How To: Have a Contest

May 23, 2008

Last weekend was the contest I had been organizing for the last two months or so. I figured maybe there would be other kids out there who want to have a contest but don’t know where to start. So I figured I would write down all of the steps I did to organize, and finally have the contest.

Idea
All contests start out with an idea, it just comes down to what kind you want to have. A jam at a skatepark, trails, a bunch of street spots. I think the easiest personaly is a skatepark just because it is there; there is no need to worry about constantly fixing it up or getting kicked out of the spot.
So you know you want to do the contest, and where you want it. Now, talk to your friends, get a feel for how into it they would be, see if they would be willing to help or at least throw some ideas in on how to make it good. Another thing you can do is check out bike forums like Bikeguide and The Come Up Board and just ask people what they would want in order to go to the contest. It also spreads the word too once you get it all figured out.

Do Work
After you have that all figured out, set a date with the skatepark owner or your friends, something that works for a lot of people or gives people time to get work off. Skateparks are usually cool about doing contests, it brings a lot of people to their park and gets them a little cash out of it. Street is always there just make sure it isn’t when it is rush hour, unless you guys wanna deal with a ton of people and cars if you are in a big city. Trails obviously, if you don’t want people to mess them up don’t have it there, or try and enforce the build to ride type thing as an entry fee or something.

Once the date and location is set see what you can come up for sponsors for the event, if it sounds like a promising deal a lot of companies won’t hessitate to send you stuff to toss out for prizes. Now don’t go trying to get free stuff from companies just telling them your having a contest and don’t, thats a dick move and will probably lessen the chances people who actually are having a contest can get stuff. The best way to ask is just hit up the websites of companies you are into and find an email, it is usually info@company.com, be polite and explain very clearly when, where, and your expectations of what will happen. I think because this website the companies trusted I was actually having a contest too so I think it might be harder if you are just a random kid, but it never hurts to try. Plus some companies will give you the heads up to grab a prize for yourself, but don’t take more than one or two things. I didn’t take anything until the day of and only from the prizes people said I could grab stuff from.

After you have that all planned, got some sponsors for the event, make a flyer. This may be harder for some of you kids without Photoshop or In-design but ask around if one of your friends is capable, or just take your time on MS-Paint and avoid the spray paint tool.
E-mail your flyer to websites like The Come Up, VitalBMX, Ride BMX, and any scene websites around the area.
Basically get people excited about the contest with when, where, how much, whose sponsoring it, what all is going on. Here is my flyer from the Renegade Contest

*Click to see full-sized

Just an FYI, it took two months for me to get the contest from idea to actual event, it may not take you that long but I feel like the more time the better just to promote the hell out of it and organize all the prizes from the sponsors.

The days before
When your in charge of a contest, don’t plan on making money. Actually, plan on spending money. I have no idea how much I spent, but I took a lot of my time, bought food for the grill out, and random other things. Also, making t-shirts for the event is always cool too. Team Dilly who had a street jam about 3 weeks ago made shirts for Team Dilly, they even had some for the Renegade Contest.

Photo Credits: Tristan Thiel
Lookin good plus being number 69 is a garuntee to getting chicks!
Also on the last few days before, remind people about the contest you know isn’t on the internet or around much to be constantly reminded of the event. That way those slackers won’t miss out.

The Day Of
So after all the work, the day has come for the contest. Pack up all the product and get to the skatepark early to sweep and mop up the ramps. Usually if your doing something right other people will be there to help out. The trails also will always need some work, or just get to the meeting spot for the jam just so you can get your head straight on where this is all going. Be prepared with sign up sheets and plan out how you want to run the contest, avoid single person runs people hate riding alone in contests and typically it takes a lot longer to do, so throw like 3-5 people together in a run. If you don’t have judges planned, talk to some of the people who are in the upper class and ask them to judge the lower classes, then replace the original judges when they have to ride. Also find a person to run the mic if you haven’t found one yet, if your in Minnesota I would suggest Jay Schill(sp) he was an awesome MC for the event I had and totally unplanned. If you got the cash pay Catfish to fly over and do his thing, he will be all about it plus he gets the crowd amped.

Contest is underway
Being in charge sucks, but it is worth it. The odds are you will have little or a lot less time to ride than the people just coming to compete/ride. I barely touched my bike because I was running around checking on juding scores making sure nobody is getting favored, keeping the contest running, replacing battaries in the mic, all sorts of random stuff. Have your prizes for the top 3-6 places for the different classes depending on how much stuff you have to give away. Also make sure you have a little extra to throw out for the crowd or other random games like footdown. If things were planned well enough they should just run on its own with little need to fix things.

The Contest is Over
You gave out all the prizes, nobody died, people had fun, and it was a good time for you. At least thats all we can hope for right? Help clean up the park, trails, street spots you rode. Thank the owners of the park or trails if you don’t have anything to do with that, and make sure everything is good to go before you take off to pass out from all the excitement.

So that is my views on how to set up a contest. It might not be very clear but that is how it goes for me. I have had 5 different contests since I was 13 (yes 13 and I was organizing contests) I am 19 now. So I have had about one a year, minus one year. So hopefully my insight has helped a bit and you will think about doing a contest if your motivated enough. E-mail me at BMXrochester@hotmail.com if you have any questions on things I forgot I am willing to help you out.

The Gary Young Interview

May 21, 2008

Another Gary Young interview?! Serving you up with some San D! Woozy posted that rad interview with Gary recently and this is just another little something for you all to read up on if you’re interested. I shot this interview at Gary a few months ago and after some solid heckling about it, he finally filled it out a couple days ago… Gary doesn’t care to be on the computer much and isn’t one to have heavy internet rot sessions, so it generally takes him a while to get things like this done. But thats completely understandable when you live in Sunny San Diego, where the great weather never stops kicking ass! Putting down bikes in exchange for Mac laptops is always questionable…

Your full name, age and years you’ve been shredding:
My name is Gary Bernard Chapman Young, I am twenty-four years old and I started riding sixteen years ago.

Well, we all know you’re a San Diegoian but do you ever plan on leaving us for somewhere else? Or have you ever thought about living in a far away land?
One day when my wife and I have kids. We decided that we are going to take our kids to some far away land and have them learn the language while we are there, sort of immersing them in culture, you know?

A lot, if not all people have come to know you as San Diego’s hometown hero… How do you feel about that and does it affect how you represent yourself as a rider?
Wow thanks. I don’t feel like I am any different than any other rider, we are all just having fun on kids bikes. As far as representing goes I just try to do things that I can be proud of later.

You’ve traveled to numerous countries, but is there anywhere you’ve yet to visit that you really want to see?
Everywhere I haven’t been yet.

You ride Clairemont skatepark on a normal basis with the homies, tell me how you feel about the park… Favorite lines, the dudes that ride there and the general vibe, etc…
The YMCA is awesome, they treat the bmxers so well and I am very thankful to Lazlo and the rest of the staff for that. As far as favorite lines, they change regularly because the park is always building new stuff. (Thanks Brad!) There is an eclectic mix of rad riders here, but no matter which locals end up at the park it usually ends up being a really fun session.

What’s your favorite terrain for shredding? Favorite spots and set ups to ride?
It changes with what sort of mood I am in, but the top three are street, bowls, and trails. I really liked the Empire of Dirt set up in England, it had a good mix of everything.

The new Odyssey video recently dropped, how did you feel about your section? Also, are there any lines or stunts in the section that were particularly hard to achieve? Perhaps the curve wall transfer to curve wall?
I am never satisfied with my sections, but deadlines are deadlines and videos have to come out. That curve wall haunts me I really want to go back and get it done OFFICIALLY.

You recently partook in your first actual trip with the Give D Crew, any highlights on the San Francisco trip you would like to inform those about? The parks, the crew, the college kids, etc…
That was one of the most fun trips I’ve ever been on.

Macneil’s been taking care of you for years now, how happy are you with the new line of products and designs from Macneil? Are there any new G.Y. signature products coming out any time soon?
We just revised my second frame a little bit, now the chain stays are lower so you can run any gearing now. We will have new colors and stickers around Interbike.

Describe a day in the life of Gary Young:
I get up when my wife is going to work around 8 AM. I then eat breakfast, and then check my emails and start calling dudes to go ride. Then I fight traffic run errands and ride. Then I come home and figure out dinner plans with my wife. Lastly I usually fall asleep watching Seinfeld.

Also, how do you feel about regrets?
They are over rated.

Would you happen to know the top 3 priorities of a dolphin?
Eating Fish, Playing, and Boofies!

(Editorial Note)
The top 3 priorities of a dolphin are:
1. Nestling
2. Kissies
3. Style
(I’m giving credit to Gary on that though for the use of the word Boofies!)

In the words of Crandall, How stoked are you?
I’m super stoked.

Is there any shout outs or people you would like to thank?!
My thanks goes to god, my wife, family and friends. Big thanks the GDC crew for having so much fun, also Vans, MacNeil, Odyssey, CTI, and ProTec for supporting me to live my dream. Thanks dudes!

(Photos snaked from Gary’s Myspace and top picture of Gary and the fufanu at Alameda are credited to XJosh HayesX)

Eclat Spain Trip and Video

May 20, 2008

Brian Tunney had shot me over an e-mail today talking about the recent trip the Eclat guys all took to Spain, there is a video also that is basically just photos from the trip, along with that you can see all their new products like the hubs, seats, and more. Here is the e-mail.

“This past April, the Éclat team, consisting of the UK’s Ashley Charles and the US’s Chester Blacksmith, embarked on their first team trip, from Germany to London, England, ultimately culminating in Spain. The purpose of the trip, aside from simply trying to enjoy what everyone expected would be warm spring weather, was to celebrate the launch of the Éclat brand. Both Chester and Ashley’s newly outfitted bikes featured Éclat’s Webster seats, Tibia cranks, Surge pedals, a new CNC sprocket and Éclat’s prototype hubs; and the trip served as Éclat’s first product trial by fire of sorts. Along with successful product testing, the Éclat team gathered photos and footage for an upcoming vid.

In the meantime, we’ve assembled a few photos from the trip into a slideshow. Feel free to repost on your respective Web site.

“The cool thing about this trip was that everything was new. I was glad to finaly meet everone behind the scenes at Éclat and WeThePeople. Seeing the daily operations was a real eye opener. It wasn’t just a bike company on the other side of the world that was hooking me up anymore. I got to know everyone on a personal level. Plus it got me real excited for all the stuff that’s happening this year and years to come… We spent the bulk of our trip in Spain. The weather was great. The spots were even better. And the night life topped it all. Out of the two months I was gone, there was no place like Spain. It’s cheaper than most of Europe and everyone seems laid back. After four crazy days and nights in Madrid, we headed to Barcolona for a couple days. By this time everyone was tired and ready for there own bed. But it really didn’t matter what we where doing or what the weather was like because I was having fun. Afterwards, we flew back to Cologne, and I spent four days working on new Éclat products. Altogether, the trip was amazing.” -Éclat team rider Chester Blacksmith

For more info on Éclat, check out www.eclatbmx.com“

Renegade Contest Wrap-up

May 19, 2008

The contest was held yesterday, yes the contest I have blabbing about for the last two months. It went off without a hitch, tons of people came, and from the general reaction I got from everyone it was a good time. A few things happened, a few things didn’t. The contest was basically winging it just because I had no idea how many people were coming, but in the end at one point there was over 100 people packed into the park.

Click the Read More for the rest of the pictures and Results.

So I packed up the S.U.V with my buddy Alex and got ready to hit the road about 10 a.m, it is an hour drive to get to the park.

So we got to the park and got some stickers and banners put up around the park, thanks to Tim, Chris, Dustin, and Mike for mopping and sweeping as we got there, made life a lot easier.

So after that the doors opened up at noon and there was 20 people there within the next 15 minutes so that was cool, I was really stoked on that. As time went on by 2:30 when the contest finally got underway after waiting out a bit for a few car loads of dudes who had called. I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, and didn’t get any good riding shots. However, I will have a photo update from the Tristan Thiel and the other photographer guy who was there once I get those.
Also my buddy Seth had filmed the contest, and then Mike was also filming so there will be two videos.

Mike with the camera

A big thanks goes to Jay and Deljon for running the mic all day! Jay is amazing when it comes to doing announcing for stuff, and Deljon made it awesome too. I couldn’t have done it without those dudes.

I didn’t have any plans for judges when I got there, I mean obviously that was on my mind, we managed to talk Brandon Morcomb, Dustin Griess, and Bink into juding the beginner and intermediate class. Then I didn’t know the other 3 guys, I know one guy was from Wisconsin and I think the other two guys were on Team Iowa, I lost my sheet of names so I am sorry about that, but big thanks to you guys too!

Before the contest started I had got to tossing a few prizes, there was a pair of Beloe’s in a size 9 I had got from Brian Osborne, so I figured get all the size 9 people up in for a big game of Rock Paper Scissors, and it was pretty awesome, Little Caleb rocked dominated everyone and won some shoes for his dad Todd who rides and is a size 9 ironically. Father son team work! Will be video footage of this.

Beginner class kids, 1st- Colton (red) 2nd- Caleb (blue) 3rd- Tyler (grey)

After this I didn’t get much for group shots, I know Tristan did so don’t worry.

That was some of the Intermediate guys, then that was some of the prizes, I had 15 bags of prizes.

I don’t have the results for the intermediate class due to me losing the sheet somewhere. The results should turn up on Renegade’s website soon enough. At least top 3 that is.

We had a silent contest I came up with. I had recieved some Slam Bars from S&M and whoever took the biggest crash got the bars. Andy, I don’t have his last name but he came with Grant Castelluzzo ruben rode a wall out of a quarter and went flying into a ledge and took about a 6 foot drop to flat and got beefed, he was all right but I awarded him the Slam of the day award with those bars. He was stoked I think. I believe there will be video footage of that.

1st place expert got $100, $35 gift certificate to Albes, a 1 year Subscription to Ride BMX, and a gift card to To Die For’s Online store.
Dustin Griess got 1st

2nd place got $60, $35 gift certificate to Albes, a 1 year Subscription to Ride BMX, and a gift card to To Die For’s Online store.
Bink got 2nd

3rd place got $40, a 1 year Subscription to Ride BMX, and a gift card to To Die For’s Online store.
Aj Haines got 3rd

After that I still had a WHOLE crap load of stuff to give out, I was so pumped on the sponsors hooking it up big. I got a huge group of kids and dumped shirts, stickers, grips, a sprocket got thrown into the group, and just a whole bunch of stuff, the kids were stoked. I didn’t snap a picture because my hands were full throwing stuff.

Then Deljon got an idea, put some prizes on the box jump and play red light green light.. Ya know, go when I say, stop when I say, first one there wins. Well… it got rough..

I heard somebody got head butted, Tristan man aped and ran in with all his camera gear.. yeah over $1500 of camera gear around his neck and he jumped in, what a nutter.

After that there was footdown, I forgot to snap a photo, but I don’t remember who won, but I do recall it being halarious and people got jacked, I know Tyler (one of the kids in the beginner class) went head first into the padded pole and Wyatt (seein in the 2nd to last photos with the tattoos) rocked Dustin Griess haha. It was awesome. Winner got I don’t even remember.

There was also a “who can go the highest on the vert wall” contest, Tristan did a double hand plant slap on the very top, and tumbled down to his ass, he was okay but the video footage of it is wild. Wyatt actually won it by airing out, this vert wall is about 20 feet tall, and has about 3 feet of transition, think about that.
You will see it in the video I am sure.

So overall the contest was super fun, the turn out was GREAT, and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun, big shout out to Grant Castelluzzo and Andy coming out from Millwaukee, and that one dude from Chicago, dudes from Team Iowa, Mike Porter (I remember your name now haha)and just everyone else who made the trip I know the majority of us had to drive at least an hour to come to it.

Big thanks to all the sponsors!
Give D,The Take,Monster, Standard, Fit, DK, Alienation, Beloe Shoes, BMXinvasion, Interbmx.com, The Come Up, Ride BMX ,Hell On Earth,S&M,UGP,Albes, To Die For

CHECK BACK SOON FOR MORE PHOTOS! AND ANOTHER CONTEST WINTER 08′-09′ SOMETIME.

nove igre bmx

May 18, 2008

I have no idea what Nove Igre BMX is, but I heard it the other day and I want to know what it means! I tried language converters but couldn’t figure it out, so if somebody knows leave it in the comments.

That is beside the point, I am leaving in about an hour to drive up to Renegade
(Keep reading there is a video inside!)

for the contest. It will be pretty good, I had heard a lot of people are coming so if you can still go and see this, go!

*Click to make big!

There is the flyer, minus To Die For Clothing and ALBES logo since I was too lazy to get the other flyer instead I just copied and pasted from another post.

So be there kids!

Also here is Ben Polaschek’s part in Jonah Lidbergs old video Climate Control, Jonah’s part and Josh Nendza’s will be uploaded soon and I will for sure post it when I get it. This video is from 2000 just if you couldn’t tell.

Climate Control 2000 from Ben Polaschek on Vimeo.

Nove Igre BMX <<< WHAT IS IT!!! Comments if you know.

Nick Lucas Video

May 16, 2008

Nick Lucas is a super good rider and a way cool guy. I came across this on youtube and had to post it. It has a bunch of clips from Renegade where the contest I am throwing is this Sunday from noon to close. I got boxes ontop of boxes of goods to give out so be there!

Kevin Kiraly Interview

May 16, 2008

Kevin had a really good web video come out about a week ago and he had done pretty good last year in the Dew Tour so the interview was in need. So we got it done, enjoy!

Name:
Kevin Lajos Kiraly

Location:
Livermore California

Sponsors:
Redline Bicycles, Alpinestars, Beloe footwear

Years riding:
like 6 or 7

It seems like lately you have really blown up. Did you ever expect to be riding bikes as a career?
Well not really, i always wanted to but dreams are dreams haha

You recently had a web video for redline come out, do you have any other video parts or web edits in the works?
The Redline web vid turned out pretty cool, i was really siked on it, it was just me messing around at my park and it didnt turn out half bad, so there will probably a lot more in the future. But as of right now im filming for an unnamed video with full parts from some gnarly dudes like Corey Bohan and Kym Grosser.

How are things going with Redline, any news you can share like road trips, videos, signature parts, or anything like that?
Well right now im riding my signature sticker way G5 frame, that wont be available for a couple months, and im Buying a High Definition camera soo hopefully ill be able to makes Some HD Web vids for redline.

Your also on Beloe, what was it like to be asked to be apart of that team and how did it all come about?
I was Soo happy when Brian asked me if i wanted to be apart of Beloe, especially after he told me who was on the team. company’s awsome

Is there any signature stuff from Beloe coming from you or> anything big involving you and Beloe?
No, no signature stuff for me but i think Jim C is getting a signature shoe

How about the rest of the sponsors? Anything big going on> with those?
Nothing really besides my redline frame stickerway thing.

Your obviously able to ride ramps, what are some of your favorite things/places to ride?
I definetly ride the park almost everyday, But i love riding street, i definetly get more satisfaction riding good street then good park.

Did you grow up racing at all or have you just been freestylin since day 1?
I raced when i was really young but quit when i was about 11, then started freestyling when i was like 16.

How do you feel about contests? Do you plan on doing the Dew Tour again this year?
contest are fun and stressful at the same time. Yes i will be at the dew tour this year, i stayed in high enough points last year to be prequalified for this year. Theyre fun though.

You get to travel a fair amount, where are some of your favorite places you have been and where are some places you would like to go at some point?
I have only been inside the united states, probably my favorite place is Greenville North Carolina, i know i know, such a generic answer but that place is amazing, soo fun and soo many amazing riders. I definetly want to go to Barcalona, and australia.

If you could go on a road trip with 5 people to ride, who would you bring and why?
this is an easy one, Colin Mackay, Garrett Reynolds, Ty Morrow, Danny Hickerson, and Gator. All those guys are amazing people and amazing riders and if you dont know Gator, hes the MirraCo TM and one of the funniest people ive ever met.

You seem to have quite a bag of tricks, what are some tricks that give you the most trouble?
Vador jams and downside double peg grinds, both those tricks ive tried numerous times and can never get them.

If you could change anything about BMX what would it be and why?
wish they still called stem’s goose necks.

Have you had any serious injuries on your bike?
Broken pinky, ive been super lucky soo far “knock on wood”

Outside of riding what are some things you are into?
im really into filming and video editing, my dog, and the GF

Do you work at all other than ride? If not what kinds of jobs have you had in the past?
im lucky enough to not have to work, but i did work at the bike shop for a month then quit.

How do you feel about getting loose? Strippers? and public intoxication?
Its fun, getting loose with your good friends is always amazing.

If you could hook up with any actress/model/person who would it be and why?
Probably Scarlett Johanson (probably spelt her name wrong) just because shes super hott!

What is something crazy that has happened to you that nobody believes?
not sure, nothing worthy to tell

What are some bands or music you are into?
definetly into chill electro indie stuff. Fisherspooner, elkland, peter bjorn and John.

Seen any good movies lately?
I am Legend, i like those kinda future Movies.

How do you feel about school?
its kool if you like it, i sucked at school so i wasnt really into it.

Who or what are some of the biggest influences on your life?
My Older Brothers, Mom, DAD, Colin Mackay, Optimus Prime.

If you could be sponsored by any non-bmx related company, who would it be and why?
Probably Audi So i can have dope cars, or subway because i always eat it.

What are some things you would like to accomplish in the next few years?
Travel More, Win a Big comp so i can have a sweet trophey, move out of my mommy’s.

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
Teleporting so i can go anywhere i want, best power to have for sure!

What kind of advice do you have for kids who are just getting into BMX?
Learn the little stuff first, learn to tire tap before you learn to tailwhip.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
I want to thanks everyone at redline, Fuzzy, Gork,John and Evan, you guys have been amazing, Brian at Beloe, your the man, send me some white stickers, alpinestars and Bmxunion, Chyea!

Anything else you would like to say?
Na im going to sleep

See More BMX Videos at VitalBMX.com

Mathew Lawton Interview

May 15, 2008

Running a bike company is a hard thing to do. Starting a company from nothing is even harder. Matt is the owner of Tempered Bikes, hes also everything else a normal company would have so he is a busy dude, but lately things have been good to him. We got talking and ended up doing an interview and this is what he has to say… Enjoy

Name:
Mathew Lawton

Location:
Brisbane, Australia.

Sponsors:
Cropthorn Clothing, Covenant Distribution and i guess Tempered haha

Your the guy behind Tempered bikes, it seems like just recently things have
been picking up with that?

It has been really good not just for me but also for my team these last few months, I mean Tempered has been around
For a few years now but it is only starting to get recognised world wide, which is awesome.
I guess a lot more people are starting to see our gear and what were about and they just digg it!
I am really glad the way things are going and i can see they are only going to get better.

In another interview you did recently you had talked about how you didn’t rush into
starting to make products, do you feel like your research was worth the time?

Well thats another reason why Tempered is only just starting to get out there, I spent a long time just researching
and testing prototypes that for a while there it felt like things would never eventuate and a few people were always
in disbelief.
I feel that it was definitely worth all the time because over the years i feel that Tempered has grown a lot of respect
and people were always eager to hear more about it because it was never easily accesible like it is today and i think
that is what has seperated tempered from a few other companies that kind of Pop up one week and then they are world wide
the next because they have the money and they know the right people in this industry.

What is the biggest difference between your company and other companies that are
new? What about compared to companies that have been around for a while?

I could say a bunch of things for this question but i strongly think in reality that each company both new and old has the
same goals and aspires to the same dreams that i have with TemperedBikes it seems these days as soon as one company brings
out something new every other company jumps on the bandwagon, but if that is what the riders love and that’s what sells then
why do kids whinge about people copying people, when they are only suppling riders with the shit they want?
I mean when it comes down to it, a set of handle bars is just that. The only thing that can be changed is the paint, stickers
and the company name behind the product and it is the image of a company that will set it out from one another.
With TemperedBikes i really push Artwork into everything i do and make sure that i put as much effort into getting amazing
artwork to go with the products then i do with the designing and sampling process, which is pretty dam stressful!
But at the same time i am saying this, i really push unique styles into my products most of the time it is more “Cosmetic Changes”
to the product to give it a whole different look from what else is currently on the market.

Your based out of Australia, what is the reaction you are getting from people about
the Tempered goods?

Inside Australia it is pretty good, mostly from riders. A lot of shops can sometimes be a bit iffy about new companies without
a distributor because they know that it can be hard to deal straight with the company if they are new and most likely to be always
out of stock. But then you get some shops that are really phsyced about new Aussie companies and they will order a bunch of gear of
you straight away and support you strongly 100%.
Riders in Aus are pretty much all about sticking to the local scene and supporting Australian companies, but when your up against
some of the other popular companies in this industry it is always tough!

Recently you were picked up by a few Euro distributors, how is that and where do
you expect it to go from there?

Yeah for a few months I had been talking to Martin from RideIt over in Latvia about them becoming our Europe Distributor.
They still have not received any shipments yet, just because of the lead time and shipping times are a bit hectic, but hopefully
riders will be seeing some Tempered Gear over there very soon!
I can’t really expect much or have really high hopes that it is going to sell crazy because this is our first deal outside of
Australia and i have no idea what to expect!
Everyone over at RideIt seems really cool and are all riders so i know im in good hands!

You were also recently picked up by Tripple Six, a distributor for Australia and New Zealand. How did this all come about and when can people in these areas expect to start seeing things showing up for them to buy?

Yes just today [a week or two ago] actually was the deal confirmed with Triple Six!It was kind of weird how it all happened because i had been in talks with a nother big distro for Australia but they had been so busy with a lot of other things for a while that nothing really eventuated from it.And then one day Clint Millar from Tripple Six got in touch with me about it and was really excited on all the new stuff from Tempered and he has helped me out so much since then!The first batch of the 08/09 range should be in stores Australia and New Zealand wide in about 3-4 months!Triple six is one of the biggest and most respected in the industry so i am so excited to see where things go from here!

What is your Australian team looking like so far, is it primarily unknown guys?
You were working on getting a Euro team rolling with the new distributors, have you
picked any people yet?

The team so far is Tom Stretton, Jerard Vandervalk, Mitchell Macdonald, Mathew Lawton, Justy Bumpstead and Jamie Warren.
The guys are pretty unknown outside of Australia but they are pretty well known within Australia.
They are all amazing riders each having different styles and personal qualities which i have chosen because i feel that they
all resemble Tempered in the exact image i want. I am hoping with a bunch of web edits we are working on and general adverts
these guys names will get out there a bit more, because they all deserve to be living the BMX dream no less than most of the
guys who are.
I have been talking with the Euro Distro about a “Tempered Euro Team” and although they have showed me a few videos of riders,
nothing is legit just yet!

Your the only guy employed by Tempered, so your basically doing 20 different jobs,
do you plan on getting more employees anytime soon?

It’s funny you say that a lot of people look at me like some lazy dude because i sit at a computer most days all day, but i dont
just chill on myspace or watch videos, I’m constantly busy working and i know a lot of guys in the industry would know what im
on about!
I have to do all the paper work, all the sales, Invoicing, adverts, artwork, shipping documents, Contracts, sending gear out to
shops or customers, receiving big orders of products from the harbour and there is like a hundred more things i have to do each
day to keep Tempered running smoothly and on top of that i work about 4 days at a factory and the rest at a BMX store.
I only have sundays free to myself but i usually find myself on this dam computer doing emails!
I have thought about employing a few people in the past and i have tried it out but they are usually friends of mine who get too
lazy because they think its just a chill deal and i end up having to hassle them for shit!

Do you do all the designing of the products? How long does it take for you to go from idea to prototype
to distributors etc.?

If the idea for a new product hasn’t come from me then it has come from one of the team or someone onboard with tempered(artists, filmers etc),
because they are all riders too with awesome ideas.
From thinking up of the idea to getting everything on paper can take anything from a week to forever because in the mean time you have
so much going on with everything else your constantly being sidetracked and the ideas are getting more mangled and lost in your mind.
But if things go well and you have a solid plan on paper and your speaking with the manufacturer about the idea then getting a sample
can take about 3-9 months depending on what it is. I remember my first set of sample frames took around 11 months to get to me from when
i sent the designs to them arriving on my door. 11 months for 4 frames…..
From prototype to hitting the market…that part all depends on how much testing and beating you can put into the product…I have been running
sample handle bars and forks for over a year now and the latest style which only features some cut outs are only just about to be made
available for distributors.
I guess at the end of the day it depends on the company and their beliefs in the structures of their products…..or they wish to fill their pockets.
As your company expands manufacturers tend to make note of the importance of your company and they start to move your companies rank higher
up the ladder and push harder for lead time on samples and orders.

What is your warranty situation looking like, have you seen much product getting
warrantied?

I have been selling Frames and parts for a bout 18 months now solidly and i have never had anything come back to me for warranty,
which is pretty dam good in this industry!
Tempered is definiely living up to its name!

Do you have any big plans coming up team wise, like road trips, videos, web edits, whatever?

We are always filming for web edits and projects for Tempered, Just recently we went on a 5 day road trip, which was more of a chilling
trip for the team and we ended up making a pretty banging web edit from the trip!
We have a few projects going on at the moment so i guess keep hitting the website to find out all about it!
We are working on a full length DVD but there is no dates for releases yet.

What are some things you would like to accomplish with Tempered in the next few years?

I would definitely love to be able to offer Tempered products world wide and offer a whole range of unique products that no other company
has available.
In the few years Tempered has been around we have had so many crazy new ideas come about and then just scrapped them because we never
thought they would take of as a product, and now a few companies have been manufacturing similar designs to ours and they are pretty
dam popular! so in the future we won’t be holding back on any new designs at all.
I would really like to do a whole lot of filming projects of the team and a lot more travelling with them, because they are all amazing
people on and off their bikes, it just makes for a good time no matter what.

What are some of the biggest influences on how you run Tempered?

The team are one if not the main influence for Tempered, even though half the guys don’t put much help or input into Tempered, there more
just about riding and havign a good time then having to deal with this gritty shit haha. But they are the guys who push the company in the
direction it is gloing now by riding the gear the way the do and the image they have as riders.
Artwork is another major influence because i want Tempered to be a really detailed art based company, Image wise.

Outside of work, do you find much time to ride?

I do find time but it is more night time chilling sessions than anythign else now that i work saturdays, it does suck because riding
is so important to me on so many levels and i think every rider understands that.

how long have you been riding for?

Agh man when haven’t i been riding? haha I can’t remember a day when i was not riding and I’m almost 20 years old.

Do you feel like the longer you have been riding has impacted how you do things with your company?

Yeah definitely i mean im not as old as most dudes in my position in the industry but it’s just like anything, you cant jump into any business
venture without knowledge in that particular industry otherwise your just some dude reaping money from people with no good intentions.
Tempered has always been influenced by my personal riding and my riding is influenced with Tempered, when im working on something new for
Tempered then it always makes me way more phsyched to go and learn something new on my bike, And when im learning something new or just having
and awesome ride it makes me think really hard about what i can be doing next for TemperedBikes.
Also being in the industry for a while has helped a lot with the company in so many ways.

What kind of riding do you typically do, I know Australia has some amazing cement parks?

There are a bunch of good parks in Australia but i don’t think i can label myself to park, street or dirt, I am just a dude who rides BMX and i
will always be riding whatever is in front of me no matter what. But i do hassle everyone to ride street a lot more than parks haha.

Do you have a typical riding crew you ride with?

Yeah im always riding with Jerard v, Dan H, Justy B, Tom s and Corey M but there is always dudes to ride with, its awesome that way.
There are so many dudes i ride with, i guess the ones i mentioned are just the guys i have been close friends with for a while now.

What do you think of the Australian scene? seems like it has blown up lately!

There is too many ways to describe a “Scene” for a whole country but i think people here in Aus are just more relaxed and more
worried about having a good time on a bike than anything else, everyone is pretty friendly and down to earth.
But then again i cant speak for all the riders haha.
There are a few riders that have been getting their names out there outside of Australia which is really awesome because there are so many
amazing riders here that go un noticed, its crazy!
Australia Rocks!

Where are some of your favorite places or spots you have ridden?

Any kind of Drains/Ditch’s,any street, Gladstone, Esperance haha but there is so many!

If somebody were coming to Australia to visit/live, where would you suggest they
go?

Definitely Western Australia if they are looking to travel, sight see and meet amazing people. It is by far the best!
And every spot their is easily accesible.

What is your worst injury you have had riding related?

I think breaking my ankle would be the worst, just because it has so many physical and mental problems after the break that effected my
riding.
But as i type this i just got back from the doctors and they told me i have punctured a Tendent in my right wrist, for a few months now
everytime i rode i would get a big lump sticking up from my wrist so i finally went to get it checked out. Turns out i punctured
the tendant in my wrist so everytime i ride or move my wrist a lot, all the blood hits the broken tendants and makes it swell up.
I have to put a coin on the lump and wear a brace for a few months to put pressure on the swelling and force it to go back down and heal.

Who or what factors are your biggest influences on your riding?

Dudes i grew up with like Owen Pennington and Kie Ashworth are big influences in my life and riding, just because they are awesome dudes
and awesome on a bike.
Web edits of shredders are always a massive factor on my riding, just because it gets me so pumped to see people having so much fun on a
bike, it makes me want to go ride and have a good time riding!

Who are the riders you look up to for inspiration?

Kie Ashworth, Jerard vandervalk, Tom Stretton, Mitchell Macdonald, Jamie warren and Justy Bumpstead.

Is it true vegemite makes you ride better?

It tastes good and definitely makes you ride better. Its kinda like redbull only you gotta eat it like chocolate or it doesnt work, you should try it.

Do you feel like owning a company has changed the way you look at BMX?

It has definitely changed the way i look at BMX and more so life.
A lot of the time when im riding and kids watch i feel like because i own a company they are expecting me to be some amazing rider or something.
No matter what im doing i am always thinking about Tempered and when im riding I am usually stressing about something within Tempered and it
can sometimes ruin the mood but most of the time it makes everything a lot better!

Outside of work and riding what are some of the stuff you like to do?

I like to go to Gigs and hang out with my girlfriend, Steph.
But other than that chilling with my mates having a few drinks is always a good time!

Sounds like your girlfriend is really supportive of what you do, doesn’t she help
you run Tempered a little?

She is really supportive yeah and she even helps me out a fair bit with the paper work side of Tempered and she is always creating artwork for adds.
She is really in the know with a few things so it helps me out a lot and takes the stress level down a bit.

What are some movies you are into?

Ride BMX Insight was amazing, anything Shook, anything with ninjas or Sci fi haha.

What kind of music do you listen to? Any bands you suggest people checking out?

Music is a massive influence in my life so im always listening to anything because different types of music influence my life in diffent ways, so if i
just listen to one type of genre then i would only be some single minded dude not getting the most out of life.
I suggest people to be open minded and listen to everything haha

What do you think you would be doing if you didn’t pick up a bike?

Skateboarding or playing football haha

What are the biggest influences on your life as a whole?

Music, BMX, Friends, Food……i think everyone answers are the same for this question?? haha

What are some things you would like to do over the course of your life?

Travel a lot more on my bike and not stress too much haha

What is the party scene like in Australia? Have you ever met that one kid who made
world news from his big ass party?

That Corey dude? How the heck did he even get famous? thousands of dudes hold parties when they leave town but for some
reason he was the only dude to get famous for it? and those “Signature sunnies”?
I have never met him and i hope i dont have to….
As for the party scene…wild.

Do you drink Fosters, or is that just a misconception of Australians?

Fosters? total misconception haha

What are some of your favorite websites?

DiversityBMX, BMX Union, Tempered, Ugzine, The Come Up.

If you could spend the day with anybody, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

I think my nanna and pop on my dads side, i have only really met them once and they were some of the best people i have ever met, they
definitely rocked my world and i think about them a lot.

If you were granted three wishes, what would they be and why?

To have an endless supply of money….for obvious reasons.
And then i think i would sit on the last two until i really needed them for something important….like being in a car crash…or stopping
another world war before it happened.
I actually have no idea, i think if i was asked i would say money and then choke.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

Definitely buy a house and put a lot of the money into Tempered haha.
But i think i would try to have some kind of plans for the money and invest a bunch of it. Too many times have i seen peoples live turn to shit
from winning the lottery, it is so crazy you would think winning a lot of money would make life a lot easier!
I have only brought like 2 lottery tickets in my life and i think one of those was for a friend….he didn’t win anything.

If you could no longer live in Australia, where would you move and why?

I have never been outside of Australia so i can’t imagine myself any where else!
I guess if i had to maybe New Zealand, that place looks so amazing and i am hoping to go there sometime this year.

What is the best quote, or the best advice you have ever received?

“If you can’t get it done when the time for it arrises, then you will never get it done” – Shaun Jarvis.
It is something so simple but at the time it was said it made perfect sense.

What kind of advice do you have for kids just getting into BMX?

Big tricks are cool but style earns alot more points in my books haha.
Just have fun and research your roots!

What about advice on starting a business?

Make sure you know what your fully getting into before you jump into the venture, the last thing you want is to put your name behind a whole
brand and then if it turns wrong your name as a rider could go down with it.
Try to get solid plans and a business structure before you start posting news about new products your working on otherwise you could find
yourself in a few rutts down the track when things start picking up.
I guess all in all just make sure your heart is in the right place and if it isn’t, then just stick to riding a BMX for simple pleasures then
having to stress all the time about even having a BMX.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?

I would really like to thank everybody and any body who has helped me out in my journey with Tempered and my life, without your help and support
i would be no where near where i am today. All my close friends, My Family, My girlfriend Stephanie and her family, Steve M at Ride On BMX,
Mike daly, Shain Jarvis, Kie Ashworth, jerard vandervalk, Alex Liiv, EVERYONE ON THE TEAM, Matt At Cropthorn, every shop and customer who has every brought some Tempered gear, Martin and Alfred from RideIt in Latvia, Clint Millar and everyone over at Tripple Six…..And for everybody else who knows they should be thanked in this section, I thank you!

Anything else you would like to add?

Thanks to Kurt for setting this Interview up!
For all the latest on Tempered head over to www.temperedbikes.com.au and click the blog. Hopefully the new website will be up soon!
if your an artist in the BMX scene shoot me an email!
I am always needing artwork haha.

Matty Lawton chillen sesh from TemperedBikes on Vimeo.