Over the years I’ve definitely become a fan of George. Not only can he kill it on a bike, he can also kill it behind the camera as well. Without a doubt, things have definitely been going well with George lately. Graduating college, getting bumped up to the Mutiny pro team and being added to the Empire team are just some of the things that he has going on these days. I figured there was no better time than now to get ahold of him. So let’s find out more about him!
Name: George Boyd
Location: Denton, Texas
Sponsors: Mutiny, Odyssey, Empire & V-Club
Years riding: 10 years
What was it that first got you into BMX? Any early memories come to mind?
I used to ride bikes in a circle around my house when I was a youngster and one day my dad put a board with a brick or two underneath it. Then with time there was more and more bricks underneath that board and it eventually developed to a couple friends and I going to a skate park called Freestyle and I haven’t stopped since.
My Dad used to take us when we were kids in middle school on little trips we called BM teX tours – We’d go all around to Texas skate parks each summer, that was the best.
Photo: Dan Miller
So you just got the bump up to the Mutiny Pro team. How did Gaz and Joe let you know? Were you expecting it?
Psyched! Gaz had mentioned it a couple times over the phone and it eventually led to becoming official with the New Year 2012 coming around.. I definitely never expected to make it to the pro level on a BMX bike, it’s a dream come true. There are a lot of amazing riders out there so it’s a huge honor to be on the Mutiny Pro team.
What do they have in the works for you? Trips, videos, signature parts or anything cool like that?
We went on a Mutiny trip to El Paso in January, the video and Ride UK article are out now. Walter Pieringer was behind the lens on that trip so I’m really happy to see the end results.
Mutiny is planning a trip-like event as we speak/type which is pretty exciting. Gaz always has something in the works for the team, so I’m sure there are going to be things coming up in the near future.
You have been on Odyssey for a while now. How are things going with them? I know they always have something rad cooking. Any plans with them?
Odyssey is amazing. I just got back from the trip of a lifetime with the entire crew in Palm Springs. We got to stay in a great house, ride, and hang out in some near perfect weather. It seriously was Being able to be on a team that makes quality parts with so many awesome riders that I looked up to while growing up is too cool.
So, you also just got picked up by Empire. How psyched are you about that? Will you have a full part in Bad Idea, whenever that comes out? What else does Tom and Tina have cooking with you?
Empire! So so so excited about this. I have been ordering bike parts from Tom & Tina since the Trend days, so to be a part of a company I supported and looked up to while growing up makes me happy. Unfortunately I won’t be able to have a full part due to me tearing my ACL last March. But I have a pretty decent amount of clips and the entire video is going to be rad.
What’s going on with V-Club these days? Are you guys working on a new DVD or any web edits? I feel like it has been a while since I’ve seen anything.
Jeremy Hrabal actually just came out with two new t-shirt designs, so V-Club is still kicking. We are not working on a DVD as of now, but there is talk of some new Web edits coming out in the not so distant future.
Any other sponsor news you can tell us about?
That’s all I got! And all I could ask for haha
So now that 2012 is fully under way, what are your plans? Do you have any trips you want to take at some point?
I’m always looking and hoping to go on a trip to somewhere new. I’ve been on a trip to El Paso with Mutiny & Palm Springs with Odyssey so far this year and I’m sure there is more to come. Mutiny has plans to get started on something really soon!
Since I know the weather in Texas is about 1000 times better than it is in Minnesota, where have you been getting most of your riding time in? Any spots in particular you have been really psyched on?
HAHA, I almost would argue against that. The spring fall & winters here are great, but summer time is nearly half the year and is so hot it’s really not enjoyable to ride all that often. But lately I’ve been riding this pre fab park in my town of Denton, sounds lame but it’s actually a dang good time. I usually spend a lot of time riding ditches when I’m home, I’m always psyched to ride some ditches
Photo: Dan Miller
What’s the scene like where you are living these days? Any up and coming dudes you think people will hear about in the future?
The scene in Denton is really awesome; there is only about 5 people who ride on a regular basis out here. It’s a tight niche out here cause we’re 45 minutes from the main cities. It’s a small enough town we could all ride to one another’s house. We just cruise around, session, and we usually just end up eating food haha. Every one here shreds a good bit, my favorite bud to watch out here is Travis Kincaid, some ppl have seen his riding I’m sure – he’s got the styles & also is a talented photographer. Also Alex Hammett is the new kid out here, so write those names down and keep your eyes peeled.
I know you mentioned you were planning on moving at some point here soon. Any ideas for where you would like to go? Is Austin an option or are you looking to mix things up a bit?
Yessir, looking to move in the near future, I love Denton but it’s time for a change. Austin is an option and is high on my list of possibilities but at this point in time I’m looking to change it up a bit more and try my luck out west. I’ve got a sister and some family in the L.A. area, the weather is too good out there, and with a degree in film it only makes sense for me. But I’m not committing to anything yet so we’ll see what happens when it happens.
I know you just had your welcome to the Mutiny Pro team edit drop, which was awesome, but have you been filming for another edit or video part? When can we expect to see some fresh footage of you popping up?
Thank ya sir! I’ve got clips in the Mutiny video from our El Paso trip out now as well as photo or two in the next Ride UK from that trip. I also just returned from the Odyssey Palm Springs trip a couple days ago they have a ton of footage to review with 20 dudes riding on one trip haha. You can expect that edit to go live in the next month or so I would assume.
Living in Texas and being pretty close to Austin has definitely given you the opportunity to be around a lot of riders who motivated you to progress. Do you think you would be in the position you are in if you didn’t have that opportunity?
That’s a tough one, I am fortunate to live as close as I do to Austin. But growing up most of my motivation came from our little BMX posse when I was a kid… I think everyone is a product of their environment and who knows if things would be the same for me without Austin being so close. I’ve met some of the best people I know in Austin, which is what I feel is the best part about being so close.
It certainly would be difficult to end up in this very position if I was from somewhere out side of Texas. But thank goodness I ain’t
What do you think you would be up to if you never got into BMX? Do you think you would have been interested in film like you are?
Without BMX I am going to guess I would be still be interested with photography or film. My mind is set to work creatively so I feel like I would have eventually ended up behind a camera, but it may not have been as early as it was with BMX in my life.
What are you usually up to when you aren’t riding or filming these days? Any hobbies filling your time?
I’m currently working on a short film through my University that is taking up nearly all of my spare time. It’s called ‘Disorder’, I’m looking forward to May when we plan on finishing the film. When I’m not busy with that, I always try to find weird random gigs & jobs to keep me busy and to gain experience behind the camera.
So you graduated from college last year. What did you go for exactly?
I went to study Film. My degree says Bachelors of arts and sciences in Radio/TV/Film
Photo: Travis Kincaid
How important do you feel college is for the film career? Do you think you would be able to do the things you can do without it?
Honestly I went through the entire program thinking to myself that I could have figured all this out on my own. Especially coming from the BMX background, but there is much more to film making than most would ever imagine. There are so many more tools involved other than your camera & computer, and I can’t guarantee I would have gained as much interest and knowledge as I did without the degree. But it is in no way mandatory.
The whole college experience is easy to shrug off and say you can do without it, and truthfully you can. But what you learn by being forced to work with diverse groups of people of all skill levels and the knowledge you are able to gain outside of your specific field is what made it count for me.
What kind of advice do you have for people out there looking to pick up a camera?
Grab a camera, it doesn’t have to be a $9,999 camera. If you really want to do it, you can. Be open to criticism, film as much as you can, look at as many other films and pieces of art as you can, develop your own style, and don’t stop learning
What kind of setup are you working with these days? Any dream cameras you wish you had in your arsenal?
I’m in the DSLR gang. Rocking a 7D that currently has a Canon EF-S 17-55 2.8 lens on. I don’t plan on having this camera forever but it’s great to be able to take quality photos and video with one device. And you can’t beat the price for the video quality you get out of it.
A dream camera would have to be a Phantom cam, slow motion makes everything better and I think I would have infinite amounts of fun with one of those in the arsenal.
It sounds like you have been getting some work outside of BMX? What kinds of jobs have you had the chance to work on lately?
Indeed.
I try to get involved with random things, even if I don’t think they are right down my alley. Outside of BMX I recently was a Director of Photography for a music video by a rapper named Norris. It is not something I would listen to but it was a lot of good hard work. I also am currently the editor of a short film out of my University, it will screen in May and should be some good work.
Do you feel like having Joe Simon and guys like Walter Pieringer to help you out and answer your questions has allowed you to become better at what you do?
With out a doubt, Walter is able to get you out of any possible technical jam you could dream up, so with out him who knows what type of technical mess I would be in, haha. Joe is a crazy genius as we all know and has motivated me and showed us all that you can stretch the boundaries. Both guys are great friends of mine and I would put them up as a friend first.
So you’re kind of a jock, right? What is it about basketball that gets you so hyped? I can’t figure out how to watch an entire game.
HA! I don’t know if many or any friends would call me a jock. But I am way into basketball. I grew up playing Basketball and Baseball so it’s something that I kept interest in over the years. Once your able to understand the flow of the game and realize how crazy it is to see those guys give it their all then it becomes pretty entertaining. Also stuck on a couch after ACL surgery during the NBA playoffs helped to re-ignite that flame….
Dirk.
Photo: Travis Kincaid
Did you ever have a chance to do much with soccer? I heard those pro dudes make stacks on stacks of cash.
Hah, yeah those dudes bank… No and I honestly am absolutely horrible at the game. I played on a team last year and we lost every game by at least 4, which is a lot in soccer, haha. But the amount of skill involved with that game is insane. Kicking a soccer ball around is good way to kill time.
What’s something about yourself that might surprise people?
Umm, probably that I have a ton of interests outside of BMX, and nearly everyone I hangout with on a regular basis does not ride BMX nor have any knowledge at all about the sport.
If you could have one super power, what would you choose and why?
My super power would be the ability to teleport. Then I would never drive in traffic, wait in line, or sit on another plane flight. I could travel all the time and never worry about being late to anything again.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Teleporting. haha. No, I see myself not living where I am now and having some sort of entertaining film related job and enjoying my time.
What’s the last song you heard, movie you watched and website you visited?
Song : “New Beat” – Toro y Moi
Movie: Drive
Website: Dallas.Craigslist.org
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Oh yeah, got to thank the parents. Then comes Jeremy Hrabal at V-Club, Gaz & Joe, Jim Bauer, Tom & Tina, Sean Long, Mad Mike, Walter, Odyssey, and everyone who doesn’t take life too seriously.
Anything else you want to say?
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.
It’s BMX, don’t get mad.
Everything is gonna be alright.
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