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
