Brian is BMX, well… I guess if you think about all the things he has done or been apart of over the years it would appear to be that way haha. With him taking over the team manager spot over at We The People I got an interview with him to see whats new in his life. Enjoy it!
Name:
Brian Tunney
Location:
West New York, NJ
Sponsors:
I think I’m past that. Oh wait, Alfredo sponsors me. Nation BMX! And Badashell. Deuce’s new Junior Misses collection rocks. Lots of other people hook it up, and it’s all very much appreciated.
Years riding:
22
You recently took over the spot as team manager over at We The People, what happened with Osato and how do you like it so far?
WTP just wanted Dave to be a rider. I mean, if you think about it, Dave Osato is one of the greatest overall BMXers ever. The dude shouldn’t be doing anymore than just riding his bike until he’s officially done riding his bike… So far, the tm gig is kinda invigorating. I was feeling pretty stale before I started working with WTP, and they’ve kinda restored my faith in BMX. So thanks guys.
So does this mean there will be some team changes?
Not really; the crew is totally solid.
Does We The People have any big road trips/dvds/ or anything like that planned you can tell us about?
Rob Harrison would know better than me. What say you Rob?
You are also apart of Eclat, what do you do with that part and is there any news revolving around that you can share?
Nothing til August. It’s all quite new. So far, we’ve done some PR e-mails to spread the word about the new company, but that’s about it. Once the parts come in, things will happen. But until then, we’re just spreading the word, talking to potential team riders and correcting everyone when they mispronounce the name.
Over the years you have been involved with a lot of companies either riding, being a TM, writing, or other projects, what are some of those things you have done?
I rode for a bunch of companies, TM’d DuFFs and wrote or still write for a bunch of places. I guess the biggest accomplishment is working on Dig Magazine for 11 years now. We just got a new Web site which is nice to look at too.
You do some writing and things for some websites, what are some sites you can commonly find some of your stuff?
Everything goes to www.Assblasters.org in one form or another, so I’d say just go there. It’s a blog set up by my good friend Jamie McParland, and it’s actually been going for like 5 years now, which is ridiculous. I’ll tell the story of the name while I’m at it. Before it started, I got drunk by myself and wrote “Don’t go to www.assblasters.com” on a dry erase board, just cause I thought it sounded funny. I then asked Jamie about helping me set up a Web site. He remembered seeing that quote on my dry erase board, and that was the domain name he chose.
You seem like one of the busiest people ever, how do you manage to find time to ride, sleep, and eat?
I used to a be a lot busier when I rode for Federal, managed music clearance for Props, edited Dig 9 times a year, team managed DuFFs and worked as a judge for the HSA/X-Games. I’m not busy at all now compared with five years ago…
Before it was cold from briantunney on Vimeo.
Riding is another thing you multi-task to the max with, flatland, street, park, and if I recall reading an old interview where you talked about riding trails back in the day? What are you more commonly doing and how do you feel about these different “disciplines”?
More commonly, I ride either flatland or street, which is usually decided upon by either the wind or the time of day. I can’t ride flat in the wind, and I hate riding during the day around here. (I guess I could, but there’s less people out at night.) So if it’s windy, I’ll ride street around here or in the city at night. And if it’s a calm day, I’ll ride flat at night in this underground garage nearby. I’m trying to break out of my shell, and I’ve been really good about it the past few months, but I tend to get more done when I ride alone.
As for different disciplines, when I started out riding, everyone rode everything. That’s just how it was. DMC rode flatland, vert and street. Mat Hoffman rode flatland. Dave Mirra beat me a few times in 14-15 expert flatland! I think that mindset is gradually making a comeback in BMX too, which is nice to see.
You have had the chance to travel a lot because of your bike, where are some of your favorite places you have been?
Bangkok, Thailand. Shanghai, China. Vancouver, B.C. All of Japan and Germany. But even when I go to a place that’s not too welcoming, I’m usually around close friends that will gladly share a laugh about the ridiculousness of our situation. I absolutely hate Las Vegas, but if I’m there with Leland Thurman or Stew Johnson, it’s going to be fun regardless.
Where are some places you would really like to go at some point that you have not been?
I’d like to go anywhere that doesn’t involve BMX or lugging my computer along with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very blessed for having been able to travel thanks to BMX, but I’ve also never gone anywhere that wasn’t for riding or work that involved riding. I’d love to take an e-mail-less, bike-less vacation. I’d probably go crazy, but who knows… RF14 was awesome, simply because I made it a point to stay away from the computer for 10 straight days.
Do you feel traveling is something everyone should do in their life?
Naturally. But of course, I’m not gonna force anyone to do anything they don’t wanna. I know people I grew up with that still haven’t left our hometown, and they’re perfectly happy. So yeah, I’m all for new experiences and weird situations in strange countries, but I’ll leave it up to the individual to decide.
If you could change anything about BMX, what would you change and why?
I would love to see people find the good in BMX before obviously stating whatever it might be they hate about everything. I honestly see, hear and read way too many people talking shit about everything they hate in BMX, and failing to see the good in it. I’m guilty too, but one day I asked myself, “If I hate this and this about BMX so much, why am I even doing it?” Kinda like how Luke Skywalker knew there was good in Darth Vader. There’s good inside of all the stupid things people talk shit about in BMX, you’ve just gotta search for it, or simply ignore something if it’s not your cup of tea. So yeah, less cynicism, unless you can articulate how and why as well as Russ from SPRFLS or John Paul Rogers…
Las Vegas Motorcycle Escapade from briantunney on Vimeo.
What does BMX need more of?
Individuals. People not afraid to do their own thing. It’s well on its way though, thanks in part to Catfish, Sean Burns, Leigh Ramsdell, Steven Hamilton and about 50 other awesomely strange people I’m forgetting. That and less handshaking, I think I’ve lost two years off my life from simply shaking hands with people every time I go to the Brooklyn Banks. The nod is severely underrated. Tom White and Dave Belcher will back me up on that one…
Outside of work and riding, what are some things you are into?
Normal 34 year-old kinda things; the stock exchange, Abercrombie and Fitch, Brangelina drama, Feist.
You seem like somebody who would be big into books? Have you read any good ones lately?
The last book I read was a history of Manhattan’s Lower East Side from 1850-1910 called Low Life. Aside from that, I’m a huge fan of the New Yorker, and that’s my main source of reading entertainment every week for the past decade probably.
Seen any good movies lately?
Yes. My current favorite is the Steve Rocco documentary, ‘The Man Who Souled The World.’
What kind of music do you listen to? Any you suggest people check out?
I’ve been on a huge Joan of Arc/Make Believe kick the past two months. Sandwiched between that is the new Sun Kill Moon album and Dalek’s ‘Absence.’ Not much else really right now. Except for the illustrious Heather Duby, who you can find here: www.myspace.com/heatherduby
If you could spend the day with anybody, alive, dead, fictional, who would it be and why?
Right now, it’d be my good friend Mike Vincent, who’s laid up in some sketchy rehabilitation hospital in LA following an accident in January.
What is one thing about you that nobody believes?
That I’m not a huge stoner.
If you were to win the lottery, what would you do with the cash?
Buy a house, pay off some bills and travel.
What is the best advice you can give somebody?
Brian Kachinsky told me it a few weeks ago, “Keep fucking.”
Who or what are the biggest influences on your life?
I’m really influenced by people that simply get out and do whatever they’re calling in life happens to be. I might not get psyched to go ride from watching a video part, but a certain song on my iPod will definitely push me out the door. I guess what I’m getting at is that I take influence from everything around me, internalize it and spit it out the only way I know how to; through riding my bike or writing it down. That, and the booze helps too.
What kind of advice do you have for kids just getting into BMX?
I know it’s just nomenclature, but I’m not too into the use of “kids” in regards to BMX. It draws a division between the riders and the industry. I mean, if I was to say, “Well, we need to make a hollow-pinned chain. You know, for the kids,” I’d feel as though it draws an unnecessary line between riders and industry. Yeah, there are younger people getting into BMX who might technically be referred to as “kids,” but they’re riders, and they should be respected as such. I feel like the term “kids” denotes a sense of talking down to. It’s just a pet peeve of mind though. Still, if Kevin Jones had said, “Hey kid” to me instead of “How’s it going man,” when I was 15, I’d have been bummed. It’s those little things that make all the difference… But as for riders just getting into BMX, I’d look to Van Wilder and say, “don’t take life too seriously. You’re never getting out of it alive anyway.” That, and to learn the basics, from endos to kickturns to patching a tube, before learning tailwhips.
What kind of advice do you have for somebody who wants to work in the industry as a TM/writer/etc?
Apply for food stamps, take up drinking and know that you’re going to make a few enemies along the way.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Everyone that’s helped along the way, thanks. You should all know who you are.
Anything else you would like to say?
Lord loves a workin’ man… Don’t trust whitey… See a doctor and get rid of it.
Brian Tunney Flatcrap Section from briantunney on Vimeo.
