As you know, Craig rips… You also know that news broke yesterday of him being put on Eastern’s pro team, so it is kind of weird how I happend to send him an interview just a few hours before that came up.. So, here is the interview it’s a good one!
Name:
Craig Allen Mast
Location:
Youngstown, Ohio
Sponsors:
DC shoes, Eastern bikes, fender guitars
Years Riding:
about 5
You have been popping up all over lately at the big contests! Is it hard to get around being only 17?
Na, its not so bad DC is real good about sending me everywhere. But being 17 is deffinately rough when traveling, I cant sign for anything, and im not a huge fan of being left out of the festivities.
Are you still in school or what?
Ya, i”m still in school. My high school is paying for me to take online courses. They agreed to do it after the superintendent saw me on NBC for the dew action sports tour.
You recently got 3rd at Jomo pro, how do you feel about that contest? any highlights of the weekend for you.
That’s definately one of my favorite contests, they treat the athletes great. Every minute of the contest was a highlight for me.
You are doing front flip flairs on pretty tiny quarters, how the hell did you pull that one off?
Ive been messing around with that trick for awhile now, but i was never able to figure it out. 3 days before the contest i took a trip out to camp woodward. It took me about 5 trys on the resi before it just clicked. And that was about it, now I got it. But so every one knows Keith Macilaney invented it on vert. ( i know i spelled his name wrong)
Actually in general how the hell did you get so good?
Haha, never give up.
You have been riding with a full face the entire time, why? Do you dislike the way you look? (haha kidding)
(laughs) well it acually took me quite some time to get smart. I knocked 4 front teeth out twice, ripped my chin open 3 times, and broke my jaw, before i decided enough is enough, best thing i ever did.
In 06′ you were 35th in in the dew tour standings.. 17th last year, what are you looking to do for 08′?
1st or at least top three, and if not this year the next.
Since your still in school, what do your friends think of you being on tv and stuff?
Well i haven’t seen a whole lot of those kids for awhile, but they did play a bio i did for fuel tv. ounce at my school. I think they think its dope.
How are things going with the sponsors, when will you see you bumped up to the pro teams?
Thats funny you asked this, because i acually got picked up by eastern yesterday and they put me on the pro team. But i have to pay my dues it will come with work.
Your riding is pretty crazy, who or what are your biggest influences on your riding?
I used to ride a park called Section 8, i would give it more than half the credit for my riding today. But I guess their would be three people in general that helped me mold threw out the years. Steve lucket, Sonya, and Steve Cuesta were their names. They all helped me out so much. Steve Lucket was the owner, he let me ride for free and gave me many a motivational speech. And Cuesta was kinda the reason i started riding. He did every thing he could to help me out.
If you could only ride one kind of thing for a week, what would it be and why?
a section 8 kinda thing. R. I. P.
This might seem odd, but what tricks can you not do?
I cant 720 anything big, never could cant figure it out.
If you could play a game of BIKE with any pro, who would it be and why? and would you win?
Allen Cooke, cause i would laugh the whole time. Big ramps he wins, small ramps i win.
If you could ride anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I would do anything to flow threw section 8 again.
Outside of the contests do you have any trips or video parts planned?
Eastern has a tour coming up in june, but other than that my schedule is pretty empty.
You would appear to be a trainer, do you train at all or just wing it?
haha a trainer huh? I guess you could say that. I realized quickly that if i wanted to do this for ever i had to make a living. But in the end im just trying to ride.
What do you think you would be up to if you never got into BMX?
Id probably be sitting in math class hating my life.
Outside of riding what are some of your interests?
playing that fender is a huge interest of mine. I love making music.
Since your getting close to being done with high school, do you plan on going to college or try this whole bmx thing out?
Ill probably end up going but for now ill just stick with what makes me happy, my bike.
How is the relationship status, aren’t you dating like a 24 year old? How did you pull that one off?
Hahaha, shes so not stoked right now. Na shes only 20. She’s awesome tho, definately makes me happy.
Rumors are that a score board fell on her once?
Hahaha, This rumor is true. In Baltimore last year for he first stop of the dew action sports tour, she was standing in the vip stands when a huge time clock fell on her head. It cut her forehead to the bone. The best part about it was that it happened 5 minutes before my run. Talk about stress. !
What are some bands your into?
Metallica!, Metallica!, Rush.
What is your dream car?
Blue Shelby mustang
What are some really big things you believe in? Like life wise..
I believe that Jesus saves. He saved me once.
If you are able to vote by the time that comes around, who are you or would you vote for?
Probably the green party, the other choices aren’t so good.
What would you do with the money if you won the lottery?
no idea.
What kind of advice do you have for kids just getting into bmx?
have fun, hold onto your teeth, helmets are cool, your parents are your best sponsor.
What kind of advice do you have for people looking to get into the contest circuit?
I would tell them to do their own thing, thats the only way to stand out.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to Eric from DC shoes, Leigh Ramsdel from eastern, Allen Cooke, Steve Cuesta, Steve and Sonya, Dave Mirra, my best friend Malone, My awesome women Mia, my mother and my father, and God.
Anything else you would like to add I forgot?
Get sick!
