Dustin is one of those guys who you always want on your side, no not because he can kick peoples ass’s.. but because he is by far one of the nicest guys around. He is an amazing rider and an even better friend, Everytime I get the chance to be around the guy it is a good time. He is also the guy who brought InterBMX which has been a good step in bringing riders together again!

Name:
Dustin Griess

Location:
Eden Prairie, MN (Suburb of Minneapolis)

Sponsors:
Drive BMX, InterBMX.com

You run interbmx, how is that going?
InterBMX is going great. It’s my baby. I love working on the code, adding new features, improving performance, and all that good stuff.

The coding for the website is pretty intense, how long did it take for you to get it going?
Ha. Oh man, to get it going, I’d say a couple hundred hours (about 6 weeks). To where it is now, I’d say a couple thousand hours (a good 1.5 years).

Do you have any other plans for interbmx, since I have noticed there is always some nice changes?
I always have ideas in the back of my head, they just take time… You could say that InterBMX will never really be “finished”.

Outside of interbmx where else do you work and what do you do there?
I have worked for QBP in Bloomington, MN for nearly 4 years now. I have a full time job as an Application Developer. I work on our QBP.com dealer only e-commerce web site, as well as some of our internal applications. I love my job there, and the people.

You are a really good rider that is some what low key, do you try to do that or do you just let things come to you?
Well thank you! I really haven’t though about that too much, I just ride and see what happens.

A few months back you won the free flow tour that came to overpass in Minnesota. You leave in a few days for Florida, how are you feeling about that? Nervous at all?
Other than the fact that the level of riding will be insane, and nearly impossible to compete with, no not at all… lol yeah definitely nervous, although I am super excited to go. My family is flying down there as well… We’re all going to have a good time.

Do you have any big tricks planned to go down that you have been doing recently?
I’d like to stick with most of my consistent tricks, possibly some fairly new ones. We’ll see what happens…

Are you working on any video parts, personal edits, or anything that will be up soon?
If I had time, I totally would. Honestly I haven’t shot or filmed anything in soooo long. I’d really like to though. I miss watching old video footage. I don’t have much from the past few years.

The winter will be here soon, what is your plan while the snow is falling?
Snow trails. I swear we can do it. Ha, j/k it will definitely go back to the indoor park sessions when the snow flies.

Any big trips or events coming up from now through 2008 you know of yet?
Other than Dew Tour this weekend, I really have nothing planned. Although it would be nice to get out of the cold sometime this winter… I’m sure you would agree.

Has anyone told you that you are too nice?
No but it is nice to hear that someone would ask me that. I try to stay as positive as I can, and support people with what they do. But really, we can thank all the negative people out there, they make the nice ones stand out.

How does a typical day go for you?
Wake up at 7:30, motorcycle to QBP for work around 8am, write some code, eat lunch, write more code, go home around 4pm, then I either go the riding direction, or the more code writing/InterBMX.com direction. Sometimes both if I’m lucky.

Where are some of your favorite places to ride?
G-Shock. Nothing will never even come close to comparing to it. I’ll have those riding memories forever.

Who do you like to ride with?
Anyone who is having a good time on their bike, having fun, learning new things, supporting each other, etc.

What are your favorite bands/songs right now?
I’ll Stand by You, The Pretenders.
Whiskey in the Jar, Metallica.
Wanna Be A Balla, Lil’ Troy.
How Far We’ve Come, Matchbox 20
There’s a nice variety of songs… lol

I have seen you take a few gnarly crashes, in person and in some videos of you, what kind of injuries have you gotten over the years?
I had a cast on my foot in 1997, a few stitches, and a few of those long term “over extended my knee” types of things that are really the worst.

Is there anyone you would like to thank or give a shout out to?
Yes sir! First of all, thank you Kurt, also my family for their support, Erik and Joey at Drive, Mike Corley at Eastern, Everyone at QBP… Todd, Tim, Jay, Andy, Dan, Bernie! And every single person who has ever typed “interbmx.com” into their web browser. All of you rock, thanks for everything.

Any last words, or things you would like to add?
“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around, you could miss it.”

Name:
Michael Saavedra

Location:
Riverside Ca

Sponsors:
Profile, S&M flow

Do you have a job that isn’t BMX related?
No…. Just ride my bike.

How does a typical day go for you?
Wake up at noon grab some lunch then head to the trails. Do a little digging and a bit of BMX.

A while ago your trails got plowed, do you have any new ones in the works?
It took me almost two years to pick up the shovel again but I have a new spot in the works. Should be better then the last set of trails. (: ))

Your part in the VULT 456 dvd a while back was really good, do you have any new parts coming up?
I’m working with Larry Alvarado on a edit for Profile. As far as a full video part goes if its not all street its not going to happen. Street is what’s hot. But who knows maybe one day someone might want to see some good old fashion trails!

Do you have any new bangers you have been getting done or close to lately?
Lately its been all digging. But there’s always a few things in the works.

Are you still doing demos?
Haha Im at a demo right now filling this out. Its so chill I get to travel and do what I love for a living without having to win the X games.

Who are the main people you ride with?
Jared Eberewin aka jearbear. He’s not only an amazing rider but a really good person. He keeps it real positive and fun. I love that kid.

Who are the people you look up to the most?
My family. With out them I would be lost. As far as BMX goes I would say Corey Bohan.

Where are your favorite places to ride?
Enterprise at woodward west
Blue Bench
jurupa park
Chino park

Do you have any injuries from riding?
Not anything to bad. When I was a kid I broke my left ankle 3 times.

If you couldn’t ride anymore, what would you do?
Start real life.

Do you have any big trips or anything coming up?
Im working with profile on travel for 08. So I hope to travel to a few fun contest like the empire of dirt.

What trick do you think gives you the most trouble that people wouldn’t expect?
Haha Barspins to tire taps are a bitch.

Any shout outs?
Bmxunion for hooking this up. Matt at profile for being on top of things all the time. Woody Itson for give me a job. All the homies for help me dig Lance Jared Boe. Moller over at S&M for hooking me up with the new LTF. Larry for working way harder then he needs to on my profile edit.

Any last words or anything I missed?
Ride your bike and stay positive!

Name:
Grant Castelluzzo

Location:
Milwaukee, Wi

Is that where you call home?
yeah for sure, my parents are in the process of moving away from illinois so im here until school is done for sure.

You are going to college, what is your major and how is that going for you?
Criminal Justice is my major and so far so good this is my junior year and im still on track for graduating in ’09

You seem to be into filming and editing, is it more of a hobby than something you would want to do as a career?
Definitely a hobby. I orginally just filmed but then i took up editing also. Its rewarding to see raw footage come together with music. I helped film for Lake Owen’s promotional camp dvd for the summer but outside of that i don’t really take it all that seriously.

You do a lot of tech riding, do you find those to be easier or do you just like the challenge of lnking a bunch of tricks into one?
Its a little bit of both normally the tech stuff just comes easier to me and i also find it fun to link stuff together that people might not think of. I like how open ended technical riding is and the creativity it can bring out.

When I had the chance to ride with you a while ago, you seemed to be a really dialed rider, is that normal or do you practice your stuff a lot?
haha well thank you. I definitely don’t “train” to do the types of tricks i do if thats what you mean. Some stuff comes more naturally than others for me but i kind of think that if i can’t do a trick consistanly then i don’t really have it so i try to get trick to the point where im not struggling to do it everytime.

The Ape dragon,what exactly is the trick, did you come up with the name for that trick or what is the story behind that, and do you have any tips on it?
An apedragon is pretty much just a word i use to describe anyone who is a man on a bike. Ape is what all the dudes at fbm use to for it and dragon is something i think justin simpson uses to descibe it so all i did was combine the two to make an ultimate word for it.

Millwaukee has a pretty big scene, whats it like being able to ride with all the guys like Jeff K, Dom, lil jon,Tony Malouf, and Mike Hinkens all the time?
Well Malouf is from Illinois but hes still out of hand. The scene here is amazing. Riding with all of those guys is unreal. They are all on their own level and at the same time they are all just normal ass dudes so its real good in that way. They are super motivating and always down for a good time.

Do you have any video parts or anything coming up soon?
well if Jeff K ever gets his shit together and works on his video I will have some clips in that. Other than that not a lot besides random web stuff.

Where is your favorite place to eat?
I frequent noodles and co, Wendy’s and Culvers often and when im with my girlfriend we end up going to Cheesecake factory and Olive Garden alot.

Favorite bands/songs?
I could go on for days but right now i’ve been into Kanye West’s new c/d. Also recently i’ve been listening to lots of poppy stuff that my g/f likes alot like Mayday Parade, Cartel, and All Time Low. Im also into some heavier stuff. I pretty much listen to everything.

Do you plan on sticking around the Millwaukee area after your done with college? Well after I finish undergad im planning on going to graduate school here so I will be here until I finish that but I would like to stay here for as long as I can.

What are your plans for the winter? Any trips or anything planned?
I don’t really have anything planned yet but I definitely would like to go somewhere. Hopefully it happens.

What is your set up on your bike like, super light or set up for whatever is comfortable to you?
Well it’s pretty light nowadays since I rode Jeff K’s and his shit is rediculously light and I became jealous but im not going crazy with it. I want it to be as light as I can get it without having to worry about dieing if a part fails.

5 things you would like to do in the next 5 years?
1. Get my bachelors degree.
2. Get my masters degree
3. Travel outside of the country.
4. ride alot with all of my friends.
5. maybe start a career

If you won the lottery what are some of the first things you would do with the money?
First thing I would buy a Porche 911 turbo since in my opinion it’s one of the sweetest cars ever created. Then I would probably buy a house so I didn’t have to worry about that later and I would do something boring like invest the rest of it so that I could live off it for the rest of my life. I would probably also work on a philosophy degree in addition to my criminal justice degree im already working on.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
wow there’s so many. My parents for always supporting me and my riding. My girlfriend Libby for always being there for me. My best friend Chris Beers. Jeff Dowhen, Antonio Wothe, Jeremiah Hughes, Anthony Mingione, Matt Hess, Andy E, Kuntz, Lil Jon, Jeff K, and Mike Hinkens for making me have a good time when i ride. Matt Coplon at Profile for the product hook up for filming Jeff and Mike. Garey at Misled, and AJ at LNKF for everything. Anyone else who has ever made me have a good time on my bike thank you.

Any other last things I might have missed you would like to say?
Just have fun and keep riding.

Name:
Alex Bermudez…AKA “The Lord of D”

Location:
San Diego,CA

What exactly is Give D, and What does the D stand for?
Oh man here comes my dumb story….One night some of my old riding buddies and I were shreddin the high school we attended.We were still beginners in riding ability and that night I set out to learn disasters with the crew.Well after so many tries I finally landed my first disaster…Everyone was siked as fuck and when I came to the group to receive praise I stuck out the fist and said “D for disaster”.Everyone acknowledged the fist pound as “D” from that night on and ever since then its been accepted as proper praise in SD.That all happened when I was a freshman in high school,its been over 6 years now of that term being in use.From there it spread around our area and then traveled with us to other parts of Southern California…I hear crazy things all the time still about being the inventor of D and all that…It’s kind of weird sometimes that anyone would even care to mention it all…D is just a fist pound.haha.But Give D is a crew,a way of life…A group of people who try to put fun,creativity and positivity back into BMX.

So are you the man in charge of Give D?
Yes,I’m the owner and operator of Give D Clothing.I would be nothing without my team though,together we make things happen.Web edits,clothing designs,contests,parties,everything…

The team is pretty large, with a lot of pretty well known guys along with a few unknown people, is there a reason for it being so big compared to most teams?
Haha yeah,we have a rather large team,but we’ve downsized a bit lately.We’re down to a solid 12 person team but we have a large crew of people who are still GDC homies and all.If you support D then your a part of Give D in one way or another…We’re no different from your average sized bmx team.We just try to bring something different to the table with everything we do…

Give D is a clothing company, when do you expect to have some stuff up for sale?
We recently brought our new line of D shirts right in time for Interbike.The new line consists of 5 different shirt designs and soon all will be available via Paypal shopping cart on both the Dspace and D site.All of the new tees can be viewed right now on both the D space and Fasetto.com.We’re gettin around to numerous bike shops with carrying our apparel and we hope to soon be in Dans Comp mailorder…Stuff is for sale as I type this,you just gotta be local right now to get your hands on D goodies…Soon that will all change…

Is the company a full time job or is it something you do on the side for fun?
Well,the company started in September of 06′ as a side project due to my full time construction job.Shortly after creating GDC I was laid off due to downsizing of the company I worked for…My care for a construction career quickly faded out after losing my apprenticeship and I started really focusing on the company and what GDC could possibly become.I could’ve continued my apprenticeship elsewhere but I realized I wasn’t cut out for that 8-5 life,building custom kitchens and bathrooms…

Do you have any big goals set for the company?
I dont know if its considered a big goal but next year I want to have a prime D booth at Interbike with a legit GDC DVD debut at our booth.Between now and then we’ll have a ton more monthly web edits on Defgrip,new shirt designs,work our way into Dans comp/bike shops and get our first DVD out…

There has been a few web videos floating around a bunch of the bigger websites, is there a DVD in the works?
We try to pump out a constant flow of web edits,we’re constantly producing and making things happen wherever we go.GDC just recently got into really making web edits often,thanks to Nuno and Harrison at Defgrip.Defgrip recently picked us up for monthly web edits and we couldn’t be more happy with how its worked out.Expect a lot more web edits all the damn time….A DVD is definitely in the works.After this coming Friday,when “I Love L.A.” drops on Defgrip,we start to really put in work with the DVD and everything else we have in store…

What can you tell us about the DVD, whose in it, when is it expected to be out, is there a name for it, who all has parts?
Ha I can tell you what I would like and what I know for a fact…What I would like to happen is to have the DVD out by December or January…What I know for a fact is all of the D team will be in it.Thus being…Hoang Tran,Kyle Hart,Albert Mercado,Chris Hervan,Nick Corsiglia,Dirt Ron,Steve Kennedy,Steve Kerr,Steve Woodward,Tammy McCarley,Braden Ross and myself.Of course there will be others such as Dennis Enarson,Alfredawg Mancuso,Mario Carrasco and other friends of D in there as well…

It looks like the majority of the team is from the south west, is it kind of based around that area of the country or is this going world wide?
Give D is San Diego based,we all live here and we’re basically a big family that always together.Whether we’re riding,chillin or partying,we’re together kickin lots of ass.We have no plans on beefing up our team any time soon with out of towners but we can always use the support from everyone no matter where your located.I’m not sure how world wide we’ll get,only time can tell.What we do know is that we’ll keep riding and doing what we do best always…

Is there any big road trips or events planned for the team?
We plan on a roadtrip soon,no exact location on where yet,but soon…Next big event for the D team and San Diego for that matter is Biketoberfest at our local YMCA park.Its where we ride almost to often and its where you can also find us on a normal basis..GDC took title sponser this year for the event and I’m pretty stoked on that…We have a lot of things in mind,its only a matter of time until it all starts hittin.

Where will people be able to get their hands on Give D goods?
Well,like I said were workin our way around to bike shops in SD and soon Dans Comp.Right now you can find our shirts at Henrys bike shop in Santee and during the next week,in a few other bike shops around Southern California like Omega bikes,Epic,etc..The Paypal shopping cart will be equipped soon and if you really want D goodies,you can send me mailorders and an address to send merch to.All of which can be done if you email me at Alex@givedclothing.com

Is there any shout outs or thanks you would like to throw out?
First off,I would like to thank my grandmother,Doody…Shes the absolute reason why GDC is even around.She funds everything we do and is the sweetest lady on earth and I love her very much.Thank you to my crew for always kickin ass and producing to the best of their ability,which is always above and beyond expectations.Give D crew consists of my closest friends and they’re what keeps me going and flowing with positivity.Huge thank you to Nuno and Harrison at Defgrip for everything they’ve been able to do for us thus far…Also thank you to B-Dubbs,Jim Bauer and Nuno again at Odyssey.Thank you also goes out to my beautiful,supportive girlfriend Lauren,shes always there for me doing what she can.Thank you to everyone out there who supports Give D and everything we do!!! Thank you for this Interview Kurt! D to everyone!

Any other last words or anything I missed you think should have been?
69 brother.That is all.

Alex had said he would try to get a few guys from the team around for an interview.. so hopefully you can check back in a few days and see who was up for one.

So, I am going to try and cover new dvd’s that have just came out or are coming out to let you guys get the low down on these. Here is some info on the new video From Nothing. You can spot the trailer on BMXonline or on their website Youth BMX

So here it is!

Name of the DVD?
The Name of the DVD is “From Nothing”, and it’s just a showcase of all of the well know, as well as unknown talent from this city.

Who all has parts?
Full parts are John Dixon, Travis Kiesow, Tony Neyer, Josh Suhre, Jeremiah Smith, myself, as well as a 6 minute random section of all the locals, and a 3 minute “Friends” section which are out of town friends who have came here to film a few clips.

Who is doing the filming for the project?
90% of the filming was done by myself, but certain clips were also filmed by people like Chad Shack, Will Stroud, Walter Perringer, and other riders in the vid.

What is the expected length?
The length of the video I’m not 100% but I think it’s a little over a half hour long. 31 minutes I want to say.

Any special features you can tell us about?
Special features are just the typical bonus material, about 7 minutes of crashing, and a 10 minute random footage montage of just dumb stuff I’ve filmed over the years.

Anything that will stand out in the DVD?
I think what will stand out is how diverse and unique Cincinnati is. Not only the city itself shown through the old architecture in the spots, but also the personalities here are like no where else, and most who travel through here, or stay with us will agree. Every night going out riding mostly consists of non stop laughs and jokes, and I really try to emphasize that in most of the parts. The riders here all have different styles, and after watching every part you’ll notice that. It’s not the same tricks being done by different people, I hate watching those kinds of videos. Aside from all that, just keeping it light hearted, but entertaining. That and I really am picky about videos and filming in general. I hate the elusive overused fisheye, and I try to always think of the best angle for every shot, but since 10% wasn’t filmed by me, there’s always things Im not happy with but that’s life. Same with editing, I tried not to over edit it, other than the intro, I really just let the riding speak for itself.

When do you expect to have it out?
It was actually just released Friday here in Cincinnati, and I started mailing them out the day before. The premiere was amazing, around 200 people crammed into one backyard, I couldn’t have asked for a better night.

Where can people get it and for how much?
As of right now, the only two places that sell it are Dans Comp, and Empire. They are retailing for $12.99 because I am more concerned with as many people as seeing it as possible. I hope that by making the quality top notch, and the price lower than most that it will be successful and get as much coverage to this wonderful city as possible, there’s a few people here that definately deserve it.

Anything else?
Any inquires on the video can contact me at hortonds@email.uc.edu, and the trailer as well as info can be found at www.youthbmx.com. thanks.

I spotted the trailer up on The Come Up and I was curious to know some more details about it so I got a little intervew for you all to check out!

Name of the DVD?
ACT LIKE YOU KNOW

Who all has parts in it?
The people that will have parts are the names listed in the beggining of the trailer. I suck at spelling so im not even going to try to butcher there names. Also there will be a pretty decent sized friends section.

Who is doing the filming for the project?
I, Brandon Galosi will be doing the filming, along with jason who edited the video.

What is the expected length?
Were not sure what the expected length is going to be, just as long as everyone is happy with there parts, thats bascially going to determine how long it will be.

Any special features you can tell us about?
Yeah, were going to have a pretty big bonus section to the dvd.We have two photographers that are friends, nick photo, and scott marceau, they are both hopefully going to have slide show presentations of there work. also there is going to be a decent sized 8mm film section. plus a ghetto footage montage. maybe a short skate film.

Any thing you want to share about what will stand out in the film?
This film in general is a representation of my friends and what we are doing as a whole in Northeast Ohio. Alot of people know this area for the chenga skateparks, but in fact theres much more going on here than that. I wanted this film to be not a one man project, but a group effort show casing everyones skills in whatever way they want to. For example we have one film school major, two graphic desgin majors, and alot of really good riders. combining all those skills and making a interesting fun video is the key goal. Also no one has really made a video in our area just based on kids from here and the spots in the area.

When do you expect to have it out?
We are all hoping to have this done by next summer, we live in Ohio so in around a month there could be 3 feet of snow, and the weather is unpredictable most of the time. As sterotypical as it sounds, theres going to be NO ramp footage, only street because its way more interesting, and theres lots of spots people have not seen ridden before. So thats basically the reason were giving it till then.

Where will people be able to get it?
Well no one really buys videos anymore, So i think were just going to have a release party for it at kerry sayres shop at Rise Above in Lorain Ohio. Then there will be a Google video premier, and I think were going to hand out 100 custom dvds in the local area.

Check out the video at about 2:13.. by far the funniest thing I have seen in a long time..

act like you know trailer from jason jendre on Vimeo.

Nuno is a pretty well known dude around BMX for his part of being with two well known names. When I found out how he was stoked on the website I didnt even hesitate to ask if he wanted to do an interview.. so here it is, I hope you like it.

Name:
Nuno Oliveira
Location:
California

What do you do at Odyssey?
Mostly sales, but we are a small company, so we all wear lots of different hats. We all just do whatever we can for the greater good of the brand.

What do you do at defgrip.net?
Contribute to the best of my ability. I liked the site before I was asked to join, so when Harrison asked me to come on board as a contributor/blogger, I just ran with it. I speak with Harrison all the time, and were always going back and forth about stuff. Its satisfying when people bring up the site, and mention how much they like it.

What is a typical day for you?
Work, eat, chill, pick up dog shit off the ground, and ride around if i feel like it.

Being involved with two very popular names, how do you manage your time?
Well, Odyssey is number one obviously. That’s my job, and obviously more important. But being at Odyssey puts me in contact with lots of people who ultimately may give me an avenue for something for Defgrip. Defgrip is just a fun way to do cool bmx stuff and/or speak about whatever I feel like, and it doesn’t really take up too much time. Major Defgrip work gets done at night or at off times, so it’s easy to manage both.

Do you find a lot of time to ride?
Mostly on weekends.. it may sound crazy, but dealing with bike stuff all day, sometimes the last thing I want to do is look at my bike and/or talk more about bike related stuff after work.

Being with odyssey , your seeing some of the newest products months before they are released, how hard is it to keep it on the DL?
Well, I think there is an unwritten rule that you don’t go around just telling everyone whats being worked on, but once the team are on prototype parts, its hard to keep things on the low, especially with the internet and how small bmx is. I tend to leave that stuff at the office, or drop vague clues if somebody asks. Besides, if we spill the beans super early, it just puts more pressure on us to get things out, and sometimes there are unforseen delays that are beyond our control which delays things even further. We were seeing the Elementary stem for well over a year before the public did, so by the time it came out, it wasnt as unusual to us because weve gotten used to seeing it for so long.

Are there any big projects coming up for Odyssey? (videos/new products/ road trips/ new team members).
Yes. The next video called “Electronical” is well underway. Chad shack from Shook and Will Stroud are doing it all, so you can expect good things. I believe Chad is filming with Chase hawk and Aitken some more this week, and thats always good. They have been filming all over the place. I dont have a definite release date for it now, but it should be out within a few months. Will’s always sending us really nice HD clips after trips, and I like what ive been seeing so far.

Is there any things going on with Defgrip coming up soon?
Theres some stuff lurking, but nothing major or far enough along that I would want to mention now. We like surprises.

Outside of riding/work what do you have going on?
Chilling with my girl Polly and our 2 dogs, and A few of my friends from home (long island) that live out here in Cali as well. I keep a small circle. I live by the beach in a cool little community too, so its always easy to get out and be outside. I like to mess around making some beats too.

You post on bike guide a fair amount, what are thoughts on the forum?
I think Bikeguide and Bmxboard are cool. It’s nothing more than a quick browse for me to see what people are talking about. I think a lot of industry people look at those sites even if they hate them, or think its the downfall of bmx. I just take it with a grain of salt and try not to get wound up by what somebody may say, because realistically, its just kids behind a screename. Ultimately, i just try to help people Odyssey wise if they need it.

What are some of your plans for 2008?
ha, who knows. We’ll see when we get there.

Favorite artists/songs?
That’s hard to answer. Im sure Im like most people when it comes to music, I go in phases. Lately ive been listening to anything from De La Soul, old Metallica, Kings of Leon, old Tribe Called Quest, Papoose, Bruce springsteen, Madvillian and maybe some mixtape stuff that I might download from Datpiff. I do find myself buying older albums though.

Favorite food?
Mexican. I Like burritos.

Favorite place you have visited?
England.

Anywhere you have’nt been that you would like to go to?
Australia seems like it would be nice, or maybe Portland.

Anybody you would like to thank?
You for asking me for an interview. Polly, Whilee and Blu. Jim, Chris and Ben at Odyssey. The Defgrip crew. Anybody who has helped me with any Defgrip related material, and the people who visit the site. Everyone who’s supported Odyssey over the years. All Odyssey distributors. Todd Johnson for thanking me. Industry people. And everybody who thinks they deserve a thank you cuz i cant really list everyone here or my fingers would fall off, ha! THANK YOU!!!!!

Any last words?
why? your not going to kill me are you?

Any top secret Odyssey info can you let us in on?
New site soon.

Dont forget to check out
Odyssey’s website
Defgrip’s website

Name:
Todd Johnson, iTod, Tbag. asshole. I’ll answer to any of them.

Location:
Minneapolis, Minnesota. is my home at heart but now I live by the Mall of America in Bloomington Minnesota.

You work at Quality what do you do there?
this could be a long asnwer so I’ll keep it short.
My title is Category sales Manager for BMX and BMX customer service. I work with shops that show an interest in selling more BMX products. I travel to their stores and work things out to make BMX look good and make kids want to buy BMX. I also take care of technical questions both for our customers and internally from other CS agents. My job is not limited to a certain brand. I work with shops to sell all of our brands, it’s up to the shop to stock what they want so I am there to assist in that process. I also do things like handle warranties, update shops on new products or instock products. Promotional duties as well. if a shop is sponsoring or throwing a contest I will gather up prizes for them and send them out.

Photo: Ben Austin

What’s it like being in charge of a lot of BMX stuff?
I am not really in charge of anything, other than making sure BMX is being represented well in the shops I work closely with. and that is easy because most of the shops I work one on one with are rider owned or BMX specific shops. I do have input on the brands we carry and the colors or the actual product range from a certain company but the final decision to carry a product goes to Tim Gallant. he is the BMX product manager and BMX coordinator for QBP. we all work together to come up with a good mix of product and we work hard making sure our brands fit together well. the last thing we want is to piss off one or more of our brands by bringing in someone that doesn’t compliment the others. it’s a fine line to walk but it makes the job fun.

Any new brands coming to Quality you can tell us about?
this year we picked up a few different brands.
Volume and demolition
DUFFS
and a new shoe company that was started by Brian Osborne called Beloe Footwear (pronounced Below). the styles are cool and the team is pretty good so far. Nathan Williams, Jim Ceilencki, Jim bauer just to name a few.
we are also bringing in a new line of complete bikes and frame from a company that is yet to be named. I know it’s like dangling the carrot in front of the donkey and not giving it to him, but we aren’t ready to announce who that company is yet. It’ll be a good move though.

Photo: Tristan Thiel

How long have you been riding?
I have been riding a bike of some kind since I was 5 years old, I skateboarded for ten years when I was in my teens. started riding a BMX bike again seriously since I was 21. I am 32 years old now… you do the math.

What kind of stuff do you typically ride?
I’ll ride anything that doesn’t get me dirty. I don’t like getting dirty. mostly street now-a-days since it’s free and creative. skateparks in the winter or traveling to ride street. Skate parks are fun but that part of my riding has been neglected. I like a good minispine with sub boxes or bowl corners. the old Chenga bowl was so Fun. I miss that bowl. I don’t like big ramps. call me a pussy or what ever but little ramps like 5 feet tall are fun to me.

What are some of your favorite tricks to do?
Anything backwards. 180’s, backwards manuals. I like smith grinds. I just recently started getting into sliding rails and 360 hops…
I’ll never do a tailwhip or a back flip. I like to bunny hop over really tall things as well. to me that is the ultimate cool feeling. bunnyhopping over or onto something taller than your bike. I am not that great of a rider or anything like that so I like to keep my riding fun and simple.

What are some of the stuff you do outside of work and riding bike?
I have a family. A brady bunch of sorts. I have two kids of my own Nathan who is 10 likes to skateboard and ride his bike with me. Mya who is 9 likes to create anything, drawing, clay sculptures, painting, beadwork, jewelry all that. very creative that one.
I have a girlfriend Jill that has a daughter Zosia (zo-sha) that is 3. So when I am not working or riding I am a regular family guy. outside of all that when I get some free time I like to paint, draw, ride my fixed gear to the bar. hang out with good friends. I am a busy guy so family takes the front seat to any of that…

What are you of your more memorable things revolving around riding?
there is a lot.
Meeting Jay Miron for the first time. actually having him call me out of the blue to set up a meeting since he was going to be in Minneapolis.
helping set up the metro jam in 03 and getting to ride the set up during pro practice.
Going on the road trip with all those cool riders last January..
riding the T-1 ramp with Joe Rich, actually not riding but watching Joe ride that ramp.. ha ha
the first time I did a handrail. they were bugging me for the longest time and finally I did one and they’re actually nothing really. more of a mind fuck.
riding the Unit and Mirra’s place a couple of years ago. it’s all surreal.

Any big trips planned for 08?
maybe… we’ll see. I like to keep it on the DL until it drops.. just kidding. We plan on going on Mega tour next spring. I am not sure who I am bringing along for that one but it will be the same core dudes from QBP with an addition since one of the guys left QBP to go to school and a couple guys from our vendors teams.
This coming summer I plan on going to Europe. Not work related, just me my bike and a back pack full of cigarettes. I hear the cigs are shit over there. just kidding. No real plans but Amsterdam and Germany are in the agenda. I am using this trip as a sort of self discovery trip since I will be alone and in a foreign land where Americans aren’t liked too well. maybe me being an actual Native American might make them less abrasive towards me. who knows…

What do you plan on doing over the winter since, unless global warming is coming on fast, there should be snow?
Travel….. I am getting away from the snow more this year. Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona are on my trips wish list. when I am home I will be the all American dad you know. we also have a messenger race on super bowl weekend that I ride in every year last year it was -18 degrees outside with out the windchill and we still went for it. fun stuff but damn cold thank god for the liquor.

Any new stuff your working on (video parts/tricks/ anything really with riding)?
not too much. supposed to be filming for a friends video but our schedules haven’t meshed well. as far as tricks go? always working on something but it’s all personal I have nothing to prove to anyone. the main thing I am always working on though is my health. I want to keep riding for as long as I can not only that I want to live a long fat free life. I was a fat ass back in the day. made riding harder. now I am down about 40lbs since 2005 and my riding is better and I can ride for longer. so weird how much a little weight loss can affect your ability to handle a bike.

Quality did a bmx road trip this past year, do they plan on doing it again or was it a one time deal?
we’ll go on more. the funny thing about that is we got all that coverage. both the video and the magazine and the cost for everyone involved was very little. That is good when you are working with major companies that watch their bottom line and their spending like a hawk. since it was so inexpensive to do for the lot. more companies are psyched on it and want to go on the next one. QBP was happy with the outcome and the cost of it so they are more than willing to send us out on another one. I guess there is nothing really funny about that answer… ha ha

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What are some of the songs/artists your into right now?
my music taste is all over the board. It all depends on my mood. I can’t nail down a certain artist, song, or genre for that matter so I’ll do the first 10 random on my iPod.
1. Bad dreams interlude – Lyrics born
2. Sofaking – Danger Doom
3.all the same to me- Lucero
4. Touch and Go – the cars.
5. a boy’s best friend – The White stripes.
6. Kiss – Prince. (hey I’m from minnesota)
7.untitled track by Buck 65 from the vertex album.
8. Jailhouse- sublime.
9.Winning style – propellerheads
10. Shovel- Aesop Rock.

Favorite video/video part?
I watch a lot of web videos. but for hard copies… left/ right, roadfools 8, the shook series, can I eat, no where fast, and the wethepeople video from a few years ago for me that video was groundbreaking visually.
parts? Ian Schwarts/chad shack in the system vid. Dan/Joe Cox in any web video part. any part from any animal video, Jonah Lidberg in that one ride video where he filmed himself so good I love that dude. no homo.

Any shout outs?
man, there are a lot of people I can thank. Mike, Leigh, and Jon at eastern for helping me out with bike parts… Thomas at KHE for custom making a geisha hub for me in purple so my bike can match. Jill and my/our kids for supporting me and my riding/ working/ traveling, and scabby shins. Ralph at animal for good deals and for standing his ground, I respect that. Nuno/Jim at odyssey, Nuno was the first industry dude to give me a part for my bike. it was awesome. Jim at sunday. Brian at Beloe footwear, Ron at shadow/sparky’s, Crandall for being awesome. stew for putting up with our disarray during the trip. Both Dave’s at greasy comb. Tom at Empire for being a down ass dude. Chad at Mesh for opening my eyes to what a store should look like. Harrison at defgrip, Kerry at rise above, Chris at Blackout, John at Lastcall, Matt at Profile, everyone at Tenpack in Vancouver. Bill Dies from Ride BMX for keeping me drunk every year at the NORA cup, all the bike companies I have had contact with in the past I thank you for the job you are doing and the dedication you have to our sport and lifestyle. All my local friends and riders. Jonah Lidberg, Eric Holley, Nick Anderson, Ben Austin for making my riding look good on film. Tony Mortenson, Phalndus A for the greenery hook up from time to time, All the guys at Surly bikes. If I wasn’t in BMX I would be in Surly. They’re a cool bunch of fellas. There are so many I know that I’m forgetting some… anyone who has given me a bike part, pair of shoes, t-shirt, a couch to sleep on, or a hit off their blunt I thank you.

Last words?
Keep BMX fun for yourself! It’s not a contest all the time.
Some may notice I shout out a lot of industry dudes, some of which are our direct competitors. To me I look at BMX as one big organic mass that everyone involved has a critical part in. I am not about disliking someone because they work for so and so, or for this company, or this distributor.. Yeah business is business but no one company, distributor, or bike shop can rule it all. It takes all of us doing what we do to the best of our ability to make BMX successful. however without the competition there is nothing to strive for. Besides, outside of work, I would and sometimes do hang out with the guys we are competing against. We all do the same thing, Ride a little kids bike, Just have fun with it.

(I think this is Todd, I youtubed his name)

Video Credit: BJ from Underline