the cut, basically when I started I wanted to do a vid just so I could get to do the editing side and production side for myself really. Then people started sending themselves for it... Tom 'Poindexter' Bright came on board with a load of footage of some of the Sunderland posse, Scott and Dawson wanted to do sections and basically before I knew it there were a load of people who are shit hot on their bikes involved. Having said all that, The creative side of it was still really cool and if theres one thing that me and Tom totally nailed about this video it's the aftereffects and production. Think yeah right without the budget...

2. Have you drawn on any inspiration whilst making the dvd?

From a creative point of view I loved Yeah Right! and wanted to do some of that sort of stuff with BMX. In terms of BMX videos that have come out lately I wasn't really influenced by anything, I can't speak for Tom but obviously as the starting point of the video was filming it with a camera that I got for christmas as a shared present with my bro 10 years ago theres not too much about these days that I could copy! I like what Chad Shack does with having a theme throughout the vid for the graphics and whatnot in Shook but I think they've been getting increasingley souless since its just the person who can drop the most hammers who he films and not his mates. Not a diss, I will always buy Shook for cutting edge riding but they're just a bit too cool for me. It doesn't make riding look fun, which I hope Hi8tus does.

3. Which filmographers do you like, any that you don't?

Joe Cox Innit. That preview he put up on the net was insane, and it still made it look fun. Wicked stuff. Ones that I don't... Fuck knows. Oh man I've just remembered, whoever made San to Van. Jesus. What a horrible video.

4. As a kid, did you look up to any VHS releases and think 'fuck yeah, im down with this?'

Jurassics Park, and I wouldn't say I was a kid when I saw it but my first BMX vid was criminal mischief. Stock as fuck answer but it's still the best video ever made for my money. Apart from fat pat riding to a radiohead instrumental obviously....

4b. where can i get a hold of the dvd from? Any international distributors out there want to join the hustle?

At the moment it's an out the bedroom operation, the good thing about that is I can just make as many as I need. Paypal £7.50 to pete.greaves@gmail.com with your address and drop me an e mail to say you've done so and I will hook you up. Same goes for outside the UK but make it £8 I guess. I'm making this up as I go along. Distributors get in touch if you want to.

5. If anything, what do you want to achieve with this dvd?

I wanted to do loads of editing and production, hence the multiple edits. I wanted to make some cheese as well.

6. whats the deal with the yanks stealing your dvd's name?

That will wind them up on so many levels. It's canadians I think, and they released their video way before me. However my vid has a different name, was named long before I'd heard of their video, and I doubt anyone in Canada will want to see it so I don't really get why they care. It was pretty good from what I've seen so I don't know why they don't just pipe down and let me get on with what I want to do.

7. any bigups or bigdowns along the way?

The downer was getting the original hi-8 camera nicked by 3 radge cunts. It had some good footy on it so it was canny harsh. Too many up points, we've had loads of wicked days out on our bikes and the big one is just seeing a big box of DVDs that you know you've made. I dare say the premiere will be a sweet night as well!

Any news you want on here, email me at dftudistro@hotmail.com. The weekend is here. Lets fucking rage! peaceout

6 Questions With Brad Simms

2006-12-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Brad Simms came through with one of the best sections of 2006 in Shook, along with the stand out part in the Bulldog video. I caught up with him for a few questions about weight lifting, sponsorship changes and 20 stair up rail icepicks.

1) It's pretty obvious from looking at you that you're into weight lifting. How did you get into that and what's your training schedule like? How serious about it are you and have you ever thought about getting into competing?

If I'm home I usually work out every other day. A lot of bench pressing, curls, military press... I'm pretty serious about it, I like to have a well maintained physique haha. I would never want to compete in that because those guys eat, sleep & shit weight lifting plus, they can't wipe their own asses hahahahaa... no need to be that big.

2) Everybody wants to know what was going through your head when you icepicked up that huge rail in your Shook part. What made you want to do that? Is it true you tried to manual up it?

I remember Van doing a huge ice down a rail in CM, so I was like "I wonder how people would respond to someone doing an ice up a rail", of course I had no idea that I was going to pull it, but it took 7 tries. Basically my friend Eric said it was impossible so I said "shut up no it's not" & somehow on the 7th try I pulled one of the most amazing things that I might ever do on a bike... yeah I tried to manual up it. I got scared so I bitched out and stopped trying, but before I move out of MD I think I'm going to go back and do it.

3) You were representing Bulldog for a long ass time but now you're off their team and riding for Hoffman. What happened?

BD had one of the best teams everyone on there was and still is a good friend of mine, some closer than others, but yeah I left because I knew I had more opportunity with Hoffman & I started to feel empty promises from Bulldog. Jimmy mac is a good man and I respect him to the fullest.

4) Who are your favorite people to ride with and what motivates you to do the crazy, progressive stuff we've seen from you?

My favorite people to ride with are people who like to have a good time, crazy riders, people who like to try and learn things, that whole progressive area... crazy riders motivate me.

5) You're a pretty short guy but you can bunnyhop and 180 higher than pretty much everyone. How does that work?

Nah, I can't bunnyhop higher than everyone, but I can 180 really high I can 180 higher than I can hop I can't hop 44" but I can 180 it... being shorter I guess you have to have a lot of technique.

6) What can we expect to see from you in 2006?

More progressive riding.

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Tommy Petrillo Video + Interview

2006-12-15T20:23:00.001-08:00

EDIT: Thanks to Joof for doing this seriously funny interview with Tommy for me:

Where and about how long ago do you first remember learning tuck no handers?

Alright it was probably about a year ago, I was riding some abandoned warehouse with some ramps in with Joof, Teague and some other kids, and I was like hey Joof watch this and I just went up a bank and did a no hander and then that became my signature trick haha.

What's up with the Federal Fraction frame? Isn't it made for flatland? Where is it now?

Well I'm short and its a 19 inch top tube and I used to idolize Steve Hamilton back in the day so I had the opportunity to buy one for 30 dollars so I did it. I guess it's made for flatland but whatever. The first one I had for about 7 months and it got stolen at the banks jam (fuck you whoever it was) but I just recently got another one so hopefully I don't get this one stolen since they don't make them anymore

What's your relationship with your dad like? I've gotten the impression you guys are kind of close, correct me If I'm wrong.

Meh I dunno, hes always stressin' on me to pay my bills on time and be a hard worker and shit but he's awesome. He bought my first bike back in the day and he used to drive me to the skatepark all the time when I didn't drive. And hes always helped me out with bike parts and shit when I didn't have money and something broke. I've actually tried to get him to buy himself a bike haha.

Yeah I've seen that picture in your kitchen haha.. What is your definition of "grimey life"? More-so, what sort of role does it play in your life?

Haha that picture is the best. I guess my definition is just doing whatever it takes to get by in life and not giving a fuck. I guess some people have different interpretations but that's just me. It plays a role in my life pretty much every day. Like stealing Ipod chargers from Wal-mart and returning them for cash so I can get cigarettes and food and shit. Siphoning gas from cars 'cause I got no money. Going to parties and stealing 100 dollar bottles of liquor and pumping off random girls hahaha. All that good shit.

I heard Shitluck wanted you on their team (good one!), how many Sidekicks have you broken? And your car? Also, explain the Quick Check incident. No one saw that coming..

Hahaha Shitluck? Who am I Jeff Cort? Hahaha. I've broken 2 sidekicks. Well I'm postive ive broken one and the other one I left on the roof of my car so I'm pretty sure it fell off and got smashed on route 80. Something breaks on my car at least once a month so its been at least 13 times not counting flat tires. as for Quick Check they leave 8 packs of water right by the door so I used to take one every time I left, and one night I took one like usual and there's some hero standing outside and he yells "did you pay for that?" and I'm like "uhh yeah" and hes like "NO YOU FUCKING DIDN'T!" so he goes into the store and gets the guy working and he's yelling at me saying how he called the cops and I'm going to jail so I'm like fuck this and I start to jog away when all of a sudden the random hero blindsides me and knocks me to the ground and puts me in a choke hold. I couldn't breathe so I bit his arm and then Wade started yelling at him and shit so he got off of me and then the cops came. And they're like "so what happened?" and I'm like "I was trying to steal this water" and some hick ladies like "don't you deny it I saw you take it!" So I yell at her "I'm not denying it you fat fucking whore!" and the hero yells "THATS MY WIFE. YOU JUST OPENED UP A CAN OF SHIT!" and he starts to charge me again but the cops stop him. They took me to jail and my Dad had to come get me because I was only 16 and that was it haha.

Anything going on with the next LSD video? What's up with the nipple earrings? Is it true that LORD clothing flows you sticker packs?

I don't know what's up with LSD, me and Roman Stefanie were supposed to film a split part but I don't really talk to him anymore so I guess thats not happening. I also don't know what's up with the spoke nipple earrings haha. I guess I just rock them because if i ever lose one I have 10 million more. It's not true that Lord flows me sticker packs hahaha. That was Bob and now every time I see him he asks me for cigarettes. I guess I owe him haha.

What can we expect from Grimey BMX in the future?

Eventually I'm going to buy my own camera and make a video. I wanted Wade Young to do it but he's busy with Shook and other shit so I can't really depend on him since hes always going on trips and whatnot. And I guess for shirts if someone asks me for one i just make one. Stickers will be made eventually. Haha I don't know I'm a slacker but sooner or later I'll start getting shit done. www.myspace.com/grimeybmx

Ahh yes, the Shook universe... rumor has it that you're sitting on about 115 quality clips. Why not share them with the world? (You dont have to answer that one hahah.)

It's because I'm out there all day everyday killing it for nobody buy myself. I could have a Standstill or Shake bio if I wanted to, easily. But my shit is too legit for those companies. ( thats joke that not everyone will get so don't bitch at me ) hahah But seriously I don't really film that much shit. Most of the time I go out riding I sit there and just talk shit and smoke cigarettes. Steve-o said he wants to do a hidden section of me in the next Nation vid so I guess I'm filming for that right now. And maybe I'll film another internet video for all the critics out there who didn't like it. ( Fuck all you wack Candian kids who hated on it. YOU KNOW I'M NICE! ).

Anyone, or anything, you want to thank? Shout outs??

Yeah, definitely my Dad and my Mom for everything they've done. Wade Young and Anthony Villani for taking me on all those trips and introducing me to tons of new people. Joof for being my bike mechanic. Steveo for giving me bike parts all the time. Jeff Dupaul for being my shoe sponser. Ryan Taylor at the State clothing company for hooking me up with clothes. Adam for posting my video on the site. Mike Brennan, Bri Guy, Collinson, Chris Marshall, C-beef, Connecticut boyshshs, all my friends that I ride with. Everyone who liked my internet video and all the haters for talking shit on me and making me even more siked to do even more tuck no handers. I'm sure I'm forgetting people, so sorry! If i missed you.

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6 Questions With Jared Washington

2006-12-15T20:22:00.001-08:00

Jared's one of the best street riders out which might explain why he's sponsored by Federal and Animal. His crew Rodeo Peanut just dropped their new mixtape and I got at him for a few questions.

1) So what can people who buy this project expect? Is it officially a video or a mixtape?

They can expect to get a pretty good video for under 10 dollars. This is definately a mixtape, no parts, no names on the clips, it's just a bunch of footage we compiled over the spring. When we would get out of class or work we would go hangout and ride and film, eventually the footage started adding up on the computer and we decided to make a small video. We just wanted to make a video that was straight forward and would get you pysched on just going riding. The whole video was done by my boy Evan Nutt, he gets the credit for it.

2) Who is in charge of Rodeo Peanut and who stars in the video?

I dont even know what Rodeo Peanut is honestly. Like 5 years ago I was sitting in class and I think I got a text message from Chris Reyes saying that Rodeo Peanut would be a funny name for a company or something and it kinda just stuck as a joke, we made a name for ourselves pissing some people off when we were younger, but Rodeo Peanut doesn't really exist. The video consists of riders like Mike Brennan, Chris Reyes, Brian Tunney, myself, Gallop, Alfredo "The Fridge" Wilson, Evan Nutt, Tom White, Quiet Chris, Edwin, Rat kid, Little Jeff, Roman Stefaniew, Dominic Biro and Jesse Dewlow.

3) Does Paul Horan have many clips in the video? When can we expect to see him killing street again?

Nah unfortunately theres no Paul Horan clips in this one. We'll see him killing it again before we even know it, if he's good sooner than later.

4) What are the 3 street spots you ride the most?

The black rail, The dime Bank, and Deiner park

5) When you first started getting coverage you had brakes on, now you're
brakeless, are they gone for good? Are the dreads gone for good?

The Dreads are most definitely gone for good, should have been gone a lot sooner but it took me a while to see the light... as for brakes I was pretty much always brakeless on and off back then and happened to have them on when I first started to get coverage, I stopped using them because I couldn't help but land with my hand on the lever while doing barspins, other than that i like them, bike riding does feel a lot better though with out a lever on your bars though and I can not see myself ever putting them back on.

6) Where can people get the mixtape?

They can get it through Animal.

Thanks Jared.

The video isn't listed on the Animal site officially yet so just shoot them an email at info@animalbikes.com and tell them you want to buy it. And buy some shirts and parts too while you're at it ya cheap fucks.

6 Questions With Nigel Sylvester

2006-12-15T20:20:00.002-08:00

Nigel is one of the hottest riders in many years to come out of New York. Anyone who's seen him ride has been impressed and he's picked up a small army of sponsors in a short period of time including coveted spots on Mirraco and Animal. I caught up with him to ask him about what his life's like and he even got in a few questions for me in the process. Feeeeeeeeeel meeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

1) True or false, you're getting your own reality show on MTV.

First i want to start this off by saying what's poppin B to all my peoples out there "feeeeel meeeeee".

I have to say that rumor is false, but I would of loved to see all the hater's faces when they read that. I'm not getting my own show even though that would of been official hahahha. MTV holla at ya boy!

2) You're sponsored by LRG and Nike now, neither of which are known for sponsoring riders, how'd you get hooked up with those sponsors?

Hahah, yeah I'm really excited to be riding for both companies, things happen for crazy reasons and I just happen to be in the right places at the rite time, know the right people and putting that work in "ALL DAY" feeeeel meeeeee.

3) Was it scary 180 barspinning the 10 stair at the banks? How do you build up to doing a 180 barspin that big?

Nah it wasn't scary I had my mind set on doing it for a while now. It felt real good letting them rip down that set. Feeeeel meeee.

4) Who are 3 riders that don't get the credit they deserve for their riding right now?

Three riders that don't get enough credit for their riding let me think........ they're so many good dude out there so I'll just throw out a bunch of names off the top of my head.... Ralphy aka RR, Big James, Marlon, Lil Jeff. Those are just a few dudes that came to the top of my head real quick.

5) What are you filming for now? Is the Flipside filming all done?

Well right now I'm filming for the new Skavenger mixtape which is going to be FIRE so go cop that EARLS feeeeel meeeeee, and over the next few days i'm going to be finishing my Flipside part. The video is pretty much done, but I got a few last minute things. I gotta give a shout out to Glenn PP aka Double PP all day. Hahhaaahah.

6) There are a lot of new rap albums dropping now, what are you listening to and what are you looking forward to hearing?

Yeah theres a lot of new fire dropping now a days so I listen to a bit of everything, but I just got the new Jay-Z album I haven't formed a solid opinion about it yet but so far it's pretty good. I'm really waiting for the new Young Jeezy to hit the street 'cause his music is fire feeeeel meeeeee.

So let me ask you a few questions.

1) What made you want to start this site?

I realized that there were a lot of hot videos being posted on the internet, but for a lot of people they were hard to find so I had the idea to start collecting them all in one place. Over time I've tried to post news and interviews with the riders I'm into on the site too. I feel like there are a bunch of good BMX sites online but that they show love to corny ass riders that nobody's checking for so I try to focus on real deal street riders that people want to read about.

2) What do you think about the state of BMX right now?

To me, BMX is just me rolling around with my friends. The shit I do on this site is fun and it's helped me meet a lot of cool people but I'm not thinking about all this shit when I'm riding a dirty ass ledge by myself alone at night. There are a lot of fake ass people in BMX who think that they're worth something because they can do a 360 whip or because they got a picture in a magazine and I really don't give a fuck about all that. Thanks for this interview!

Got more questions for Nigel? Hit up the messageboard and I'll try to get them answered for you.

3 Rail Firsts with Ralph Sinisi

2006-12-15T20:20:00.001-08:00

Ralph's another one of my childhood riding heroes. His part in DQYDJ was revolutionary. Tons of opposite shit, wild moves down rails and he wasn't scared to wear knee pads on the outside of his jeans. I recently got the chance to meet and ride with him and he was every bit as cool as I figured he'd be when I was a kid. He says he isn't 100% sure if he was the first to do all of these moves so if you take issue with any of these hit me up on the messageboard.

1.The over crook grind.
I am pretty sure it was a nice day. Same type era that George D. was talkin about with Jeff and Bob filmin for DQYDJ. Everybody was sessioning the peako rails real quick before we got the boot. I really don't remember what happened to well, but I think I was smithing it and the back wheel kicked over the other side of the rail. I figured I might as well kick it over a little more. I think the one in DQJDJ my foot blew off. It wasn't any great locked in one.

2.The overtooth
That first went down on these local rails that are real good but have a down hill runway. One night i was over there just getting killed and figured I would just try an overtooth for the hell of it. I was thinking about trying it, but it was a pretty short steep rail and it was tough to judge speed with the run up. I think the first one went pretty well but i clipped the stairs. I was real psyched and think I got back up that got killed a bunch more times. I like that trick though.

3.Overtooth hanger
I was out with Lugo, Z, Will Taubin, and somebody else riding around mid-town. We were out riding for a while and i totally destroyed my bike. I jumped on Lugo's woop and started to session these rails. Z was filming me for a props interview and i was hyped up and real focused. I just pedaled at it and did a nose wheelie on the front peg down it. I think the first one was pretty good and the second one went even better. I don't even remember getting killed too bad that night.

Also while googling his name I came across this old Ride interview with him which is a good read too.

Thanks to Ralph for doing this and you can Comment on this post by clicking here.

3 Rail Firsts with George Dossantos

2006-12-15T20:19:00.001-08:00

If you're like me and grew up on Don't Quit Your Day Job, George D isn't just some rail boss, he is THE rail boss. In '99 I didn't think you could do much on a rail besides double pegs and icepicks, but George changed all that and helped usher in the era where any trick that can be done on a ledge or a mini ramp can be taken down a handrail too. He was nice enough to fill me in on 3 tricks that he did before anyone else ( he opted to fill us in on his smith to half barspin instead of my first choice, the rail ride, because he says he thinks he was the second person to do it ). Check it:

Crooked 180: When I was 18 I got my license. I had a blue Plymouth Horizon. We used to go down to Philly EVERY weekend. Jeff and Bob had just finished Don't Quit Your Day Job, and everyone was psyched. There was this rail down about 6 or 7 stairs... I forget what building it was in front of. That day I remember Rich Andreu being there, along with my friend Mike. I don't think Bob was there. Me and Rich started riding the rail (no homo). Started doing some tricks down it, I did a feeble, a crooked, and even a double to manual to no footer. I was always good at spinning off of stuff, so in my head I was like, I'll let her rip. Did a few more crooks and the one time that I locked on good, I just swung a 180, and it worked! I wasn't sure if it was gonna cause the rail was down stairs. We all just laughed and my friend Mike started yelling. He still brings it up whenever I see him.

Smith to Half Barspin: This was pretty much around the same era, another Philly trip. Jeff Z. was getting damn good at taking pics and Ride BMX was gonna run a bio of me. This went down on the LOVE park BLUE RAIL. I loved that rail. There were soo many sessions on that thing I get them all mixed up. I remember getting to the rail and wanting to do something cool. I was already pretty confident with smithing down it, so I did a few of those, and even tried a smith to 180 and landed 90... after that didn't work out too well I thought "I still wannna do something different", so I thought of throwing the bars I think I ended up doing 3 or 4 smith turnbars until I finally handed them off. There was no way at that time that I could've thrown a full. I was happy though. I even remember seeing Butcher months later and he was psyched on it... that was awesome.

Half Cab to Rail: This one was kind of weird. Jeff Z. had already moved out to Cali, so shooting pics with him was few and far between. He was out here for some reason I forget. Anyways he wanted to meet up and shoot something... at this point I had already done a half cab to rail, in my Standpoint interview but never shot photos of it. But that was in Ohio so that wouldn't work. So I picked Jeff up at his parents house, and went to the Monroe rail 3 towns over from where I live. It was strange 'cause it was just me and Jeff, and he didn't even bring his bike, just his camera stuff. He asked what I wanted to do and I was like I guess half cab to rail, and he was like "ohhhh man that would be awesome"... I laughed and said, if I get on I'm gonna 180 out of it. So I did a couple of 180's and rolled backwards to the rail a few times. And then within a few more I got a perfect setup and just hopped up, I couldn't believe I didn't miss, slid down and as I got to the end of the rail I made sure I 180ed out. I heard the shutter on the camera going crazy. I turned around and just started laughing and Jeff was doing his laughing/yelling "YES! YES! George muthfucking D!" and then he got on his cell and called Losey to tell him what had just happened. Very interesting.....

You can comment on this post by clicking here.

PEG LEG INTERVIEW

2006-12-15T20:17:00.001-08:00

( Jeff Martin by Jay Elling. View it full size here. )

I did this interview with Devil Feil from Peg Leg a few months back. Check it out:

When did Peg Leg start and what was your goal in starting it?

My older brother and I started Peg Leg up in the summer of 04 with no set goal in mind. More than anything it began as a creative outlet and a project to put some time into. I already had an interest in video, and it seemed like fun to learn how to put together a website and manage a small clothing operation.

I know you guys have been working hard on the DVD, how is that coming along and when do you think it'll be out?

Like I mentioned before I always had an interest in video, and thats what I enjoy most about running the company. Getting out filming with the crew and editing the footage really is the fun part for me. I have set a deadline for filming for end of winter and plan to stick to it. Injuries and other hang ups prevented things from moving along quite as fast as we would like to have hoped, but now things are on track and going well. Everyone can expect the video to be out by spring and be on the look out for the trailer sometime shortly beforehand.

Is the video going to be all street? If so, how come you're going in that direction?

Yeah, the dvd will be all street. In short, there is something much more appealing to me about watching people ride outdoors utilizing obstacles not designed specifically to be ridden.

True or false: Street is the best type of riding.

Ride what you enjoy. Street is definitely my favorite though.

What riders were you influenced by during your earlier years riding? Also what videos influenced you?

Certain riders were definitely influential when I began but I think it was particular videos that left more of mark than anything. Domination was the first video I was really hooked on. After that Nowhere Fast, Dont Quit Your Day Job, and Neighborhood Superheroes were watched non-stop til the first Animal video came out. I remember going to the shop hoping the Animal video would be there. Low and behold it was and I went back to my friend Bens house and we ordered pizza and watched that video like 3 times in a row and loved every minute of it. Ells Bells videos, and in particular the Gonz and Ratboy footage were also among my favorites.

How did you guys hook up with Chad for your section in Shook?

It was a last minute decision to get a booth at the Subdivision trade show. I went with some shirts, my computer to play some edits, and a whipped together carboard display for our table. Chads booth for Shook was like 2 down from ours and he happened to come over and watch some of what we were playing. He seemed into what we had filmed and asked if we would be interested in doing a trip or some sort of section with Shook in the future. I kept in touch with him after the tradeshow and shortly thereafter got working on our section for We Are Everywhere.

Have you gotten a good reaction based on it? The riding was pretty crazy in it.

Thanks man, and for the most part the reaction has all been real good towards the section. It was probably the best thing that could happen to Peg Leg at that point in time and I really appreciate Chad giving us that opportunity. We probably werent ready then to take on putting together a full length dvd, and it sort of served as a warm up for our current undertaking.

As a company have you made efforts to get your shirts on sale in stores or are you content just selling them through your website? How difficult have you found it to be getting your brand out there?

I would love to get Peg Leg into more shops out there. Right now we have our stuff available through our online store, Noble BMX up in Canada, Dans Comp Mailorder, and as of recently DFTU over in the UK. It hasnt been the easiest trying to get the brand out there, but at the same time we havent been really focusing on that so much. There has been a greater concentration on getting content up on the site and work towards our dvd. I figure whats the point in getting your clothing into shops if you havent gotten things out there a bit prior. Some people might purchase the shirts based solely on their appearence, but for the most part people want to know what they are supporting.

It seems like a lot of companies try to brand their company as being either a hip hop company or a rock n roll company but you guys don't seem to have a real set style going on. Is that a conscious decision or are you just going with the flow?

We just try to produce clothes that we ourselves would want to buy and wear. I dont feel any need to confine the image of the company to fit within others' categories of style. Ray Kelly, who makes a living as a tattoo artist, has done a good portion of the shirt art here at Peg Leg and that influence has clearly carried over.

( Alex Platt by Jay Elling. View it full size here. )

What is your opinion on the current state of BMX in Boston? How come the riding scene in Boston isn't really very cohesive like the scene in NYC?

I think bmx in boston is on the up. I only lived in boston for about a year and a half, and have visited NYC a handful of times. Maybe things arent so cohesive because Boston is such a college town and a good number of the riders in there are not originally from the area. I dont know enough about what is like in NYC to begin to make a comparison. I do know that Albie Bennet is one Boston native that people will be hearing more about real soon.

You've said online before that you think the new skatepark they are building in Boston is going to fuck up street riding for everyone. Can you elaborate on what your opposition to the park is and why?

I didnt say it would fuck street riding up for everyone. There was a topic about the park online and I was simply giving my 2 cents about what I thought the ultimate impact of the park might be. Well for those who dont know, there are plans in Boston to build giant concrete park similar to Louisville. Boston is already a real bust at times and a park of that scale will obviously bring a hell of a lot more riders to the city. The more people out riding spots the more likely they are to be shutdown. Also with a giant park like that right in the city, the first thing the cops are going to say is that there is no need for you to be riding street anymore. I live like an hour outside the city so it really wont affect me all that much even if Boston was shutdown street wise. Who knows maybe the park will do the exact opposite of what I am thinking, and Boston will be fine with us riding whereever we want.

Who is this Alex Platt dude and what is he thinking doing these huge gaps I keep seeing him doing online?

Alex Platt is a good friend of mine who lives out in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts and has been a big part of Peg Leg from the beginning. I think he was just always psyched on seeing riders like Stricker and Levan firing out high speed gaps and big shit so thats where he took his riding. Alex has been out for a couple months now with a broken wrist but dont count him out from coming through for the Peg Leg DVD.

Check out Peg Leg online here. And add them on Myspace.

6 Questions with Mike Hoder

2006-12-15T20:15:00.000-08:00

Like it or not, Mike Hoder is one of the most exciting street riders doing it today. Pretty much every time I see coverage of him it's something crazy and whether you show love or not, everyone's got something to say about him. Peep game:

1) What does the term "came up" mean to you? A lot of people stay hating on the whole concept of it.

To me that shit means came up. If you're coming up on money, drugs, free bikes, shoes, you know anything. That mother fucka came up.

2) Are your pegs gone for good?

Yeah, I think their gone forever. I was never really good with them anyway so why ride them? I can do ten times more tricks without them than I could with them. Pegs are wack!!!!

3) You and Davey Watson both got the cover of Ride within a couple of months of each other. Why is the north west pumping out so many bangers??

Yeah, me and Dwatts were siked on that shit but we gotta just keep it comin' from this point. We also both got 7 page interviews comin out in Ride UK so be ready. And why does the northwest keep having banger after banger, 'cause everyone out here no one really knows about, so we got to just pump them out until the NW blows up. We keepin' our motha fuckin heads up.

4) Blackman told me you and him have a joint-venture popping off called STREET KILLAZ. Can you speak on what that might entail?

Yeah this street killaz thing bouts ta pop off real hard so I suggest everyone watch out for that shit. And I got one thing very important to say, if you're a hater on Blackman that's fucked up 'cause you know he puts in his work and he does bigger and better shit than most of you bitch bike riders out there so quit hatin', punks. Keep it comin', Blackman 'cause I got your back.

5) I don't think many people have got a chance to see it yet, but the Facad video just dropped. Are you happy with how your part came out? What are you working on next? I haven't seen it yet but I'm anxious to.

Yes, of course the Facad video, yeah I'm real happy with how my part came out and the whole video. I just tried to make my part who I am and it worked but I was just fuckin' around in it, but watch out cause I promise my next part is gonna top that by ten. And for other videos I am working on the Goods video, and the "Came Up" video, and the next Facad video........

6) Why does your Myspace have a picture of you punching some kid in the face, in an empty swimming pool with boxing gloves on?

Because out here we have little jams where everyone meets up at a time and just shreds the little skateparks. And then we drink and that turns into boxing each other. But yeah that is a good friend of mine Andrew Carpenter and no one will ever fight him cause he is one crazy ass mother fucker so I did that day and thats how it turned out.

5 Questions with Vinnie Sammon

2006-12-15T20:14:00.001-08:00

Responding to Myspace messages is clearly not Vinnie's top priority, but if you give him time ( in this case well over a month, LOL ) he'll usually get back to you. Check it:

1) Can you go on record with the real reason that Blackman got kicked out of the Snoff Shack and everyone kinda stopped hanging with him? Are you still friends with him?

I'm still friends with him and got love for the critter and all that, but he's on his own shit... Blacks a character and I hope he stays out of trouble... Not really my business to air out the personal stuff for people who never met him.

2) What happened to www.merked.com ? It was up for a week or two and seemed really good but the link is down now.

I wanted to do a site for a while... Then a bunch of shit popped off on top of me being a bum. The site went down and the dude doing it was going through some real shit, so I wasn't about to bust his balls about it... It's a cool thing maybe i can contribute to some sites or some shit... The grimaldo video on Youtube and Russ thing on Defgrip were supposed to be my first pieces of 'content'... this was like 4 months ago. Haha.

3) You took off 2 of your pegs after many years and have been doing some cool shit like Derek Dustering the Banks rail and doing that weird crooked feeble thing on the benches off water street... why'd you decide to switch your set-up up?

I like grinds... I always switch it up and fuck with the pedal and pegless shit... I wish i could learn crank arm slides, but that trick shows me no love... I still don't know if i can do derek dusters or if I just hold on for the ride.. It's a bizarre trick.

5) What is everyone who was living at the shack doing now? I know you're back in Jersey and hear Ed's in Philly or something.

Me and bob are in jersey chillin'... Rone and Ed are still in BK, and Jerry is a mama's boy back in the bronx... Polito the chicken got adopted by some lady on the block... We're all still boys.. It was seriously the best times of my life... It was nonstop with general laziness and people just chillin'... I got stories for days... I hope some other heads get a BMX house going in Brooklyn so I can come through and leave trash everywhere and clog the toilet... Haha.

6) I heard you were getting mistaken for an undercover cop while living in Brooklyn, haha, true or false?

It's true... I never really got fucked with living out there. I'm a big white dude in baggy clothes looking for shit at 3 am... That's every undercover cop in Brooklyn for the most part haha... I was always the white kid growing up so I'm used to the bullshit... The DTEK, b...

6 QUESTIONS WITH BRIAN VOWELL

2006-12-15T20:13:00.001-08:00

I've interviewed a lot of riders that I look up to in the time I've spent doing this site, but you really can't fuck with BV. Pretty much everyone shows dude respect and he definetly deserves it. Check it:

1) What have you been up to? You kind of fell out of the public eye a few years back.

I've been working a lot... trying my best to be a good husband and father. I still ride a day or two a week, but it's definitely slowed down a little for me.... most of my spare time these days is spent with my lovely wife and son.

2) Did you have a falling out with Standard? Are you involved with them in any way now?

NO... not at all. Standard and I are just fine. I just needed a change at the time, and I thought that Rick was pretty cool about it. I really owe a lot to him for doing so much for me over the years... it goes way back. Standard was the first sponsor that I had that actually allowed me to travel to comps and demos and such... still love the products and I still have some SBC stuff on my bike right now...

3) You were one of the firt guys to come out doing a ton of hang 5's all over skateparks, now we see a lot more of that, usually with no front brakes, do you feel like you helped to usher in the change of everyone doing everything on their back wheel to people doing front wheel stuff too?

Man... I KNEW this one was coming... I would like to think that I had "something" to do with bringing on the hang 5 stuff, but I think it would have happened anyways... with the way this sport progresses in so many crazy ways, it was bound to happen... I love watching the no-brake guys do stuff because it's so much harder that way... most people don't realize that. Props to those guys. Either way, it's just a fun trick, and I'm psyched to see them more and more these days.

4) Are you still sponsored by Etnies or any other companies?

Yeah... I'm still currently riding for Etnies and UGP. I do get a lot of help from MACNEIL these days... as well as SHADOW CONSPIRACY and ODYSSEY... I really can't thank them enough... they have all been so great to me.

5) How old is your son now and how has raising him been? Would you say it has been more or less difficult than you expected? Any plans for more kids?

OH BOY YOU'VE DONE IT NOW! Raising my son thus far has been the absolute highlight of my life. There is absolutey no way to put into words the feelings that your child can bring about. Preston is about 2 1/2 now, and I would have to say that it's been pretty easy for both me and my wife (beautiful Stacy) to handle him... Every day with him it's a new word, or a new facial expression, he's always full of surprises. We may have another one, but not anytime in the immediate future...

6) What's the last thing you learned on your bike that really made you excited?

The last time I was REALLY psyched is when I pulled that 360 to hang 5 over the street spine in my run at the roots contest... that was the first one I ever pulled, and It was first try... IN MY RUN! I bet I tried that damn trick 500 times... blew out 3 front tires... I knew it would happen sooner or later... I get just as excited when friends do new stuff too. I'm just like that.

-------------------------

If you've got any more questions, leave them in the comments and I'll try to get him to answer them in a future installment ( even though he's pretty insanely busy ).

Greg Walsh Interview

2006-12-15T20:11:00.000-08:00

If you don't know who Greg Walsh is, you will after reading part one of this interview. Part two is coming soon, hit me in the comments with any questions you might have for him.

1) What's your name, how old are you and where were you born?

Greg Walsh, I’m 31, and I was born in Syracuse, NY

2) What came first, BMX or hardcore? How did you get into both?

BMX came first. I started riding at 11 after a kid in our neighborhood showed me how to wheelie and jump curbs on my Ross leisure bike. I saved up money and begged my parents and later that year got a BMX.

As for music, I went to a couple weird metal shows with this kid Rory and his older sister in 8th grade. At a Testament show I got a flyer for an Overkill show that DRI also played. I took a bus to Rochester to see it, and that was that… I loved DRI, and within a few months I had seen Sick of it All, Excel, Slapshot, Judge, Danzig, etc. mostly at this club called Backstreets. I made a friend in 9th grade named Jay Zeller who was into hardcore, and after I had a partner in crime we took the bus to Rochester to buy records and go to shows constantly. I guess for “scene points” I can say that I started going to “shows” in 1989.

3) Was Primo your first job in BMX? How did that come about?

Nope. I got recruited to work at Primo after working at Kink in Rochester for a few years. Before that, I worked in a skateshop in Rochester and put a BMX area in there. It didn’t do very well because there weren’t too many riders, but it created a cool little scene. When Zack decided to bring Kink back to Rochester, I started working there. I cold-called 3,000 shops one winter, and that was at a time when normal shops didn’t give a shit about BMX, so explaining to them why they needed durable (and expensive…) aftermarket parts from a company they had never heard of was tough.
I met Brian Castillo on Road Fools 2, we got to be friends, and when a position opened up at Primo/ Tip, he asked me to come out. I went out to visit, took the job, and started working there on January 10th of 1999.

4) What happened leading up to you being fired from Primo? You were there for a long time and I think in a lot of people's eyes, solidified it as a strong brand.

I’ll give you the slightly abridged version so no vert riding Canadians get their feelings hurt… Colvin, the uninterested, money-laundering schiester that owns Tip and Primo, hired, as he usually did, a completely inept employee for the important job of general manager. The guys name was Henry Chen, and he was literally the worst person that I’ve EVER dealt with, ever, and I’ve had some fucked up jobs and dealt with some fucked up people. The guy had total small man’s syndrome, and tried to play that “employees best friend” shit, when really he was just a lackey that delivered the messages Colvin was too much of a pussy to deliver himself. The guy started mistreating our vendors at Tip, who were my friends, mistreating our staff, and screwing with everything from our production, to our advertising, etc.

He was making our already hard job WAY harder, and so I treated him like the useless dick that he was. I would shush him, and wave him out of my office, mention in meetings that he was unqualified for his job, and so on. If authority has respect for me, I have respect for them, but he was a detriment to the company, compromising relationships I had worked for years to build, and frankly, was only there because he fit the, uh, “special qualifications” that Colvin had for his office/ management staff - ALL of those things made it impossible for me to respect him. Around that same time, one of our vendors at Tip was playing bullshit strong-arm games, being ridiculously demanding, underperforming sales-wise, etc. and we were going to drop them from the distribution. The owner of the brand freaked out when he didn’t get his way, and sent several maligning emails about me to Colvin and Henry (I still have them…) and also tattle-taled on me for a bunch of stuff that was irrelevant to the company and my job there, but provided the perfect excuse, along with the untruths in the emails, for them to fire me. So that’s what they did.

5) Taj and Joe showed a lot of loyalty to you by dropping Primo as a sponsor as soon as you were fired. Did you expect them to make that decision?

I worked really closely with all the brands at Tip, and most of the team guys, but Taj and Joe were the one’s that I’d been through the most with. When we brought T1 to Tip, it took a lot of work, and we got to be really close during that time. I was honored that they left the team when I left the company, but what was a much bigger deal was that they immediately pulled T1 out of Tip Distribution. THAT was a step of faith. I had mixed feelings, because I didn’t want them or their brand to suffer by leaving, but at the same time, I was grateful that they stuck up for me.

6) In one of the issues of 411 I remember you made some comments about Snafu ordering all their parts from Taiwan, which led to McGoo basically calling you out on the Snafu site ( correct me if I’m messing this story up ). Did you regret making those comments ever?

No. Just to be clear- I was in no way making a statement about Taiwan, it was about Harold and “his” brand. Primo and Coalition both order most of their products from Taiwan, and the people we work with over there are great.

Harold used his high I.Q. to write some shit on the Snafu site that my friend and our engineer Joe responded to and I never even read, and then he proceeded to mock me in several ads. His “piece de resistance” was a fake interview with Sean McKinney that he wrote with his ego maniac sidekick Chris Moeller. They put it in an S&M catalog a few years ago. It made fun of the work I did at Primo, our contests, the fact that I believed in that “straightedge hardcore bullshit”, talked about how little my dick is, and so on. Brilliant stuff.

It was no surprise coming from little Harold, but fuck, I’d been an S&M customer literally since they started, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t suck to have a childhood idol malign me in print. I talked to Chris about it, and being the spineless pussy that he is, he denied any involvement in front of his entire staff, even though there was information to the contrary.

7)If you saw McGoo right now, how high would the tension level be?

To say there would be tension would imply that I feel in some way that Harold could physically or mentally harm me, which he can’t. Even though I’m quite used to criticism, the stuff he wrote sucked, but all it did was prove what I initially thought about him.

Of course I’ve seen him here and there, and he scurries away just as I’d expect of someone that useless and pitiful. The only reason him or Moeller are still waking up warm is that I had the discretion to call off the dogs when the not-so-nice people that know and respect me read the shit they wrote. They should be sending me thank you cards and chocolates.

8) What made you want to start Coalition? You've been around for a few years now, do you feel like you've accomplished what you wanted to so far?

Well, I feel that when Primo was running on all cylinders that it was really, really good. Even at its’ best, there were things that, logistically, we could never get done right. The company was too big to pay attention to certain things, and those things are what really give a brand its identity. I wanted to do Coalition because I knew we could offer something image-wise and visually that wasn’t out there already. There were also a bunch of guys that had some great product ideas and concepts that would never have come to me at Primo. As far as what I’ve wanted to accomplish so far, it’s a mixed bag. We have so many great international distributors, more than I ever expected, but we’ve also had some product setbacks that I would certainly not have chosen. Overall, I’m happy with where we are, and know that we’ll grow a lot in the next year or so.

9) I've heard kids say online that they expected Coalition to maybe be out there a little bit more. I guess people think you've been somewhat quiet, do you think that's accurate and if so has it been intentional?

I agree with that statement. We definitely have not blown ourselves out coverage-wise. That is somewhat intentional. We are a privately owned company, and we have financial limitations that most “larger” parts companies don’t have, so I didn’t want to blow our wad on advertising and promotions, and not have the capital to keep the parts in stock. If we’re not selling parts, we can’t do anything, so that has to be top priority for the first few years of the company.
Once we’re on steadier ground, then you’ll start to see us in all the conventional channels. We’re not going anywhere, and I am a believer in “slow and steady wins the race.”

10) Has the Coalition team changed at all since you first started? I remember it being noticeably huge when it was first announced.

It’s changed a little bit. The fact that it was so big was due to three things: there were guys who were displaced at Primo/Tip that I wanted on the team, there were other guys I was stoked on and wanted to work with, and there were the guys that are my friends and that I wanted on the team because they rule.

We’ve added a few guys, and a few guys have changed direction but are still good friends.

11) What is your involvement with hardcore like these days? Do you still go to a lot of shows? What bands keep you excited about it...

I go in spurts of “involvement”, I guess. One way we’re constantly involved is that we sponsor bands and put on shows through Hell on Earth. Hell on Earth is a clothing line we do, and we give stuff to a handful of really great bands- Terror, Ringworm, Achilles, Lamb of God, Psyopus, The Red Death, Walls of Jericho. We are still selling Hell on Earth through fairly limited sales channels, so a lot of the kids that see the bands wearing the gear probably can’t find it, but we’re working on that all the time. My brother has put on several shows this year under the Hell on Earth moniker, and I have been booking shows under it since 1995.

I go to shows when I feel like I can handle the sociology experiment that the scene is now. I don’t want to sound like one of those “back in the day…” guys, but it is sometimes really hard to take all the fucking petty bullshit these kids are worrying about. All the complaining at the top of their lungs just doesn’t sound that sincere when they’re either dolled up in some nerdy outfit, or acting like a fucking prick to everyone, or preaching about something on stage that there is NO WAY a 21 yr old can have a grasp on…

Music-wise, I like the angry stuff- the world is not a happy place, and the music I listen to reflects that. I’m up and down the spectrum when it comes to hardcore. As long as it’s got passion and emotion behind it, I can appreciate it. Bands can’t fake that stuff, so I can tell pretty much right away if I have any interest at all. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a snob.
For example, I really like Tragedy, and the next record I listen to might be Dying Breed from Troy, NY. Those aren’t bands that share many fans, but when you break it all down, they’re both angry at society and distraught and have been fucked over and they channel it into some brutal music. They might not sit down and have a beer together in the real world, but in MY world, they do.

I love Nick Cave; I think he’s a fucking genius. Danzig up to the 4th record, and Samhain too. Nobody can ever replicate what those guys do.

RICH HIRSCH INTERVIEW

2006-12-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

( photo stolen from the Mosh Website )

I probably shouldn't have to tell you who Rich is. He runs Lotek, Mosh, Goods and probably some other stuff I'm forgetting. He also kills it on a bike and is one of the main reasons BMX looks cooler now than it did 5 years ago. Check it:

Allright, you're involved in a lot of different buisnesses within BMX. How did you get involved in the industry side of things and what are your goals with each of your seperate ventures?

I got involved like most kids/people just by printing t-shirts and it just kind of grew from there. As far as my goals for each venture go. I really just want to make cool shit because there wasn't anything cool when I was a kid, and there definetely wasn't a decent place to get stuff at.

A lot of people seem to think that BMX is too influenced by skateboarding lately, particularly in videos, the Lotek mixtape for example. Do you think there is any merit to those concerns?

Can you be more specific on that one?

Ummmm just the whole movement towards videos being all street, no brakes, lots more lines, a lot of bmx shirts and artwork being heavily skate influenced ( I'm not saying that i think that's true about lotek, I loved the video and would rather every video be more like that, it's just what i've read kids say online ).

It's no problem, everyones entitled to there opinion. I just wasn't sure exactly what to answer. I'm just gonna give my opinion on each one of those.

I really don't think the no brakes trend came from skateboarding at all. I remember people doing it when I was a kid, it just didn't stick until someone influential enough came along. I feel that when people saw Edwin ride they were inspired. It was just something completely new that looked fun. He was also one of the first people that actuals got coverage and didn't ride skateparks at all.

As far as the lines go I guess that could come from skating but in all reality that's how people ride. Were just getting better at documenting it.

The clothing side of things is a bit of a grey area. You can look at any t-shirt and compare it to something simply because a t-shirt is the most widely used art form in the world. Its sort of like when you here a new beat on the radio and you know 1000 unknown kids have probably used the same sample. Theres only so much cool shit out there that our culture is inspired by. For me most of it lies in the music/ art/movies of the 80's since that was when I grew up. Im really just trying to make stuff that I like and unfortunatly you cant please everyone.

Did it bum you out when Edwin left Lotek for DC?

That was the first time I had to deal with something like that and it's definetely a strange position to be in on both sides. I'm still bummed out about it because I like Edwin a lot and he's one of my favorite riders. I can see it from both sides though and it seems like he has a good thing going with them so its cool.

You were one of the first riders on Redline and now you're off the team. Why is that? Is it true that Mosh is going to start making frames again?

Rooftop was the first rider on Redline and he set up the rest of the team. I like Mike a lot but I'm not really into Redline at all. I went back and forth about quitting for a long time and eventually just had to do what i was into. Mosh isn't going to ever make frames, just parts.

Do you think the whole notion of "coming up" and making something out of BMX besides just having a good time is becoming too prevalent within BMX? Is that mentality a lot more prevalent now than when you started riding?

I can only speak for myself so I'm not really sure but I see it a bit more. That may be just because there are a lot more people now though too. When I was a kid I rode with guys like Jason Enns from time to time and Im pretty sure they didn't even get payed. So I thought being sponsored meant you got a free bike or a deal, but I definetely dreamed of someday getting that.

Kids don't seem that "coming up" for the most part means 2 or 3 hundred dollars a month and a part time job to survive. It's real cool but really only a brief pause before having to eventually get a real job. Riding is riding and nothing really seems to change it to much.

Who do you consider the 3 most influential riders today?

Mike Aitken ( obvious, I know ) , Ian Schwartz, Chase Hawk.

Really, why do you say Chase Hawk?

You just have to see what happens if you ride with him in front of a bunch of people. It just kind of turns into a demo at every session. You just want to watch. Eddie's up there too.

What can we expect from you and your various projects this year?

I'm just starting out. Bike shop is nearing it's second year, Loteks nearing it's third. So we got a long way to go before catching up to the competition. Just gonna try to make some cool shit and Ride a lot. I think we might do a Subrosa trip to Tijuana.

You're on Subrosa?

Yeah. I thought you were all up on the internet how'd that slip through?

Haha I don't know, I should have known that.

JON BLAKE LOVES GETTING DOME

2006-12-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

Now that we know Jon most certainly does not like giving, does he like getting? Today's column, keep in mind that this is 5 years old, will address that:

You bitches know what I love? Answer: Blowjobs. Fuck yes kids, blowjobs are the best invention ever, fact. The only things I can think of that could possibly be better then a blowjob are...
A) Getting jerked off mid blowjob while it's still all wet.
B) Stopping mid suck to pull out and tittyfuck her while it's still wet.
C) In some circumstances, sex. But only when I'm in a drilling kind of mood and I don't want no bitch's puke all over me.

Now, I know in light of my last post some down syndrome bitch who thinks they have some intelligent retort is gonna fire off with "How can you expect to get head and not give it, blah blah, cock isn't great either blah" To this unavoidable cunt I say "Shut up, you fucking knob." Let me explain to everyone right now why boy head is NOT the same as girl head AT ALL.

A cock is EXTERNAL, you can wash that shit off. It gets sweaty, I jump in a shower... fuck that, you know what, I splash a fucking mud puddle on it and it's cleaner than your folded sweaty cave of babies. I look at it this way, for comparison of internal/external cleanliness... If you watched me pick up a piece of shit and play with it and roll it around in my hands, and then you watched me wash my hands thoroughly and completely, you wouldn't WANT to shake my hand, but eventually, you would again, and you wouldn't think about it all the time, even if it took years, you would eventually get over it until someone brought it up or something triggered the memory. HOWEVER, if you witnessed me EATING a fucking turd, no matter how big it was, even just a little poopy, you would NEVER, EVER kiss me, and every time I breathed on you, asked for a bite of something, anything orally related, you would feel like punching me in the ear. You could watch me gargle with fuckin Clorox and you wouldn't want to kiss me. So fuck you.

Anyway, BJ's are so fucking crucial to my existence. The whole face fucking experience is where it's at. It's not even so much the feeling, it's looking down and seeing your dick in a face. All I can think is "My dick is in your face! And it rules!"

Some kids say they don't like blowjobs, some kids even say they like going down on girls BETTER then getting head!!! That sir, is GAY. Yes, you are a faggot. Any guy who likes pussy on his face better then face on his dick is either Faggotville USA, or has some kind of handicap. I don't care if going down on a girl is a very hetero thing to do, you're all faggots. All of you.

Steve-O Bike Check & Interview

2006-12-15T20:00:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to go riding today with Steve and my friend George who is staying with me from Austria ( he shoots photos for DIG ). We were going to ride the city and take a picture of Steve smithing up a rail. I was also going to take a picture of his bike to use for this bike check that we did last night, but unfortunately it's pouring rain and it's supposed to keep raining all night. This picture is like 6 months old and he probably isn't riding any of the same parts anymore, but you get the idea.

Frame: 2hip Lino
Fork: Odyssey Race
Bars: Animal Tyrone Williams
Stem: Animal Jumpoff
Grips: Animal Edwin DeLarosa
Headset: FSA
Seatpost Clamp: Animal
Seatpost: 2hip Bikes
Seat: 2hip Bikes Pivotal

Cranks: Primo HollowBites
Sprocket: Animal 22t
Chain: one we took off a dyno in the city cause mine broke
Front Tire: animal GLH 2.10
Front Wheel: Gsport to a RhynoLite
Rear Tire: Animal GLH
Rear Wheel: Primo MIX 36 with primo Balance rim
Pegs: Animal LONGS
Pedals: Odyssey Twisted Plastic

Modifications: I cut my mounts, shave my fork down, cut my bars, cut my flanges, always painting it, always gotta have a good sticker job

Other: Gotta have it bounce like a basketball.

This interview is almost 2 months old, but I'm not using it for anything else so here you go.

When are you going to put brakes on and start doing fufanus?

Come on you already know the answer to this, I put brakes on for a day and proceeded to hack the mounts off with the brakes still attatched.

How do you feel about corrupting the world of young riders by turning them onto alcohol, like Garret Reynolds?

Yo, I didn't do that! Augie did that shit man. They fucked him up. But yo, Garrett's a funny drunk man. He can drink a fucking sip of your Jack Daniels and be twisted for the next 2 days.

Yeah but he's also 14, right?

Nah, he's 16 now.

There was a lot of beef in the past with people accusing you of stealing bikes. What's the current state of that?

Don't even get me started on that. Anyone who steals bikes is a scumbag, I didn't steal no bikes.

So you deny it?

I stole one bike but it was for personal reasons because the dickhead stole something from me and I had to get it back. It's the only thing I stole ever, so Chester Blacksmith if you see this, I didn't take your bike. I know the nigga that took your bike, go get him not me.

How did this rumor start that you took Chester Blacksmith's bike?

Yo, I don't even know. I mean I do know who it is who started it but I'm not going to say nothing. It's old news and I don't feel like bringing up beef.

Are you down with Animal?

Yeah, I like Animal. Shane and Ralph gave me some shit. I don't know what you want me to say, I like Animal. I got some bars, stem, tires, grips... I didn't get the pedals because I'm into plastic pedals all day.

What's this plastic pedal trend all about?

I don't know, they're the best things ever. If you want to be a pussy, go ahead and learn tailwhips to the plastic pedals. It's all good. 2-Hip plastic pedals coming out soon.

So what's the status with 2-Hip bikes aka Wilkerson Airlines?

Basically right now the whole team is done. Getting remodeled. Cory Jarman is off...

What do you think of Cory Jarman?

That guy sucks man. Basically he put together a part for the 2-Hip video and he wasn't going to quit til the video came out, so he could get more exposure. He was going to quit for Black Eyes Bikes. If you go to blackeyebikes.com you'll see some Cory Jarman photos. He's a real good bike rider, he's got no style but he's a real good bike rider. He's got problems man, he thinks BMX owes him something, he thinks BMX owes him money. Thanks for calling me out for riding 5 step rails. I'll fucking feeble grind your face nigga.

Where did he say that?

He called me out on it when he was in California, I wasn't even there. He said it to Lino and of course Lino is going to tell me. So, Cory Jarman you are just a fucking buffoon.

How do you feel about these allegations that you only ride 5 stair rails?

I do. ( laughter ) I don't know, I enjoy what I ride, I don't even really ride rails anymore, if there's a good rail I'll ride it. I'll ride whatever. Mini-ramps have been fun lately. I'm riding a fucking yellow ledge right now.

Allright, thank you list:

Lino of course, Ron at 2-Hip, Myspace, My mom and my dad, Spinner for making my house smelly, Tyler at Kronik, Mike at Nation. Thanks to all my friends. Thanks to my girlfriend for putting up with me. Thanks to Adam for everything, letting me borrow a camera for 2 years. Thanks for this interview, thanks for coming out today, yeah. Oh and thanks to mealplans.

JON BLAKE COMES CLEAN ON VAGINAS

2006-12-15T19:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Jon Blake wrote this a few years back and it's still so fucking funny. If you don't know who Jon is, he sings for On Broken Wings and Shere Khan which basically means he is a bum who lives at The Zoo and travels around yelling at a bunch of 16 year old kids in girl's pants at shows. Part 2 coming tomorrow:

Ok... yeah, so I know a lot of dudes that like vagina, and I'm not exactly sure what the fucking deal is. I think it's fucking terrible. That shit smells, looks, tastes and sounds bad. And fuck yes it makes a lot of noises, and they're all gross as fuck.
Now I know some bitches out there are all "Dude, I dunno who you been getting with but..." But nothing, shut the fuck up bitch. I know not ALL Vs are like, rotten, but don't try to sit there and tell me that shit has EVER tasted or smelled GOOD. Even when it's not bad it still aint GOOD. Fuck you, at best the bitch tastes like salt, and has no smell, but I have yet to find the super Vag that tastes like a fucking Strawberry Coolata.

On top of all that faggot shit, some bitches don't feel the need to shave that crap. What the FUCK would make you think not shaving it would ever be a good idea, EVER?! Nasty cave man fucks.

Another thing I hate is when you're nice enough to go down on a bitch and she has the audacity to not get off in a timely fashion. I hate when that faggot thing under my tongue gets all hurt from it rubbing on my bottom teeth. I hate when they get all wet and I been down there so long I got slop and drool all over my fucking face and chin and shit too. They should be like me and get off in 10 min.

Bitches look so much hotter in underwear. Not slutty ass thongs either, nice cotton undies that show their curvy asses off, and cover up that nasty.

I hate when Vs are those fucking hanging down, droopy lip shits too. From my experience there are 3 types of Vag:

A) The nice little butt, hot dog bun looking ones.

B) The ones where the lips hang so far down they come out of the middle of that little pouchy business. I don't know what the fuck they're called, theres like 38,976 folds down there. These are the nasty meat curtain ones that you have to get the bitch all wet before you can even split those 2 fucking burger slabs apart.

C) The ones that have too much fucking woolly mammoth hair to even distinguish what it looks like, let alone get a finger or 2 in with out ripping a buncha hairs out and shoving them in the bitch while you fight to get your fucking fingers back from the Evil Dead bushes of doom that wrap all up your arm when you put your hand down her pants.

THE MYSTERY OF THE SEAN BURNS PORN

2006-12-15T19:56:00.000-08:00

Earlier today I was looking at my friend, Vibeke's Myspace and I was like "WTF, why is Sean Burns' bike in one of her pictures?

She does porn for Burning Angel and that's where the picture is from, but it still didn't explain why his bike was in the photo, so I asked her how that happened:

Why are you doing porno shoots with Sean Burns' bike?

It wasn't a porno shoot and I don't know who Sean Burn is.

Thats his bike that's all i know.

Does he have blonde hair?

He has long hair. I dunno.

He lives with my friend Sarah and I was doing a girl on girl shoot with her. And then afterwards he asked if we would take a couple shots with his bike for a BMX site b/c he thought we were hot.

Makes sense. Did you bang him?

No haha. He saw me put a dildo in me. But he watched our shoot.

What else did you do in the porno? Did you put a jackolantern in your butthole?

No. That was about as hardcore as it got.

A football?

What is he like famous or something?

He's pretty well known.

That's pretty funny seeing as he didn't even have money for cigarettes and kept bumming them off me.

Yeah I don't think he makes a lot of money from riding, if any.

Well in any case he lives across the street from me and I am looking at his building right now haha.

You should bang him.

I didn't get that vibe from him though he did try to give me a free t-shirt and hang out.

MYSTERY SOLVED.

6 Questions with Ryan Howard

2006-12-15T19:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know shit about this dude except that he is very good on a bike, he used to ride for Season and he lives in Ohio. Peep game:

1) Name 3 things we should know about Ryan Howard.

1. I prolly can lock crooked grinds better than you.
2. I'm not goofy footed.
3. I hate Grand Rapids Michigain

2) Why don't you ride for Season anymore?

Basically I guess I wasn't what Casey wanted for his team anymore. The sad part was I didn't get a phone call or anything said in person, it was in a damn Myspace message. Good way to run a company huh?

3) You've got a long of big, tech rail moves. Do you ever wake up and just not want to throw yourself onto rails anymore?

Yeah but rails are fun to me but where I live there aren't really any good rails. They all have something wrong. Half the time I'd rather ride a mini ramp.

4) Who the hell is Matt Skaggs? That dude is pretty crazy.

Haha kids don't even know. He doesn't ride much anymore, he would rather paint trains but when he does ride he is better then 95% of all bmx riders.

5) What's the trick to doing a crooked grind on a curved rail?

The old ass long Animal pegs and balance.

6) Are you the first person to ever do a smith to over smith on a ledge?

As far as I know I am. I've done it from right side to left too and I've done smith over feeble, and I'm pretty sure that hadn't been done either. I'm supossed to go to those rails in Indiana and smith over smith it but rides there keep shading out.

---------------------------------

You can contact Ryan here at his Myspace and see some more pictures of him riding. And definetly check out this video of him and Matt Skaggs too ( it includes that smith to over smith I asked him about ).

Also he wants you to know that some of the footage in the video is going to be in the Perspectives DVD which is coming out soon.

Van Homan Interview

2006-12-15T19:54:00.000-08:00

Van's always been one of my favorite riders so I was pretty happy to get the chance to interview him. I did this like 2 months ago so I hadn't seen his new Fit part and he wasn't even done filming it, so those questions are a little dated. If you have any other questions for him, leave them in the comments and if they aren't totally retarded I'll try to get him to answer them. Also I have absolutely no idea where this picture came from.

1) You're probably either done or close to done with your Fit video part which is a pretty big deal since you haven't had a real video part since Criminal Mischief besides your TIP part. Did you travel anywhere special to film and do you feel like you accomplished everything you wanted to get done?

Well I have been busy with plenty of projects over the years following the C.M. days Including a Ride interview, a video section in "Parts", a Props interview, Transworld interview and the Tip part you mentioned to name a few. I don't feel at all like I've just been sitting on my past accomplishments. However, I do understand that C.M. is more of a stand out part in most peoples minds and with the release of Fit life being highly anticipated, expectations are high. I'm trying not to think about it to much. I just want to put out something thats solid that i can be proud of and i think i've done that. You always feel like you could have done a little more but thats just what drives you that never goes away.

2) It seems like Little Devil has really been kind of quiet since Criminal Mischief. I still see a lot of new designs from them but I haven't heard anything about a new video or anything, are there plans for that?

Yeah L.D. has been a little quiet. A lot of that has to do with Derek trying to get Orchid up and running. All his time and focus was and still is wrapped up in that so its really hard for him to foucus on a video. We did those couple Roadtrips that were in the bonus of the Collectors edition DVD but thats about it. In the near future we are going to be putting short videos up on the web from time to time. Its all about the web these days. As far as a full length video. Well who know hopefully eventually it will happen.

3) What kind of riding are you into lately? Do you still do stuff that scares you often or are you a little bit more laid back since you've had a bunch of injuries over the years?

I go through phases with my riding. Right now i am in a street phase for sure. Thats all I have been wanting to Ride. I have been loving being back in my home town and riding street everyday. i like hitting the local spots and getting creative. I have a hand full of clips from my home town in fit life and im pretty excited about them. just flowing kind of stuff. I still scare my self now and then. You get over injuries after a while and you have to push yourself.

4) What's up with this new shop you started? What's your goal with it?

Well there are two goals. The first and most important is to create somthing cool for kids who ride bmx. There really aren't many "BMX" shops. Its all just bike shops and as far as im concerned we don't ride bikes, we ride BMX so we need a BMX shop. The second goal is to eventually be able to live off of the shop. I'm not trying to get rich off of it but it would be nice if it could support me after im done being a pro rider. Also we plan to have lots of events at the shop so keep your eyes out.

5) Do you see this shop interfering with your life as a pro rider? How much longer do you guess you'll be riding professionally for?

Its a sacrifice for sure but i felt like the timing was right. I feel like I can do both right now. I would like to ride pro at least till im 30. Hopefully when i don't feel like i have anything more to offer as a pro I will be able to just step down and then foucus all my efforts towards the store.

6) The FIT team has expanded a bunch lately, namely adding Tom White, Eddie Cleaveland and Chase Dehart. Have you gotten a chance to ride with any of those guys yet?

Yeah I have ridden with both Tom and Chase on a number of occasions. Both are rippers and really good kids. I havn't really gotten a chance to ride with Eddie but I've talked to him a bunch online and he seems really cool. I really dig Eddies style, I think he too was a great addition to the Fit team.

7) It's been noted in quite a few magazines that you're a big poker player, do you still play a lot and what do you consider your main accomplishments with it?

I've been playing a lot less poker lately. I still enjoy a good game now and then but I'm not a feind anymore. Things just got to busy with riding/moving/starting up Two by Four. I would consider my main accolishment is making more then i've lost playing cards.

8) What other bike riders do you view as a real challenge to play poker against?

Liegh Ramsdell is a good card player and DMC has some skills as well.

9) Do you have any experience playing poker online and how did that go?

Yeah I play online. Mostly $20 tourneys. I put $150 in a while ago. It goes up and down, I think its at around $700 at the moment. I think im going to take that money out and use it for this years vegas trip.

10) I'm pretty sure you're the only person to ever do a barspin to over-grind on a rail. Have you done that trick since the first time you did it and do you think it's going to catch on and become normal eventually?

Well I'm not the only one. I know Josh Harrington has done it with ease just recently and I wouldn't be surprised if there are others. I haven't done another one yet but I plan to one of these days haha. I guess I'm kind of slacking on that one.

11) Do you still ride your garage much? Do you still find new lines and things to do in there?

Nah, I don't ride the garage anymore. The garage has been gone for a while. I don't even live in that house anymore. ( Ed note: LOL @ me not knowing that ) I'm glad I got a chance to build the garage it was a great time and a dream fullfilled.

12) Does your shop have a team? If so, who and if not, how come?

Yup the Two by Four pro team is Brian Wiz, Geoff Slattery, Cesar Monzon, Randy Brown and Garrett Byrnes. The working class team is Andy Carr, Trey Lampe, Gannwear and Cody Jennings.

Id like to that Samantha, my parents, Little Devil, Orchid, Fit, Duo and everyone how has been a friend to me or helped me out over the years. You know who you are.

Mike Spinner and the 360 triple tailwhip.

2006-12-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Mike Spinner recently made history by pulling the first ever 720 tailwhip, and just the other day stepped it up even more by pulling the first ever 360 triple tailwhip. I got at him on the phone as he was arriving back in Fort Lauderdale from his summer at Woodward to ask him a few things.

Last winter when I hung out with you in Florida you were just starting to dial in double whips over boxes, now you just pulled the first ever 360 triple whip. How did you progress that quickly?

I went to Woodward and it's pretty sad but foam pits, resi, it's safe. You just try whatever you think of.

How long have you been doing regular triple whips?

I haven't done one, I was doing double whip 360s for a while and decided to try a triple whip 3 last week.

Wait so you haven't even done one triple whip yet?

Nope, not at all.

Your other big move that has a lot of people talking was the 720 tailwhip. Which one was harder?

7 whip was harder because you're spinning harder. With the 3 trip whip its just the higher you go, you have more time. The 7 whip was definetly harder.

Since you've been putting down all these moves, have you been getting any inquiries regarding sponsorships?

I've been talking to a lot of people and everyone has been really cool. They've been telling me what they would do for me, what I would do for them, it's awesome. I'm pretty siked but I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet.

Here's the triple whip:

CHARLIE CRUMLISH

2006-12-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

When Adam asked me to do this video interview thing, I thought it was a neat idea, but once I started going through it really hit me pretty hard at what these clips represent. They range from 4 years ago to last year and each one really serves as a time capsule for that point in my life. I'm not gonna get all wack and preachy but I got pretty nostalgic watching these things, lots of spots gone, lots of friends have since moved away and the scene is real different nowadays.

This is the first video I ever edited and uploaded onto the internet. It started one day in school, my friend Ben Freedman showed me this wideangle lens he bought off this rollerblader for like five bucks, and with that, and his camera, I discovered another entire realm to riding. We'd film stuff after school or on the weekends, then edit on his computer in his room... a process which consisted mostly of us dragging clips at random into the timeline, dragging in transitions randomly, then hitting save and not letting ourselves look at the render. When it was finished, we'd be flipping out, like "Oh shit that went to the music so well!", haha.

Ben moved to Texas the next year, which was definitely a bummer. On a side note, we're still good friends, he came up and visited this summer and I'm going down to Dallas this winter. Anyway, when he moved, obviously his camera went with him, so I grabbed my little brother Bub's old hi-8 camera and filmed my friends and myself with it. I'm not sure if this is the first video I made after Ben left, but it's my favorite. I think everyone in this video except for Bub and myself have since moved away.

I moved to my current hometown when I was around 13 years old and I've been riding this bank on a regular basis since then. This thing is in a church parking lot about 30 seconds from my house. It is, hands-down, my favorite spot, ever. I've made a few since then but this is the very first bank video, and probably my first theme video.

My friend Cupcake got a camera sometime around this point, and we heard about the Aspire Video Contest. We filmed all summer for it and started to edit it the night before the deadline, I think. We had some nightmares with movie maker but somehow banged out this thing. I was psyched on it, but at that point I wasn't really thinking of production value at all, merely the tricks I had done. I sent it off, and ended up with second last place which bummed me out like crazy. A few weeks later, though, Jim Reinstra emailed me and apologized about the judging, and sent me some stuff. I think I still have one of those tires on my bike. Anyway thanks again to Jim, that really picked me up... although looking back at this video I can't say second last was entirely undeserved, haha.

This video is saved onto my computer as "Weird Stuff". I was sitting at my house one day, like a rainy day I think, and I got to thinking about riding in general. I believe I was watching a video and I noticed how riding at that point, or at least the video we were watching, was pretty generic, mostly the same stuff over and over. That got me thinking of how much more must be possible on a bike, or how many tricks are out there that people haven't touched or even thought of yet. I got super pumped and went out riding with my friend John Murphy to film a video consisting of different tricks. However, the result was pretty much a video of me riding on foliage. Since that point, though, I think I've put a bit more thought into riding than just doing tricks, it's more fun to just think of new ideas and concepts. Plus, the whole Aspire thing kinda taught me that riding isn't just tricks; I think I had more fun on this day filming than I did the entire time for Aspire.

A year or so after that, I got a camera of my own and started making videos, and this is one of my favorites for sure. My friend John Murphy and I had always messed around with rocket tricks, just seeing what goofy stuff we could do on our back pegs. Over the years we became fairly affluent with tricks of the rocket nature and this video is the product of those days.

My little brother Bub and I have always ridden together. I remember teaching him how to ride a two-wheeler in front of our old house when he was like three years old, and from that point on he's been my ever-present riding buddy. I'm pretty lucky to have him around, lots of my friends don't get along with their siblings but Bub and I have the same goofy sense of humor so we just click pretty much. He's awesome.

Charlie didn't write anything about this, but it's his latest work. Includes a lot of his BMXFU brothers and some of his best riding yet. BALLS DEEP!

M0nster Interview

2006-12-15T19:50:00.002-08:00

Mike aka M0nster is awesome. I don't really know what else to say that you won't figure out in this interview, so check it out:

1) Who are you? Where are you from? What do you do?

i'm Mike from Clearwater, Florida. i'm at the beach most of the year and i'm the personal assistant for pornstar Stormy Daniels. i travel with her when she goes out on appearances and generally just hang around and keep her amused. the first porn movie that i co-wrote with Stormy is being shot next week, and then i'm going to tour Europe with the hardcore band 108. other than that, i stay home with my dog, go to stripclubs, watch movies and try to do as little as humanly possible.

2) You're 33 and haven't had a job since you were 16. You also seem like you live pretty lavishly. How do you do this? What do you put for your profession on your income taxes?

i'm not really into working, so i've always found creative ways to avoid it. somehow, i've lucked out and i now own a house, a car, and a bunch of nice shit. i never saw myself making it to age 30 when i was growing up and i never planned for a future. i just take it day by day and hope for the best, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. as far as taxes go, in the past i've listed my profession as 'self-employed', 'professional wrestler' and 'circus acrobat'. i don't think anyone even reads that shit. i've always wanted to put 'street pharmacist', but i chicken out at the last minute. i don't want the FBI at my door.

3) You spend a lot of time hanging out with porn stars. You've also had sex with a bunch of porn stars. How do you do this and how can the kids reading this hang out with porn stars?

i don't even know how i've pulled off half the shit i've done. in all honesty, i just chalk it up to dumb luck. i met some people, they introduced me to some other people, and now i know a bunch of people in the porn business. as far as hooking up with porn girls, or any girls for that matter, i don't know what advice to give. real girls don't give a shit about colored vinyl or record collections. get out there and learn how act like a real person.

4) I've never met you, but I definitly got you laid. How did that happen?

if i remember correctly, you and i had planned some big 'Sex Vacation' to be held at my house in florida. we were gonna have a bunch of girls come down and get banged out. one girl backed out and the whole thing fell apart. one broad, who i'd met through you, already had her ticket and came down anyway. i fucked her once and then she went home. she was a cool girl, but the whole thing was just weird as fuck.

5) You've been straight edge and vegetarian for longer than most people reading this have been alive. What keeps you clean after all these years?

i just don't have any desire to eat meat or get fucked up, there's not much more to it than that. i've been really disconnected from the straightedge scene and hardcore in general for a really long time, so i don't even know how big the straightedge thing is anymore. most of the people i hang out with get fucked up or whatever, it's just not for me.

6) What was the Monster Crew and what role did you play in it?

Monster Crew was a West Coast Hardline Straightedge crew back in the mid-90's. it started in Salt Lake City and then spread out to California. everything got really
violent and really out of control in record time 20/20, Nightline, and America's Most Wanted all wound up doing stories on us. some of the stories floating around out there aren't entirely true, but whatever, we did some fucked up stuff. i'd have to say that our greatest contribution to the hardcore scene was pioneering the use of rubber grocery dividers as weapons. kids need to bring that shit back.

7) Did you ever ride BMX? What's your connection to the bike world?

I rode for a few years after I quit skateboarding. i got hurt more in the few short years that i rode BMX than i had in almost a decade of skating. i'd ride with local guys like Matt Coplan and Sean Albright out at the Skatepark of Tampa. i wasn't great by any means, but i had a good time.

8) You toured with Fifteen for many years but I understand you don't really get along with the singer anymore, or agree with the reunions that they did in the late 90's. Tell us about that.

Yeah, i started touring with Fifteen around the time that 'Choice of a New Generation' came out in 1993 or so. i toured with them all over the US, Canada and Europe up until 1995 when they first broke up. the singer, Jeff Ott, wound up finding Jesus shortly afterwards and he kinda lost his mind. he reformed the band with some 18 year old kids and put out some records that i never bothered to listen to. i'd much rather look back on my time with Fifteen in a positive light than watch somebody desperately cling to their past glory in order to make a quick buck.

9) Explain your involvement in the competitive eating scene.

it was just some phase that i went through last year. just like all the other stupid shit i get fixated on, nothing much came of it. basically, i'd attempt to eat inhuman
amounts of food to amuse my friends and myself. i'd wind up with a stomach ache and everyone would have a good laugh.

10) True or false: You have stopped messing around with a girl and told her to go in the bathroom and shave her pubic hair, then when she was done you commenced having sex with her.

true. broads need to keep themselves well groomed. i've got good hygiene and i expect the same from the girls i hang out with. it's totally common sense.

11) Have you ever beaten up a member of Earth Crisis and if so, why?

oh man, i'm not sure exactly who i was fighting with that night. the back story is that Earth Crisis was playing a show in Tampa, Karl jumped off the stage and punched Matt Coplan for no reason, which started a huge brawl. a bunch of us wound up fighting with Earth Crisis and their roadies that night and we came out on top. they came back a few months later with VOD and hid inside the club because there was a big group of us in the parking lot waiting for them. don't fuck with Tampa, there's something in the water down here. people here just ain't right.

12) I think it's pretty clear that you think hardcore is dead. Why is that, and what bands are still holding it down?

i lost interest in hardcore when the Youth Crew Revival thing came around in the late 90's. nobody was doing anything original, just simply rehashing something i'd already lived through a decade earlier. what's the point? it all seemed so fake and i wanted nothing to do with it. since then, i've been to less than a dozen shows and haven't really seen or heard many bands that stood out. i'm still into some hardcore, bands like Gehenna, Ringworm, Integrity, 108 and Avail are what i listen to on a regular basis. i got turned onto Colin of Arabia through a friend not too long ago and i'm pretty into them now, they're good dudes and we party whenever they come down to Florida.

13) I'm pretty sure you don't listen to much rap but I'm also pretty sure you've hung out with Lloyd Banks. How did that happen? Have you hung out with any other hip hop luminaries?

i listen to old Ice Cube, all the Kool Keith projects and the Geto Boys quite a bit these days. i hung out with Lloyd Banks at the AVN Porn Awards when i went as Stormy's date. he was kind of a dick and didn't want to be photographed with any of the girls. the next year, that dude Chingy was there and grinding all up on a tranny named Vanity, except he though it was a woman. i got in a fight in Miami and kicked a guy in the face right in front of Puff Daddy, i think he was stoked on it. Busta Rhymes is really cool, i've met him a few times and he's chill. there was that one night where i was in the club with Dipset, Three-6 Mafia, Chamillionaire and Lil Wayne. all i could think of was how you'd totally kill to trade places with me that night.

14) Yes or no, have you ever killed someone?

no. i've done some really fucked up things, but that's not one of them. i did put a real bad curse on somebody once and their life has slowly crumbled since that day. each time something else happens, i think to myself that it can't possibly get any worse for them, but it does. i take real pride in that.

9 Questions With Marv

2006-12-15T19:50:00.001-08:00

You probably know Marv as the dude who held down the final section in Voices ,not an easy task given that it was considered to be one of the best parts of last year . I was just as impressed by that part as everyone else so I got at him for an interview mostly regarding his part in the video. It sucks that I had to stray from only asking 6 questions, but I did this before I decided to stick with the number 6. Life is hard.

1) What's the story with those 8 piece bars you ride for most of your section in Voices? Why did you seeminly stop riding them towards the end of your section?

They are 4 piece and they were made by Powerlite. When I was young there was a group of riders known around London called Bicycle Union and they all had the same bike set up, 2 pegs, back brake, Powerlites and would always ride mini ramp. Everyone I grew up with thought they were the coolest so we all had a pair of powerlites at some point. They might look like shit but they feel amazing loads of up and back sweep. Pwerlite made two sorts though. One set came on their complete bikes which always broke and some super tuff ones they sold separately. I had the ones which broke and mine broke half way through filming. I’m over them now, it was the end of an era.

2) How long did you spend filming for Voices and was there some pressure going on holding down the last section in the video?

We filmed for about a year. Everyone else other than me and Benson had longer because we moved from Sheffield to London before the end of filming. There was no pressure about last section cos I didn’t know I was going to get it. Before I moved I watched my section as it was and just thought it needed me hammers so I just tried to film them.

3) There are about a thousand clips of you totally eating shit at the begining of Voices, did you sustain any serious injuries while filming for it?

No. just bounced

4) Voices was all street, do you ride park or trails much?

I grew up riding trails and skateparks. Then our trails got ploughed and my brake cable broke so I thought I was street and I just did loads of grinds. Then when I lived in Sheffield the park is almost all flat banks so it was just like perfect street.

5) What's the street riding like where you live? It seems like you have a lot of crazy spots out there, but a lot of them seem pretty harsh and hard to ride too.

Yeah there is a lot of street but none of it is perfect. We would watch American videos and be gutted cos all the spots look amazing, all the spots in this country always have something wrong with them. Either the run up or run out is shit or where you take off is a down slope. But you get used to it. It makes you look hard as fuck cos they look like shit too.

6) Where did you guys travel to film for the video?

Most of the video is filmed in Sheffield and the surrounding area. But a lot of England is in there, Leeds, Liverpool, Newcastle, London, Bristol, and one trip to Barcelona, Spain.

7) A lot of kids online have been calling Voices a classic, on par with stuff like Don't Quit Your Day Job and the first 2 Animal videos. Did you guys see that coming while filming it or is it an unexpected suprise?

Fuck. Well there was a lot of hype around it where we were, but I don’t think anyone realized it would go as big as it has. Basically everyone with a full section has a major sponsor now its crazy. No one had a frame deal when we were filming, we had the worst bikes.

8) I'd honestly never heard a song like the one you use for your part in Voices, who was it and is that what most of the hip hop in the UK sounds like? Is it normal that I can't understand a single thing he's saying?

Dizzee Rascal and he is the fucking best. He ain’t hip hop he’s Grime. The whole grime scene in England is massive and it is because of Dizzee Rascal. There ain’t any other songs like that anywhere. I can’t understand some of what he’s saying but a lot of it is London slang. I only live about 2 miles from where he lives now but I ain’t seen him yet if I do I’ll defo give him a copy.

9) Is there going to be a sequel to Voices?

Fuck knows. Joe’s filming all the time and Dan Cox is the best these days, but I’m shit now and live 200 miles for where they are, I might make my own and call it Speaches.

6 Questions With Rick Brophy

2006-12-15T19:48:00.000-08:00

Rick Brophy doesn't ride BMX bikes, but he is one of the funniest, craziest people I know and he sings for a rad band called In Our Blood ( click that link ) from Mass.

1) You recently booked a show in Brockton called "Violence Returns to Brockton". Why did you name it that, do you think Brockton is going soft?

"Well, to be honest, Brockton has been going soft mainly to kids making other plans on friday nights, BUT When It first started out it was a place called Romans, and everyone was terrified to go there for fears they would be shot, stabbed, or beat up by the locals. Inside though at shows, it was quite the experience too.That was about three or four years back.There was people crowd punching, kids working the walls, people getting into fights inside and outside of the venue,the hardest moshing, etc.I booked that show a few weeks back in hopes that the safe feelings and everyone being able to go there without being hit or moshed into would end. There was a chair and nightstick involved thanks to me, and a lot of hard mosh going on. It led up to it's name on the flyer".

2) What's up with your band, In Our Blood? I heard you have a new CD coming out or something.

"We were asked by Kris Mission (Rock Vegas Records) to do another cd for him, and we will. The new material is more along the lines of the metallic hardcore side, so there will be a bit more diversity . So far, the new stuff we have been experimenting with sounds fucking tight as all hell and brutal as fuck.It's heavier and harder than before.We will record at The Outpost(Blood For Blood, Death B4 Dishonor, DKM)this winter and the cd will drop sometime this spring.As far as touring goes, we will possibly be doing weekends on the east coast and whatnot.

3) What 4 words best describe your vision of hardcore: 1) "positivity, unity, respect, friendship" or 2) "hitting girls with chairs."

"I'd say it's a mix of both. Take it for what it is."

4) How do you feel about every aspect of your life being discussed in depth on the Bridge9 Board even though you have only posted on there like 10 times?

"It's funny at times, but when you have everyone and their fucking mother asking you about shit that you have no idea about it gets annoying.For example, I hate it when I'll come out to a show and someone will ask me about a post I made. IT'S NOT EVEN ME POSTING!If as many people who like my fake poster on the B9 would come out to see my band when we roll thru other states, I wouldn't have a problem with it".

5) How did you get down with the Suicide Krew? Is it true that your other crew, the 462 crew was never a real crew? Why does Davio have a 462 tattoo?

"I won't answer to the first part of the question,S.K. is not really a topic to be discussed among the public, It's my personal buisness along with those who are involved. But as far as the 462 thing, we came up with it because it stood for our band numericly at first, then we got the idea to use it as a way to mock other crews full of kids who thought they could just configure a group of their little friends over night and expect to have a gang. It was quite hillarious to see people shit talk us and it's funny to hear people to still bring it up because they are the only ones looking like idiots and fools.As far as Davio's tattoo, he took that shit to heart. Dav's my boy and he's a good kid, but he's not all there".

6) I understand you were really excited about the Gorilla Biscuits reunion. If you could see 3 bands reunite right now, who would they be? Back Of Tha Neck better be on the list.

I absolutely hate the music of GB and I am tired of all these horrible old school bands coming out of the woodwork to do re-union shows.But here's who I'd like to see re-unite:

1.)Fury Of V
2.)BACK OF THA NECK
3.)Punch The Klown

BALLS DEEP

6 Questions with Oba Stanley

2006-12-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

If you've ever ridden in New York City, chances are you've rode with Oba. He's out there every day putting in work and hanging out and is definetly one of the friendliest riders I've met, so I sent him 6 questions via Skinny to get the scoop:

1) You aren't rocking the square chainstays anymore, what happened? What frame are you riding and do you have any sponsors currently?

I'm riding a Mutiny Eden frame right now, but I am looking for a new frame sponsor. If anyone is interested they can contact me at www.myspace.com/obadose , my current sponsors are Animal and Base Bklyn.

2) What led you to ditching your baggy jeans and glasses for some girls jeans and contact lenses?

Over the spring in 2005 I started going out to bars and concerts with my good friend Jah Jah, he put me on to the whole under ground scene in Brooklyn.

3) How was the Shook trip that you just went on? I hear something about a very large smith grind

That was the best trip I've ever went on! I was so happy when I did that smith grind. I was hyped for the rest of the trip after that.

4) What is the proper usage of one of your favorite words, "Jerk"?

That is just something I say as a inside joke between me and some friends, nothing negative.

5) What riders did you grow up looking up to?

There are so many riders I looked up to but the ones I really liked is Gonz, Rat Boy, Troy Mcmurry, Will Tabuin and a lot of other riders too.

6) Who are the top 3 coolest white guys in BMX?

I have more than just 3 people that are the coolest to me right now like Shane and Ralph at Animal, Glenn PP Milligan, Enos at Base Bklyn, Vinnie, Bob, Mike Osso, Mike Brennan, Aaron, Russ, Wade, Chad at Shook, Mat brown, Ryan P Kirby , Crazy Phill. I'm sorry if I forgot anybody else nothing personal.

3 Rail Firsts With Lino Gonzalez

2006-12-15T19:44:00.000-08:00

Everybody knows Lino is one of the premiere rail bosses of our time, so I got at him for some insight into his trickery:

1) Feeble to 180 on that kinked rail in Can I Eat- That was my first official Animal trip. At the time of filming that trick I wasn't even gonna have a section in the video, we had just taken a trip out to Ohio to film Hamilton and it just happened. I had trouble getting to the end of the rail, that was the hard part. Once you get to the end the 180 can just happen.

2) Smith to 180 rail in Standpoint- Filming this trick was the worst. I went on a Standpoint trip to Wilmington, DE, we went to the famous black rail there. For some reason I felt like I could do it on that rail, but after a few tries the cops showed up and we almost went to jail. We had limited time to finish the Standpoint bio, and Navaz really wanted to film that trick, so a couple days before the deadline, he drove up to Mass, we drove over to Providence and I some how managed to do it. That was seriously luck.

3) Icepick to hard 180 in All Day- I had been doing this trick for a little while but only on super slick grind boxes, but I had the spot in mind that I wanted to do it at. The oppertunity finally came to go to the spot when Rob Dolecki came thru and we drove over to the spot. After trying it about 20 times I threw my bike and by bars snapped out of my stem so I couldnt try it anymore. I got another chance to go to that spot when Bob came through. We went over there mid afternoon and after making Bob bake in the son for a little while I finally did it, it was terrible looking but I'm not real picky about that, I was just psyched to ride that spot again.

6 Questions With Skinny

2006-12-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

When I first came to NYC on a trip 3 years ago, Skinny was one of the first kids I rode with and he convinced me to try a trick I had never tried before within about 10 minute of knowing him. He's a sick rider too, so I sent him some questions to get the scoop:

1) You just left Bulldog to get flow from Volume. What prompted that decision?

Well I've been on bulldog for 3 years now, and although Jimmy and I are close friends I felt volume had more to offer. I do appreciate everything jimmy has done for me past and present, I left on good terms.

2) Mike Brennan, you, Marlon, Oba, Brad Simms... it seems like everyone who was in the Bulldog video is off all of a sudden. Is shit messed up over there?

Things at Bulldog are a bit shaky at times, but everyone left for various reasons. We all hoped that we could help the company grow, but out grew the company instead

3) You're semi-injured right now, what happened and how's recovery going?

I'm actually fully healed and currently filming for Volume's "On The Clock" video. I injured my ankle trying to whip some stairs, slipped the pedal, ran my foot over, heard a loud 'POP' and was out for three weeks. I'm all good now though, talk about sexual healing... Lol

4) There was some beef going down at the Banks Jam, do you think NYC is kinda fucked up right now in terms of gossip and fighting or was that more of an isolated incident?

N.Y.C isn't fucked up at all. What would any scene be without gossip and fighting? The incident was isolated, but just happened to occur in the middle of a jam(lmao)

5) What's your personaly policy on non-blacks using the N word in your presence and what effect does changing the ended from "er" to "a" have?

That topics a little touchy. I have non black friends around me that say it as a term of endearment. Changing the affix from "er" to "a" doesn't really make a difference. If someone I'm not too familiar with says it around me it puts me in a wierd predicament. Most times I pretend that I don't hear it just to avoid a conflict

5.5) Word on the street is that Tijon may be the best lover that the new york bmx scene has ever had, can you confirm or deny those rumors? No homo.

Lol that's so funny, I went to skate night ( every tuesday, open bar from 10-11, will taubin on the wheels of steel, "Fontana's" on the corner of eldridge and grand st) and I overheard this girl telling her friends how good tijon was in bed, and how he "stares passionately into my eyes". Lol. She literally slithered out of her chair thinking about the passionate fellow while saying "I wish I he was in me right now", hahah

6) What advice can you give all the kids reading this in terms of how to become a "sexy ass nigga" like yourself?

Always remember, being sexy is a state of mental being. Confidence is sexy, girls love to laugh, keep em smiling, charm the panties right off of that lady, and then gimme her number, lol

Check out these links below

Www.Myspace.com/skinnyissexy
Www.myspace.com/basebrooklyn1986
Www.animalbikes.com
Www.basebrooklyn.net
Www.volumebikes.com

7 Questions with Sean Burns

2006-12-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

1) What's it like living in Brockton? Do you agree with it's nickname, Hard City? Have you met Rick Brophy yet?

I'm actually living in Boston now, fuck Brockton.. That place is a used piece of toilet paper. And it's totally a hard city, but isn't it referred to as "The City of Champions?" Rick Brophy... that dude could snap a lizard's tail in half by the sound of his rasp vocals.. he's an alright guy I suppose.

2) Mike Hoder and you; friends or not friends and why?

Are you kidding me? Let me break it down to. I had never met the kid in my life... and hes following me around the country oneing me up. Whatever is going through that kids mind... it must have something to do with High School Football. I could care less now, I aint gonna play his "Game" of one up. I'm hoping this phase of BMX dies out real fast, 'cause its bringing alot of people down, theres a million things I could say but like I said, I dont give a fuck.

3) Tomorrow you find a dumpster full of aborted fetuses; what do you do?

( burns conspicuously left this one unanswered )

4) What if they are pig fetuses?

Uhhrr make a studded belt made of bacon snaps?

5) Thoughts on this year's Bone Deth in comparison to last year's?

Both of them were unplanned, rough nights, no sleep. Both of them we built the shit in 3 days. Fuaaack. its such hard work, last year might have been better.. only because we got shut down at 3 locations... which made people doubt it. Next year's will be intense though... more thought into it before hand, and hopefully more huckers show up.

6) Can we expect anything mind-blowing or relatively interesting from Metal coming soon?

Theres a video in the works... I don't know exactly know if it's necessarily going to be mind blowing, but its going to be entertaining as hell... fast and loose is a good way to describe it.

7) The Gonz or Troy Mcmurray and why?

Gonz, for one reason only--- flip tree fakies in 1994.

6 Questions With Steve Crandall

2006-12-15T19:34:00.000-08:00

I think Steve Crandall likes The Come Up. And yesterday, perhaps to show me that he likes it, he sent me a photo of himself eating a slice of pizza in NYC out of the blue. I appreciate the photo, but figured I needed a little something to go with the photo in order to complete the package, so I asked him 6 questions.

1) Right now on a certain BMX messageboard there's some bitching and moaning going on about FBM's warranty situation. What's the deal with that and how do you feel about kids who take their vendettas against frame companys to the messageboards?

BMXBoard is awesome, where else can you go and read about how fat I am because some kid broke a frame. I have even been threatened by a kid named Austin Omalley who lives in Chicago. He said he was going to kick my ass and blow up the FBM warehouse.
Bikes break from being ridden, some bikes break sooner than people would like, and that sucks, but what can I do? If you want a bike thats going to last forever, In my opinion, you should ride something gnarlier than a trailstyle frame.

We are not trying to rip kids off, we do what we can and we try and be fair. there are a lot more kids stoked on the FBM frames they have than there are kids talking shit online. I think those dudes ( the ones that arent shittalking ) are out riding, or building jumps, or ramps or working a second job, or taking care of their kids, or what have you, but they aren't standing on a digital soap box yelling and making threats.

Do you know how many warranty claims ( bikes returned) are made by retards that sent a frame with no info? Or the wrong info, or just flat out lied to one of us on the phone? Or called up and threatened us? And we are the ones who are shady?
I wish I could make every customer happy, but thats unrealistic, and if it took us a while to get ahold of some kids, I apologize, we are trying....
I guess to answer the question though, people have the right to say what they want, wether I like it or not....

2) What's the deal with Aaron Ross? Is it hard sponsoring such a madman?

It took me a second to get used to someone who rides down the street, nearly getting killed by traffic, and text messaging the whole time, and then tailwhipping down a flight of stairs. Aarons pretty cool, I wish i had more time to film with him, but he's hot right now, and filming for like 44 projects, but when that Etnies video drops, people are going to freak out.

3) What member of the FBM army is most likely to switch sides and not be able to say "no homo" anymore?

You mean turn gay or come out of the closet? I am more worried about paying my rent on time, than I am on other peoples sexual orientation. No homeowner....

4) If you had to pick one video part from one FBM video and use it to represent everything you've done with the company, which part would it be and why.

Probably the slide show on the 10 year, it shows a long history of alot of us having fun and riding bikes. Either that or Albert St. I think we were crazy back then, I can't even believe some of the shit that was in that thing. I guess all the videos for different reasons, you know? I've been around a while, so its fun to look back.

5) When is the next FBM video coming out and what can we expect from it?

I havent made the new FBM video yet, but its probably on you toob already.
Expect Cameron Wood footage that will make you nervous, expect people laughing, expect people to talk shit on us when they see it, and expect us to not give a fuck, because we will have had fun making it, and thats all that matters. I'll make a whole video filled with indian givers, ballrides and box jump footage, I dont even care.

6) Tony Hamlin claims you jerked off in his sleeping bag in his interview on the FBM site. True or false and why?

Tony has spent alot of time traveling with me, and I am not confessing to anything. These youngsters might get scared from time to time when travelling with the older FBM crowd, but none of them have gone cross country with Lou Bickle, that even freaked me out.

Good shit. If you have time check out the FBM site, there are a bunch of good interviews with their riders, as well as some photos and videos and shit.

QUICK STEVE-O INTERVIEW.

2006-12-15T19:32:00.000-08:00

My man Steve Croteau had a few things on his mind following the Brooklyn Banks jam and I figured I'd give him a chance to get them off his chest. He's got a full interview coming up in my zine with some ill photos too, so keep an eye out. Peep game:

You were pretty heated about some of the shit people said to you in regards to the fight at the Banks Jam, namely someone calling you a "nigger lover" on BMXBoard. What's that about?

I dont know, these kids on bmxboard honestly think they know it all. That shit between Blackman and the other dude is their business, not for some punk to post pictures and videos on the internet, Blackman isnt my best friend or nothin, but it would suck to see something like that. He had it coming to him is what people are saying, and I fully agree, but it was yesterday and todays today, so get over it. As for that kid who called me a "nigger lover", he will get dealt with, thats some fuckin wrong shit.

Do you think that kids who would say that shit online are straight up racist or just trying to front like they're hard on the internet? Because I think everyone knows that none of those faggots are going to call Black a nigger to his face.

Just bmxboard punks man. Not one of those kids who say that type of shit would ever call Blackman or Ed or Rone a nigger... and who the fuck says nigger anyway? Some fucking hillbilly bullshit, kid needs to learn not to be a dick. He'll learn soon.

Who else are you mad at right now in BMX?

Just little kids who think they know it all, how the industry is, and who people are. I dont know I just cant stand it. Especially since I saw a thousand kids yesterday rockin purple cause they thought it was the thing... I dont know shit like that bothers me when it shouldnt.

What's good with the smith grind on the rail next to the wall at the banks jam when you told me 5 days before that you couldn't smith rails anymore? Haha.

I dont know, i told Terra I would do it because he was complaining he had no shots of the rail, and I was like alright I'll smith it, then everyone crowded the rail so I thought it was out, but later in the day the best trick on rail happened, and I don't know, crazy moves went down so I got hyped to smith it. It felt proper, I'm pretty happy, nobody has a picture of it, but oh well.

Any last words?

Just do what you do, don't copy an image, dont change for people, do whatever you wanna do. Copying someone else wont get you anywhere, I saw too many clones yesterday at the jam, and it was too ridiculous.

Also check out this edit of Steve shredding. Some footage from the 2hip video, but a bunch of new stuff too.

THE GONZ INTERVIEW.

2006-12-15T19:28:00.000-08:00

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

BLACKMAN INTERVIEW

2006-12-15T19:15:00.000-08:00

What's your name, where are you from and where are we at right now?

My name is Desmond Rhodes aka Black Man. 17 years old, I'm originally from Queens but I was raised in Brooklyn. The grime. The slum. Where you'll get your pockets run at, Brooklyn. I dunno. The hood.

How'd you get into BMX at a young age?

I was riding since I came out my mom's stomach. I always had a bike since I was little. When I was 6 I could do 180s and shit. When I was 13 I was doing handrails and all this other crazy shit. I just liked jumping off of shit, running from the police. Just doing crazy shit, racing cards, jumping over cars, smacking girls in their butts while I'm riding by. Whatever I gotta do to do... I dunno. Blackman. It's life.

So where do you live now?

I used to live with Ed ( Edwin Delarosa ). My peoples and them. Shout out to Ed, Vinnie, Scer, Jerry, bitch ass Tyrone, Nigel...

Haha, you got beef with Tyrone?

Nah I ain't got beef with Tyrone. Tyrone my nigga, he just get a little angry sometimes like a little girl. But he my nigga though. Blackman's everybody's friend. I don't really care no more.

So when you were living over there at the Snoff Shack, what was that like?

I was on the couch. The Snoff Shack is crazy. Niggas be smoking weed up in there all day, having fun, everybody getting pussy except for Vinnie, haha, little joke there. Snoff Shack was good though, we had mad fun, smoking piff all day. Fighting... mad fights went off at the Snoff Shack. Niggas putting holes in the wall. Bitch ass cat Linda all dirty. Especially me, I was always fucking a girl up on the dirty ass couch. Always fucking bitches in the shower and shit. Harlem... shout out to Harlem. All my other bitches too. G-day, all my bitches man.

So what happened to your situation out there? You're staying with your mom now here in Brooklyn.

I'm about to become a man, I can't be sleeping on no couch. I dunno, niggas helped me out. But niggas is leaving.

Do you think you outstayed your welcome there?

I bet they would say so. Fuck it though, they can have fun. Everybody moving anyway. But right now I'm just chilling at my mom's crib. Smoking... eating... fucking bitches. Same thing I've always been doing. Riding my bike, fucking bitches, hustling, smoking weed.

So are you still cool with all them?

Yeah even though a little bullshit be happening. They all my peoples. It's all over some girl shit anyway. They all my friends though.

So tell me a little bit about what it was like growing up in hood and shit. Being a BMX kid kid growing up here is kinda different.

It's kinda different... well not really. You still gotta go through all the bullshit. The only thing is that I'm quicker than everybody running. When they running I'm riding away. Police can't never catch me. I don't even run from cops like that no more. But growing up in the hood, riding a bike, shit is... my bike showed me a lot of shit. Like if I wasn't riding bikes I wouldn't have never seen Manhattan. I'd be right on my block, chilling with everybody else. I don't wanna be like everybody else.

You been out in California and shit.

Yeah, I went mad places, B. I love my bike. My bike is my soul, it's my heart. It's what pumps me. I smoke weed and ride all day, that's all you gotta do. The only thing in life is to ride your bike. Even if I break my neck, break my arm... I'm always going to ride my bike. I'll ride my bike until I die.

You were saying on the train that you think a lot of people have misconceptions of you and they think you're a different kinda dude than you really are.

Yeah alot of people just say "Blackman, blaaaaeeeh, grimey. Blackman do this and that." Yeah I'm grimey, so fucking what? I got a heart. I ain't always grimey. I know how to respect people. I know how to say "Hi, how are you doing, sir?", I know how to talk to people. I just like playing around a lot and having fun. That's why I ride my bike. I don't ride my bike to talk shit or this and that. I just ride my bike to do what I gotta do and get my name out in the streets. Get my name out in other people's hoods. But there's alot of shit going on now. It's '06, almost '07. I'm about to be 18 on February 1st.

So who are you riding for now?

I ride for Volume Bikes and fucking... sometimes I think I ride for Animal. I don't really know because everybody shitting on me now. Talking about "Blackman sold an Animal bike piece"... I never sold an Animal bike piece. I'm not gonna lie, I sold a TIP Plus bike piece. But TIP Plus gave me a brand new wheel, I would ride the wheel but when I break the wheel and I don't wanna fix it, I just sell it. I always break wheels because I'm always jumping off of something crazy and high for no reason. Not for no reason, like, that's what I do. That's what Blackman do, I fly around. I dunno though... fuck it.

How'd you hook up with Brian Castillo and Volume?

This bitch ass nigga Glenn ( PP Milligan ). Glenn... I ain't got no problem with Glenn, he just don't understand Blackman. Glenn's my nigga too though. I'm sorry Glenn, I didn't mean to get mad at you in North Carolina. You know it's all good. Glenn got me on Volume Bikes. I appreciate that and I love him for it.

Pretty much when people think about Blackman, they think about you doing crazy shit like grinding a 15 stair flat rail on the cover of Ride. What made you want to do that? Is it because you just want to get your name out there or do you want to push yourself or do you want to make your sponsors happy?

I mean, I do it for me. Just to know I can do it. I do it because that's Black Man. I always wanted to do that ledge. That's my high school. I always used to get out of school and go look at the ledge. I just always wanted to do it. I ain't scared to do nothing like that. The person I like riding with most is Mike Hoder because me and Hoder ride the same, we both love jumping off of shit. I can ride with Hoder all day. Ralphie, Nigel... I can ride with anybody. Anyone I feel is doing something crazy, I'm with the same thing. I dunno man though, life is crazy. You break your neck, you break your fucking neck.

You seem like you've been through a lot of shit lately. Like your perspective is changing on life and shit. Like maybe you've become more mature lately.

Yeah I mean, I'm about to become a grown man, I gotta do grown man things. I can't be fucking sleeping on the couch. Fucking robbing, stealing, I gotta make my own money. I can't be hustling. I'm about to finish high school. Hopefully.

You thinking about going to college?

Yeah I'll go to college if I can go to college. I dunno.

So how are you getting by these days? I don't know if you're comfortable talking about that shit.

How I get by? I hustle. I do a lot of different things. I ain't trying to get locked up or nothing. I mean whatever you gotta do to survive, that's what I'm doing.

Living In Exile, how did you feel about that video part?

B: I dunno, Living In Exile, that was my first video part. I'm glad it came out.

So what's the situation with Nigel? It seemed like he was really your boy for a minute but I sense that there's some tension now.

Nigel's a little punk ass Long Island nigga but that's my nigga, that's my brother. I ain't gonna lie, I ain't gonna say "Fuck Nigel", Nigel's my homeboy nigga. We'll always be friends even though he don't like me. At the same time he probably do like me, I dunno. I spoke to him lately, we been cool. When I see that nigga, tell him to get a dutch so we can roll something up. That's my nigga.

So I seen your ass on Myspace. You stay getting that Myspace ass or what?

Yeah I got a lot of Myspace pussy lately, I ain't gonna lie. Girls like me, I don't know why.

You fuck 'em up here on the roof?

Yeah I fucked Harlem up here. Yeah I fucked a couple girls up here on the roof. Night time status. If you ain't got a room, use the roof.

So you got anything else to say?

Yeah I'd just like to say that I ride for me, and for all the little kids in my neighborhood who don't have nothing. Where I live, things are rough. Kid's running around in the streets selling candy, asking for change, they ain't got no money. I help them out a lot. Me, I wanna be like Michael Jordan. But not on a basketball court, on a bike. Like I want niggas to say "Yo, that's Blackman son, that nigga rides bikes, that nigga's nice".

So you'd be down to be doing the BMX thing on a real professional level?

Yeah. I wanna show these little kids that there's something else to do in the world besides just being in they neighborhood.

You were talking on the train also about how you feel like a lot of bike riders are just little girls.

Yo, yo, let me tell you what. A lot of kids wear tight pants. That tight pants shit don't rock. We ain't bitches, we bike riders. Y'all skatepark kids, y'all can ride that shit at the skatepark. Don't bring that shit to the hood. Because the streets aren't having that. In the streets you'll get fucked up. There's a lot of good riders. A lot of good riders you gotta watch out for like my nigga Joe, Ralphie, Big James... there's a lot of good riders we got out here.

So are you trying to get up out of here?

Believe me I love my neighborhood. I can't move out the hood. The rent's cheap. Nobody got no 2 grand for no one bedroom apartment. But I mean if I get paid, I'll move out the hood. I'll probably buy a house in the hood. I'm always going to be in my neighborhood though. I'm always going to go around the world and then come back to my neighborhood yo. Niggas in my hood love me. Ain't nothing like your neighborhood.

You got any new shit lined up that you're going to show the world in your video parts?

I mean there are a lot of snakes out there. I don't want no niggas to snake me.

Do you think that's a real problem now? People see someone doing something and all of a sudden everybody is biting?

Yeah man. I mean niggas gotta show respect. You can't be doing shit that everybody else be doing. Like, I crooked grinded the rail at the banks and then I heard some mother fucker came through and did it. I don't give a shit though, I'll do it both ways.

How do you feel about people out there that stay hating on you?

Really I love the haters. If it weren't for the haters nobody would really know who I was.

I heard kids say online that you stole your style from Edwin.

WHOOOOOOOOO. I don't ride nothing like Edwin. I probably did the smith to feeble to hardway 180 like Ed did. But I didn't know he did that shit. I don't ride nothing like Edwin. When people see my video part they'll see I'm different. I don't barspin. I repeat: I do not barspin.

You do whips?

I can do whips, I can do whips on the floor. People ain't seen me do that shit yet. It's all good, I do a lot of shit people ain't seen before. It's cool though, Ed's my nigga. Ed's like my older brother.

You know a lot of BMX kids are out there fronting, wearing big white T's and shit.How do you feel about that?

Niggas gotta stop wearing them big ass white tees. People in Harlem wear big ass white tees, I live in Brooklyn. We don't wear that shit. Everybody got their own style. We wear black hoodies. Not even a black hoodie, just hoodies. If you see a nigga in a hoodie coming at you, run. Just act like where you're from. Don't act like someone else. I'm never changing the way I act. Suck my dick, no homo.

So what is this "no homo" shit all about? I think a lot of people outside of New York don't really understand that shit.

I mean "no homo"... a lot of niggas be saying gay shit so you just gotta say "pause". The real word is "grimey life" man. GRIMEY LIFE. Grimey life is the life I live.

For someone who doesn't understand though, when is the proper time to say no homo?

Niggas with tight pants, they homos. I ain't really gonna say nothing but a lot of niggas might be like "blah blah, fuck blackman" and start crying and shit when I say you got tight pants on. I got tight pants friends. I got a lot of friends.

What's up with the piff? You stay high all day huh.

When I'm broke I smoke schwag, but if I got money I buy some piff. I smoke a little bit of weed and I ride. When I smoke though, I ride fast. I ride like I'm a car. Going fast for no reason. And gearage, I ride a 25-8. I ride my bike real crazy, I got an oversized chain. People might say "what the fuck is that?" but if you look at my bike you know what I'm talking about. I'm not a beast but I don't ride no bullshit bikes. My shit gotta be stabilized.

What are your favorite spots in the city?

Utica banks. Not Brooklyn Banks, Utica banks. A lot of people don't know about those banks, but they're in the hood. I been known about that spot since I was about 8 years old.

I know you used to ride with Adam Armstrong. What do you have to say about that?

That's a really sad story. All I know is he was riding his motorcycle and something else happened, I don't even want to say. I've known Adam since I was real young, coming up. We always used to ride together but Adam used to make fun of me. He was on some crazy shit. Rest in peace to Adam. I'm sorry he's gone.

Do you have anyone you want to thank?

Nah I ain't got nobody I want to thank. I want to say thank you to my bike.