FATBMX Your Online BMX News Resource Since 1998

I decided after tearing up my knee that I had plenty of time to do some groundwork and get it going. Fast forward a few months and I have a few prototype frames, bars and forks all done. I've been riding my own stuff for a while now and it's been going really well. Now I'm just sitting on the design stuff and waiting to hit the lotto so I can produce everything and really push it forward. It's nothing incredible but if you're looking for dialed refined stuff it's definitely worth checking out.

You race BMX and also ride freestyle, but I think your freestyle side carries quite a bit into your racing side. For instance I always see race videos of you wearing jeans?
Nick: Haha I get so many odd stares at big races when I'm rocking the Levis. Basically it goes like this, BMX race pants are just MX knock offs, it's the same stuff that the MX dudes wear so in my opinion it's way too much overkill and doesn't do much better than denim. I get the same bumps, scrapes, and bruises in either setup so I choose to just be a little different and rock the denim. Gotta thank Carla in Vegas for keeping my denim game up to par and Levis :) Luckily my sponsors know that it really doesn't matter what you look like as long as you're representing them well, and they are cool with me wearing what I choose.

What's the deal with your knee?
Nick: Well where should I start? It's toast. I completely tore my ACL/MCL and some Meniscus and stuff back in November '07 and had surgery in January '08 to get it back together. Things were decent at best but it's been a big drama day in and day out. Constantly swollen, always hurts, and just a pain in general. I'm going to have another surgery late this year after the Worlds in Australia and hopefully it goes better than the first time around. That injury was a real bummer because I was riding fairly well when it happened and it just slowed a lot of the learning curve, but can't complain. Life is good either way.

You live in the Bay Area but originally come from Arizona right?
Nick: Untrue. I was born and raised in the Bay! Haha parents are from AZ and Cal so we moved out to there for pretty much my highschool years. That's where I really got into riding and spent a lot of time out at Chandler BMX and Manzanita Park BMX, both tracks have turned out some fast talent so I'm not sure what happened with me haha! Seriously though AZ has a strong scene and back then all the local track guys would rip the trails just as hard so it really got me set to be a dual purpose rider. Coming up I thought Will Bissel was the raddest guy because he would show up at the track and just kill it then you'd see him at the trails getting just as rad. He still rips it to this day and I'm not sure if he knows how much of an icon he was for me. Haha does that sound emo or what? LOL

What is something you have always dreamt of saying in an interview?
Nick: Dans Comp can get fucked? Jump2Jump.com

Do you think there is enough hate and shit talking on message boards?
Nick: The great message board debate... To me its like this- Everybody always wishes they could speak as open and uncensored as they wish. But 95% of the world would never do this because when speaking like that you need to be accountable for the shit you're saying. I like to think I'm in the percentage of guys that will have no problem putting my name and face to a statement I make and standing by it, either good or bad. But for the majority of people the internet and a computer offers a buffer, a secret identity that you can spout off and talk as much shit as you want and never be accountable for things. So you have to take things with a grain of salt not take anything too serious, realize that half the clowns out there are exactly that. www.bmxboard.com is my place to keep up with the forum shit talk check it out!

What is your favorite thing to read on Fatbmx?
Nick: Pretty much everything because Fat isn't in my opinion a race site or a flat site or a ramp site, it covers all aspects of BMX and has no international boundaries. That's something I like, sure a jam in the Netherlands may not be vital to a kid in the States, but how psyked are the kids who saw the info and got their asses out to the jam and then saw a pic of themselves on the site? It's a good outlet and typically has a lot of the news that I like to read. Shit's dialed.

Why do trend followers always say the same thing about going brakeless: "I've gone brakeless now because it's so much fun!"?
Nick: I won't knock anyone for riding 3,4,5 pegs haha no brakes, 2 brakes- Whatever you want to do it's your way to express yourself. But obviously some things are trendy and to each their own, but I can't rock the no brakes thing. I ride at a much faster pace then your average rider and flat out it's plain dangerous to go that fast and have no way to slow things up when need be. I can skid brakeless but nothing beats a good high speed skid that only brakes can make :)

Skids or tailwhips?
Nick: Man were transitioning these questions like a champ! If you've seen me ride you never know what you're going to get. 75% of the time I just like to link good flowing fast lines and tech little stuff, but every now and then I may get back to huck status and drop a flair or a good high whip air or something. I prefer to see someone riding what they feel like not what the current cool trick is. I work at a huge skatepark so it's funny to watch kids ride all day and fire out tuck no hander after tuck no hander for hours on end. I'll grab my bike and do a fufanu and they will glance at each other like what the hell retro trick was that! LOL It's just like I ride what I feel is fun at the time and I think everyone else should try it too, it keeps things refreshing and the drone mentality gets kicked for a second. Skids are a fun kind of cool thing and I enjoy folling around with them :)

What was your very first bike? I got mine for xmas one year, my brother got the silver one and I got the pimped gold bike complete with training wheels. A machine that could take me somewhere faster than my legs, I was hooked.
Nick: I had this crazy hot pink like GT Performer thing with white wheels and tires and the whole package. I'm only 24 so this thing was already starting to be vintage I'm sure, but this dude gave it to me and I was psyked for sure. I didn't pay for it I'm sure my parents traded some meth for that thing or something shady, but I still see the guy who gave it to me and he always asks how I'm doing. I'm always interested in talking to him because something that was really nothing to him but some leverage for some dope, ended up being a little vessel for me and taking me anywhere I wanted or could dream. I've gone through several bikes over the years but gotta respect some white mags and white tires, shits roots.

It has been a while since I have seen you but I always catch up with your news via your blog. What's that URL again?
Nick: www.dawginc.blogspot.com I started that thing when I first blew out my knee becasue I wanted to document my progress after surgery. It's always updated 2-3 times a week and has stories, pics, random stuff about what I'm doing and what's going on around me. I guess you have to know me to get interested but it's worth a read if you're bored enough and I'm glad it keeps some people in the loop about things that I'm doing. Someday I'd like to host it on its site but www.dawginc.com is taken- someday though!

I heard you just got hooked up with Red Bull?
Nick: Yeah I met the local guy in my area that does like promotional stuff and things of that nature. He was an aspiring pro skater in his prime so he knows that BMX is not just a little kid thing. We sat down and went over my resume' and locked in a small little flow deal that should help me get to a lot of stuff and represent the best energy drink in the game while doing so. I always drink that stuff anyway so it's not like you'll see me doing the water bottle stuff and faking it- real talk I go through cases of that stuff on the regular. www.redbull.com Keep up on the latest and greatest and maybe someday you can see me gettin major play from those guys.

Getting this article together I was looking through the photos I took of you that time we went to Woodward West. If you compare the first shots to the last shots there are a significant number of skid marks all over that beautiful Skatelite.
Nick: Skatelite is a great material. It's not everyday you get to rip a nice ramp that has a fresh layer, and Woodward keeps things in prime condtition. From decks to vert walls I like to see where I was at the peak of an air or whatever so it isn't too uncommon for me to skid a mark there and take a glance at it later... My local park has this huge full pipe and it's all nice smooth concrete so I like to skid that over vert every time I can, it's funny seeing all the people wondering how a skid mark got that high. Lets me know I'm relevant in the game!

Thanks?
Nick: Julian @ www.avantgardeintl.com John@ www.sun-ringle.com, Donovan @ Red Bull, Carl @ www.psykopath.com, Al with www.jump2jump.com, all my boys that I session with, and all the families and people I meet through riding that help me out. BMX is a common ground that brings a lot of different people together and I'm glad that I have the support to do good things and travel. Duhhh Lloyd/Fat for the interview.