Mike Hinkens Interview

Mike is one of those midwest guys who is all over. I respect that guy a lot for how much effort he has put into education. I have always thought education was imporant for people. It takes a little more when you are able to do well with BMX and still be motivated to move in a different career path. So, I caught up with Mr. Hinkens as students would refer to him as to see what he is up to. Enjoy.

Name:
Mike Hinkens

Location:
Milwaukee, WI

Sponsors:
Madera, Sputnic, Sun Rims, LNKF

Years riding:
13 or 14

What was it that first got you into BMX?
Well fun I guess. When i was young I always enjoyed ramping off curbs and bumps, but i suppose when i really figured out that BMX was an organized and complex culture I really got “into it.” I would say seeing friends get real bikes and trying to grind really got me interested in doing more than just cruising.

You have recently made a switch from The Take over to Sputnic. How have things been going with them and do you have any trips, filming projects, or signature stuff in the works with them?
I am super stoked about the whole situation. At first I was kind of worried about making a switch, but unfortunately, after Jeff Harrington left The Take, it was a lot different. They always treated me good and were very cool, but I never felt like I was part of the family. Everyone who got me on the team and who I rode with had left the team. When the opportunity to ride for Sputnic came up, it just seemed like the natural step. Many of the team guys were close friends of mine or dudes I had ridden with or travelled with. It just made sense. Not to mention I am super stoked on all of their products. As far as stuff in the works, since Johnny is leaving and Ronnie has to take a more intense role, he has taken this opportunity it seems, to take the next step for Sputnic. He has been in close contact with all of us and we are presently filling up a huge list of new ideas, concepts, trips, etc. It is our hope to have a whole new front going by the new year. I really have high hopes and we will see very soon.

How about Madera, anything cool going on with you and them these days?
Man, Madera is fucking awesome. I could not ride for a better company run by a better bunch of dudes. I do not say this at all to plug or brown nose, but truly, having a close friend as team manager and awesome dudes as team mates is all I could ask for. When you get to travel with the dudes you are stoked on and ride parts you like, its all perfect. We are presently just coming up at a steady pace. New limited colorways occasionally, new seats, maybe a stem, and I am working on 2 different shirts personally. It is going just perfect.

How about the rest of the sponsors? Any big news?
At this moment, not much. Sun Rims always takes care of my wheel needs due to Jon Wells being such a bad ass dude. And LNKF is just some close friends making some shirts and stuff and having good times.

I noticed lately you have been doing some updates and projects with Midwest BMX. What are some of those things you got going on over there? You always seem to be organizing some sort of event. What are some of those things these days?
Its kind of strange actually that I just started making posts on Midwest BMX in the last month or so. I have been running with Jeff and Dom forever and I guess I just never did it. Now, its great to help them get the site up as well as allow me to promote different events I run. Right now we are doing a video contest where teams film for a weekend, edit for a few days, and then we have a premeire and vote for the winners of the cash pot. It has been going awesome and the premiere promises to be a good time. I hope to do another of my sports and music festivals this early summer, Stay posted.

What are your plans once the winter hits here soon? Plenty of sessions at 4 seasons or what?
AHHHH! I just can’t handle Wisconsin winters anymore. When I was younger, Rich Mungall and I would ride in 16 degrees with snow on the ground. Now, I really don’t have fun below 30 degrees or so and I can’t find a soul who will ride with me consistently once it drops below 50. I guess I don’t blame em…I am lucky enough to have 4Seasons though, which i ride weekly and maybe more when it gets extremely cold or too snowy. They are re-doing it now so I am excited for new stuff for the winter.

You have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit these last few years. Where are some of your favorite places you have had the chance to ride?
Seriously, I have not travelled as much as many dudes, but I still have trouble even remembering half of the stuff I have ridden. For me the spots usually don’t even matter anymore, its usually about who we are riding with. Lately I have really been liking Tampa due to Matt Coplon, good street, and warm weather. I did just go to Boulder, CO, and that was fucking amazing. Good spots, hot girls, cool city, awesome people, good food…the list goes on…

Where are some places you would really like to go someday?
Everywhere. I am presently looking at getting a job teaching overseas. I am unsure where yet, but I need to see some non-American and different cultures. I am partial to tropical regions though!

What is the best part about traveling? What is the most frustrating part of it?
The best part of travelling has to be the newness of everything. Just not knowing what each day, each turn, each place will hold. As far as the most frustrating, probably the cost and the difficulty that being a “real adult” with a “career” adds to actually doing it. Its tough to just up and leave sometimes.

Who is your usual riding crew these days? Any stand out riders you think should be getting some coverage?
As of late I have been cruising with Jeff Dowhen, Jeff Klugiewicz, and Grant Castelluzzo. Those dudes all push me in different ways and we almost always have a great session. Jeff D. and Grant both are underrated as hell. They both shred hard as hell everyday and just smile the whole time. They deserve all that they should get because they are in it for the right reasons…fun and friends.

What is it about the Midwest scene that makes it different from any other scene in BMX?
I am unsure really since I have lived in this scene my whole life and only sampled others. I can tell you what makes our scene strong though: We have a group of kids that have grown up far from “pros,” companies, and sponsorships and really, honestly, don’t give a fuck about anything in bike riding except riding with friends. There is no talk of “coming up” or who rides for who, its just about riding. Obviously there are some exceptions, but in Milwaukee, most kids are super chill.

If you could change anything about BMX, what would you change and why?
This is a tough one. Its like when your favorite band in high school suddenly hit it big and was on MTV or the radio and you suddenly didn’t like them and you called them sell outs. Its a bitter sweet thing to see BMX getting so big. On one hand, to share what has made me happy with so many other kids and to have so many people I can call brothers is a great thing. Plus, there are more companies making cool stuff and more parks. But on the other hand, as a street rider at heart, more kids equals less street. Spots are not infinite. They do not get built as fast as they are taken away. As more people ride, spots get wrecked, skate stopped, etc. From that standpoint, more BMX, wrecks it for me. Thats a pretty selfish outlook though and I generally say, fuck changing BMX as a whole, just do what you want to see happen in your own scene.

What do you think you would be into if you never got into BMX?
I honestly think much worse off. Its hard to say, but BMX introduced me to the people who helped shape my life: open minded people, travellers, free thinkers, straight edge kids. I can’t say where I would be, but I feel like I would not be as full a man as I am now.

Outside of riding and working what are you usually doing?
Well, there is not that much time outside of those two things, but I guess anything to keep me busy. I dabbled in singing in bands for a while and am still working on that, I hang with the girlfriend and family, I like fishing and hunting when I get a chance…oh, and I love to eat. Ha.

If I remember right you have been doing the teaching thing for a little while now. How are things going with that these days?
Its crazy I guess. I don’t yet have my own classroom so as of now I work at one school filling in everyday where ever I am needed. I have taught everything from Gym, Math, History, Spanish, Auto, etc…I am no expert in any of those except social studies but its really awesome and random everyday. I hope to have my own classroom next year though and to really get into it.

What is the first song to come to mind?
This fucking horrendous song that all the milwaukee dudes keep screaming at each other lately to get it stuck in each others heads. It really sucks to have P.O.D. “Alive” in your head constantly.

Have you seen any good movies lately?
Yeah, “Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.” I fucking love that character and want to someday be him. Also, “Blood Diamond.” Its a really graphic depiction of the many conflicts and chaos in Africa and it really makes you think about how crazy this world really is. Scary.

What is something about yourself that most people really don’t know or have a hard time believing?
Well, usually it that I am a teacher. And from that follows, “you did good in school?” Its sad that BMXers are always veiwed as idiots.

Do you plan on voting at all here soon? Do you care to share your views on the topic?
I do plan on voting.Unfortunately as a Social Studies teacher I should know more and have more faith in the political system, however, I just vote so I have a right to complain. I really have little faith that either candidate will fix what I see is wrong…the entire root of all issues: capitalism and our brain-washed society.

What is the best advice you can give somebody?
Listen to what Nike says, “Just do it.” Seriously, think of something you wanna do, and then take the steps to make it happen. Its that easy to get started and then you just run with it.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Hell yeah…Thanks to the usuals, You and BMX Union for this, Matt at Profile, Ronnie and Johnny at Sputnic, A.J. at LNFK, Jon and Logan at Sun, Chad at UGP, all the dudes I ride with on a usual basis, Casey, Kyle, Jeff and Jeff, Grant, etc. And any person who has had a session with me and smiled with me. Good times.