Q2) Your currently recovering from an epic crash - Would you like to talk a little about this one? A2) Yeah had a nasty crash at NASS this year doing a quarter to quarter gap, it was about a 30 footer, which didn’t scare me to much coz I’ve done a few similar ones. I think it was the run up that was the problem - There wasn’t really anything big at the other end of the course to get any speed from, so it was just down to pedal power, had the speed fine on the first 2 attempts, just landed low on the first one an got bucked off, then hooked up my chain-ring on the second, but by the last one I think I was getting tired and tried to fit an extra crank in - On the video of the crash ya can see me pedal right onto the quarter and it doesn’t really give me time to set up right. I took off all wrong ended up going higher than the other attempts, I pulled out way more an just started uncontrollably nose diving; I didn’t really have a chance to bail, and I don’t think it would of really helped, so I stuck to me usual tactic of “the captain goes down with the ship”. As soon as me wheel touched the floor it folded in half, I go over the bars, an me head and shoulder hit the floor in tandem. Me shoulder ball joint dislocated and my collar bone dislocated away from me chest, they popped me shoulder back in no probs, so I could get back to Liverpool the same night. The drive back was a mad one, me head was pretty fucked up, like a mixture of adrenaline and morphine wearing off made me loose me dinner a few times! Since then I’ve bin in an out of hozy, gettin all kinds of X-rays an CAT scans to find out what they were gona do about me collar bone sticking out of me chest... There was talk of surgery to sort it out, but with the NHS unless something’s hanging off by a thread they can’t really be arsed doin anything about it... So I should be startin phisio in the next week or so, then back in the swing of things in a couple of months.
Q3) Will you be healed in time for further contests?
A3) Yeh as for contests an jams it just depends on how long it takes to heal, how long it takes to get comfortable on the bike. It’s a while away, so I’m just gona take me time an see what pops up then.
Q4) Have you been working on any new projects? A4) I’ve bin trying to get footage together for a while now; I mean I’ve bin riding for 10 years, and I’ve never got a video made or anything like that! So it would be really good to have something to look back on, which I can use to improve me riding from - But I find it hard to get footage, because I can never predict when I’m going to be riding good; it’s something that I need to work on. I am never happy unless it’s the best I could do, and I’m not that naturally talented; I’ve just gotta put a lot of hours in, which is hard when ya do something stupid every 6 months to knock me self out for the other 6 months!
Q5) What's your take on the scene in Liverpool right not? A5) The Liverpool scene right now is mad! There is all the riders everyone’s heard of smashing its head in, but then there’s hoards of hungry kids that seem to improve faster with every generation. With a park like Rampworx on ya door step I suppose it’s not hard to see why. (Insert photo: “Sam.3 – Flair)
Q6) Which riders did you look up to when you started? And who do you look up to now?
A6) when I started I guess the riders i looked up to people like: Dave Mirra Jamie Bestwick Matt Hoffman Jay Mirron John Taylor Owen Clegg Northern John Jerry Galley These days I love watching these guys too: Morgan Wade Kelly Bolton Leon Perkins Harry Main Shaun Mccracken Phil Larkin Jason Phelan Paul Ryan Paul Meacher Dennis Wingham Alex "danger boy" Steel Yan Valentta Mikey Baxter the Hobsons Macky Rob Porter Phil Demattia Ben Lewis
Q7) Give us a brief history of the events you’ve competed in? (Locations, results, fun times, etc)
A7) As for comps and stuff i started out doin backyard jams, i think the first one i went to was Bournemouth an then never missed any after that, by Brighton i think me riding style had settled kind of where it is now (brakeless, full face) - I surprised myself at that because it was the first time i had entered pro, an i qualified for the finals. I went to masters that year as well i came 5th an its still the furthest i’ve been on me bike. The last backyard at sheffield was a beast, i qualified for finals at that one with a broken wrist. that was sort of the point me list of injurys started gettin long, an english comps got few and far between. I always try to make it to NASS - Broke me foot there last year, but at least i felt like i was riding good at the time. Errr what else, yeah i went to FISE this year for the first time, that was decent but i was riding shit so i didn’t have the best weekend. An that brings us about up to date with NASS a couple of weeks ago – I am really liking the Goliath ramp they brought to NASS, I like to go fast far an high, and that satisfies the lot! I was made up to come 2nd this year. Then there was pro street and that brings us to that crash.
Q8) Whilst on the subject of contests... Is the X-Games in your sights? A8) is X-Games in my sights? I’d like to think it could be at some point, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near riding at that level.
Q9) Looking forwards – What plans do you have for 2011?
A9) Errr plans for 2011 - Get healthy and feeling good on me bike again, make a vid coz I’ve never made one in 10 years of riding, and get me car on the road so I can ride more vert. Winning the lotto would be nice – Maybe then I could go to Woodward an fulfill some childhood dreams.
Q10) What’s the craziest location you’ve travelled to? And what made it memorable?
A10) Craziest place i’ve bin on me bike’s probably Montpellier for FISE - Just the sheer amount of people there... Ya had to fight ya way through the crowds just to get to the course, night times were mad too!
Q11) Talking of memories – What’s your funniest?A11) One of my funniest moments to do with riding would have to be 4 of us fighting for a place to sleep in the back of an old Landover outside Ape skatepark. None of us got much sleep fighting for every inch of available space in that old sweat box!
Q12) You’ve met some characters in your time – Who’s the most memorable character of the BMX scene? Or the funniest!?
A12) the funniest person I’ve met in bmx, has gotta be Matty Worthington – He’s lost the plot!
Q13) What bike set-up are you currently running?
A13) Bike set-up: Redline Device frame 21", Verde cartel forks (cut out to 14mm), Redline Device cranks, Redneck stem as always, WTP bars with the thinnest grip I can find, Easton at the min, Proflie SS hub on the back, I still don’t trust a 36 spoke wheel on the back, ya just can’t beat the amount of engagements a profiles got. I’m running a midway rim on the back at the min but am gona see if just a Hazard Lite. Err front wheels a 24/7 hub, i picked that because of how simple it is – It’s just a straight through hollow 14 mm axel, no bells or whistles! 14mm front hubs are hard to come by these days. That’s on an eklat rim, an i’ve got eklat pedals too. Redline pivotal seat and post an that’s about it.
Q14) Do you drive? If so, what are you running? A14) Do I drive? Not for a while, I am currently half way through a full rebuild of me Landrover 90 – I’ve bin doin it for a couple of years now, hopefully I’ll have it finished before this winter... Can’t do another one riding to Rampworx in the rain.
Q15) Have you invented any tricks? – Or do you have any big moves in the pipeline? (When your better...)
A15) No but i would like to learn more quarter tricks - I get motivated watching old Hoffman footage, just the amount of crazy combos he can do, ya never know what ya gona see next!
Q16) What do you want to see more of in BMX?
A16) People sending balls out gnarly shit.
Q17) What do you want to see less of in BMX?
A17) Gimps in their little sisters jeans, and gym pumps giving me funny looks for putting a full-face on.
Q18) Finally, any final words, shout-outs, etc? A18) Massive thanks goes out to these guys for helping me out in there own way: James Hitchcox for getting me the hook-up, while Redline was distributed through padded cell - James is the man. Chris at Shinner distro for keepin me bike working no matter what I throw at it! Old school J and Macky at Hobson cycles always sort me out when I need bits an bobs for me bike, or protein supplements to give the healing process a helping hand. Chris at VallySideDistro for sorting me clothes and this interview. Markus Gallager for creating one of the maddest parks ever - RuffRide, that place definitely had an influence on the way my riding turned out. And finally thanks to Rampworxs, I always nit pick about things that aren’t quite right about the place, but on the whole there isn’t another park I would want as me local – I’d be lost without the place!
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.