Taxonomy upgrade extras
Hometown:
Bellingham
Age:
23
Birthplace:
Bellingham
Favorite Trail:
Shred City
Favorite place to ride?
All the goods on 542
DH or DJ?
I mix it up as much as possible, riding 20” helps me be more accurate on my big bike, and DH helps me go bigger on my little bike; it’s a symbiotic relationship.
What sparked your interest in biking when you were young?
The first time I can remember I watched the movie Rad; I was like six or seven. I built a launch ramp in my yard, sent it to flat and crashed really hard, I was hooked.
When did you get into biking, and what form of biking was it?
I started out riding 20” when I was thirteen, I had one of those aluminum fat boys and I busted the head tube off after about six months.
Have you had any serious injuries while under the influence of DH or DJ?
That head tube break was one of the worst, I shattered the orbit around my eye and I was out for a month when I was fourteen. The local shop was cool enough to give me a new bike. Other than that I’ve been really lucky.
Who are your favorite Riders?
Chase Hawk, anyone who kills it on a bmx, and all the guys going huge on big bikes have my respect. I’d have to say my friend PB, who always whips it out or lands twice as far down as I do.
What events do you plan on attending or racing this season?
I am planning on racing the rest of the Fluidride cups, and maybe a few races in BC
Do any other sports influence your biking or style?
Snowboarding makes me go straighter through chunder.
What other aspects of your life have been influenced by biking?
Well, my life revolves around riding more than I realize sometimes. My work schedule is based on my racing and most all of my friends I’ve met through riding; my life is riding.
What is your biggest goal for this season? Next season?
This is the first season that I’ve really pushed myself to do well at racing. I would like to win a race, but beyond that I just want to have a fun summer. It would be really cool to pick up a sponsor since I skip work all the time to ride. Just having race fees covered would be a huge incentive to get after it.
What bikes do you own, and which is your favorite?
I ride a fly Diablo 2, and an Ironhorse Sunday. Both of these bikes are the best I’ve found for their purpose. But if my house burnt down I’d jump out the window with my 20”.
If you could only give one piece of advice to other up and coming riders, what would it be?
Don’t let anything hold you back from riding. Personally I find I’m happiest when I ride every day, whether it’s 20 runs at Whistler or a curb session in front of my house. When I try something new every day on my bike everything else in my life seems to slide into place.
What is your philosophy on competing? Is it more metal or physical for you?
Its a mental thing for me because it takes me a long time to get into the racing mindset, I find that competing against other people helps me push myself further than I would on my own, and progression is what keeps me inspired to shred.
Also I would like to say that when I was younger I burned some bridges in the local riding community due mainly to the fact that I was overly possessive about the trails that I built. Now I realize that everyone is just out to have fun, and I hope I can make amends with people who I didn’t see eye to eye with in the past.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me get to where I am with my riding now.
Photos by Brad Walton
