BMX UNION

Full name:
Brian Oestreich

age:
24

location:
St. Paul, Mn

occupation:
TIG welder

What got you into bmx?
Just grew up with a bunch of kids that loved to mess around. Bikes were usually involved and it eventually became an addiction to ride.

how long have you been riding?
roughly 12 yrs

who or what are the major influences in your riding?
Music kinda influences me. otherwise i just kinda pick up on things i think look neato and try to add it to the how i ride.

do you have a certain style to your riding that makes you stand out?
uhmm i dunno. really quick jerky movements and whips off of weird obstacles. thats about it.

whats up with girl pants yo?
haha oh god. srsly? havnt worn a pair in a looooong time. used to be fun. but i grew out of it. fitted guy pants are the way to go nowadays. much more comfy:)

what is your favorite trick and why?
whips, and barspins. basicaly the bad ass tricks haha. i like them cause its fun to try to do them on odd things.

what type of riding terrain suits you best?
really flowy park. and street

wheres your favorite spot to ride?
Dinkytown mcdonalds and the U of M campus on a weekend night when all the partiers are out. Ive had the best nights just chillin in front of mcdonals with mark riding curbs haha

do you have any major plans for your bmx life?
nope not really. just to do it as long as im physically able.

if you had a chance to ride with anyone in the world who would it be and why?
honestly. id rather just ride with everyone from here. such a good vibe goin on here. plus that way i dont feel stupid when i cant do an invert.

do you have a perfect day?
75 degree day. partly cloudy. drivin on a curvy road in an evo9. and then riding my bike at a cement park all evening.

being a minnesotan, what do you do with bmx and the cold weather?
take it indoors. winters get super depressing sometimes. well actually a lot of the time. but you just have to find something to occupy your time and it goes by a little faster.

what is your most memorable biking experience?
G-shock.

how on earth did you come up with your nickname shwang twong?
You can thank my friend Mike for that one. Up until he said that my only nickname was B.O. but one day he was being his normal weird self and was saying B.O. over and over again in a jingle sorta and then added the word shwangtwong in there. and it stuck. nothing exciting.

if youre not found biking… you can be found?
driving. playing v games. online. napping. eating. watching tv or movies.

What is your current bike setup?
fly 3 amigos frame. fit salt lake bars. sunday fork. trq and prpl front wheel. brakeless at the moment.

If you could change one part right now which would it be?
oh fuck. haha my whole bike needs changing. everything on there is old as tits. but i just ordered a stem cause my oddyssey has been cracked for half a yr.

what part on your bike is your most favorite?
frame has treated me well. although i am looking to save up for a new one. but otherwise id hafta say my front wheel cause its dope and looks neato. only nice looking part on my bike.

Least Favorite?
brakes and chain. the fuck up to much. dont have to worry about the brakes now though cause i took them off.

explain to me your life outside of bmx:
work. and sleep. yep.

any lovers?
besides mark…. and del. oh jeez. haha. maddy is pretty dope so im pretty much tamed down at the moment. we’ll see how things go tho.

whats the word?
what word? dixxx?

yes or no?
uhmmm no? i dont know what this is asking

Youre a pretty avid Live For Speed player, tell me how it feels to get your ass kicked by an asian in simulated drag racing?
meh im fine with it cause i can still kick everyones ass at grip racing and drifting:)

Aside from video games, biking, and looking cool youre a pretty big car enthusiast. What kind of car do you drive?
that would currently be a silver mazda 3 hatchback. it gets me from point a to point b. hauls the bikes. and looks sexy. but someday itll be replaced by an evo9.

Anything i missed that you would like to add?
uhmm dixxx:)

Any shoutouts?
just wanna say that i seriously, deep down, love everyone that i ride with. if it wasnt for the friends ive made from riding i definitely would have quit a loooooong time ago.

There is a new website that is just getting underway, if you are firmiliar with the website SkatePerception.com you will understand what this website is. Basically the guys who run that have started up a BMX version for us all to be apart of. I figured I would ask them a few questions about the website and what to expect. Here is what he had to say.

What is bmxperception all about?
BMX Perception is a media discussion forum targeted at the filming, photography and design community within bmx.

How did you come up with the idea?
Well it was kind of in the works for a long time. Other people had shown interest in starting up a site geared in the bmx media direction but no one stepped up. A few months ago Steve LaClair emailed me about his idea for starting it. I was more than thrilled to be a part of it.

You also run some other sites, what are those?
Steve LaClair and Mike Holm are the creators of the Perception Media Network. The Other site are SkatePerception.com and SnowPerception.com. As far as myself and other sites, I’m part of the content team for News-Record.com, which is the news paper for Greenboro, NC. I’m a video producer for online content.

What would the ideal thing you want to come from this site?
Skateperception was obviously a huge hit, and has been around for a while. I’ve been a member of that site for some years now and it does a lot of great things for the skateboard media community. And i think that BMX Perception is something that the bmx community has had the need for a long time. I just want to have an educated media community to hopefully help others out that are just starting. I feel its such a rewarding experience to be able to help out up and comers and give them a chance to show their perception on bmx.

How can people sign up?
Get on the internet and type in BMXPerception.com/forums and click on sign up.

What is the difference between this forum and all of the other forums?
The other perception media forums are geared towards skateboarding and snow. There are quite a few members of skateperception that are bmx’ers, and its funny because most of them kept it undercover most the time. it was surprising to get pm’s from people saying, “hey i ride bmx too”. Most of the skateperception community was pretty open about things. I and a few other risk takers would post up bmx stuff every now and again. Some members would be into, and well, some weren’t. But BMXperception.com gives us a place to focus on bmx media.

What does the future hold for BMXPerception.com?
Well if you look at SkatePerception.com you’ll see it has more of a front end site with videos and news and stuff. We are working on getting all that up and going but we wanted to get the forums going off the bat. BMXPerception.com will be your come to place for bmx media in the future.

Everyone knows who Corey is, if you don’t… well your sick chubs. He is an amazing rider and super chill guy. This interview turned out awesome..

Name:
Corey Bohan

Sponsors:
Giant bikes, RedBull, DC shoes, Fox, Duo and Mosh

Years riding:
10

It would appear your livin the good life! How is Austrailia and when do you come back to the states?
Life is good right now. I been in aus for a few months..just spending quality family time and surfing my local breaks and riding my bike. I come home every year. Im back in CA by March each year to get back to business and have fun back there.

What is it like to be able to surf in February while the rest of us are freezing our asses off?
For me ive known nothing but summer. Australia’s winters are very mild and u can surf all year round in shorts and a T. I have never experienced a full on white winter so maybe one day i will know how that feels…as for now i will just keep skipping from summer to summer.

How are things going with Giant, do you have a signature frame or anything with them coming out?
Giant has been so kick arse its not even funny. they have been behind me 100% since i signed and its been just goodtimes. I have a frame out this year….its been a slow process mainly cause im not really motivated too get shit going hahaha. The frame is dope..i been riding it for the last year and have made a few little changes for 08 but the bikes should be out and about this year.

It seems like your everywhere these days, where have you been recently?
Its been quite a busy end of year thats forsure……one month i was in Berlin, then i was back in CA, then it was off to fiji and then i made a trip back to aus where ive been traveling around a whole bunch as well..when your busy time flys….but u will always remember the goodtimes.

What are your plans for 2008?
Umm progress a bit, heading on road fools in april, Ride a lot more street, surf, travel……just keep on having as much fun as possible.

Will we see a lot more of you at the park contests along with the dirt finally?
Its all depends if i qualify, sometimes the dew tour prelims for park can just be a nightmare, courses and long days…..im gonna try ride the opens and see how it goes…so who knows….im not too concearned if i dont make the cut.

Plenty of medals and nora cups, what else do you want to accomplish in the next few years?
Im more than happy with how bmx has turned out for me….i think i just wanna go new places and ride new stuff. Its all about having fun and thats all i really wanna do. I have a full length part coming out in a new dvd called “Holiday” it will be avaible everywhere so im excited to work on more video parts for the future.

You have some really amazing style, did you race as a kid or anything or is it natural?
Thanks a lot. I raced for a few weeks but nothing too serious…i grew up near a bmx track back home here so i would just ride it every now and again.

If you could ride only one place for the rest of your life where would it be and why?
I would say back here in aus….that way if im not riding i could just go surf haha.

What is a trick you cannot do for the life of you?
I would say a no footed x-up lol.

What are some new tricks you are working on?
Im working on this one trick its called “win the dew tour” haha just fucking round……i dont know what i wanna learn….something that you dont see over and over again or already been done…i will try come up with something creative and different. I’ll let you know when i get it.

What contest are you looking forward to more, elevation or empire?
This is an awesome question…..these are the only 2 contest i wanna do really good at….im looking forward them both a lot!

Do you have any information that dirt half pipe contest red bull had in the works?
Yep, its been pushed back but its still going too happen. dates are being worked out so that it can be an event where everyone is avaible too attend. Ive seen pics of the actually site and the progress already looks fuckin rad.

A few years ago before you were able to make it over here from Austrailia, did you ever expect it to go as well as it has for you?
Def couldnt expect any of it. I worked an apprentiship with my dad for his construction company and i just went over to travel and ride…..i came home with some good result from some random comps and got hooked up with some spono’s. It was a dream come true and i was fuckin siked.

How do you feel about Jack Daniels?
Jack Daniels is a great thing. I will drink it for the rest of my life.

You appeared on that one MTV show… Everyone wants to know, did you hit that!?! (maybe not everyone but I am curious)
haha it seems too have scored abit of attention…..its all good, i think its funny that i ended up in that position. Audrina is a kick arse sexy chick and we are close hahaha. i’ll leave it at that 😉

What do you think you would be doing if you never picked up a bike or surf board?
I would be working construction and trying to make a good go at life here in australia.

Who or what are some of the biggest influences in your life?
My family. They work so hard for what they have got and they love each other dearly. I want a fmaily just liek that when im older.

You have some pretty awesome photoshop skills did you teach yourself?
Actually a friend of mine Heidi first showed me the ropes and now im well on my way…..when you have a lot of spare time and its raining i guess i think photoshop lol.

If you could spend the day with anybody alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I think i would spend it with someone funny. Probly that chubby fella thats big in all the comedies these days…from super bad? that guy…..
Jonah Hill

What are some of your favorite movies and tv shows?
Fav movie would be dumb n dumber and the wedding singer. Fav tv show would be an aus dvd series called “Summer Heights High” search it on youtube if you dont know what it is and im sure you will have a laugh.

What are some of your favorite bands?
Megadeth, Archers of Loaf, Shadows fall, The get up kids, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Run DMC….theres alot fo good music out there.

Favorite websites?
Vital, Coastalwatch.com, TheComeUp, YouPorn & Myspace.

Since your a pretty well known dude, do you have any stories about stalkers?
nah its been alright. One time tho this random chick wrote this crazy fuckin poem/story thing online and it was just fuckin wierd haha.

What do you miss most when your in Austrailia?
Family, friends and food.

What do you miss most when your in the states?
My house, Mates and the crazyness that goes on in LA.

If you could have any super power, what would it be and why?
Mind reader. Then you really know whats going on haha.

What is the lady situation lookin like?
Its looking good haha, Been keeping it real and just being a real gentleman haha.

What are some things you like to do outside of riding and everything?
If im not riding im surfing. Then comes stuff like Table tennis, actual tennis, golf and dirt bikes.

What is the wildest thing you have seen or experienced in your life?
Surfing Pipeline around 10ft plus……so heavy and so fuckin scary.

If you could change anything about BMX, what would you change and why?
I wish it was as popular as NFL or some shit cause our sport is so much fucking cooler.

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Family. Friends. Thanks to all my sponos. Giant, Redbull, Fox. DC, Duo & Mosh. Fuckin go off and cut sick mates 😉

Anything you would like to add I forgot?
No haha.

I don’t remember the first time I met Phil, but to be honest I am amazed he isn’t getting any coverage. The other night when I was riding with him all that could come to mind is butter becuase how smooth he rides, but he also goes about Mach 10 at everything which is also awesome. Phil is a quieter guy but his riding speaks louder than anything, this interview shows that well.

Name:
Phillip Book

Sponsors?
The Alt, Allegory

How many years have you been riding?
9

What got you into doing the tricks?
It looked like so much fun!

Since you can’t ride trails in the winter where can you be found riding?
MN indoor skate parks! They are rad…….

How often do you get to ride in the winter? How about when its warm out?
I try to ride as much as i can cold or warm i love riding!

What are some of your favorite tricks to do?
Lookbacks, Inverts, Tuck nohanders, Of course tailwhips!

What is a trick you cannot do for the life of you?
Flips hahaha

Ive seen you blast the hell out of quarters, how do you do it!?
Giver Hell!

Who are some of the pros you have looked up to over the years?
Nendza, Sergio, Eric

You had a video on youtube that was super good, do you have any new videos in the works?
No hope to film alot as soon as it stops snowin!

What are some of your favorite bmx videos or parts?
Nick Anderson- Aspire round 3

How do you feel about the Minnesota scene?
Good people, Talented riders

Where are some places you really want to ride?
Spain, Cali

What are some things you are into outside of riding?
Beer Drinkin, Chillin with the fam!

If I rememer right your in college, what are you going for?
Took a 916 class for auto body thats about it with school!

What is the lady situation like?
Girls will be girls……

If you could spend the day with anybody, alive or dead, or even not real, who would it be and why?
George Bush- So i can laugh at him for 24hrs. straight then kick him in the nads when im done!

What would you do if you won the lottery?
Build a private park for all of us!

What are some things you would like to accomplish in the next few years?
Holding a good job!

What are some of your favorite movies (non riding)?
I now prenounce chuck&larry-Adam sandler movies…

What kind of music are you into?
Anything- I like the piano

What are some of your favorite websites?
You tube, Inter, Bang Bus

Got a favorite porn star?
Chris Dachal

How do you feel about Benny P?
Fun ass dude to ride with he’s got a dope women also!

Whats your favorite foods or perfect dinner?
Pizza all day long!

What are 5 things you cannot live without?
Friends, Fam, Bike, Smokes, Food

Is there anything you would want to change in BMX if you could?
Tubless tires

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
The Alt

Anything else you would like to add I forgot?
I love you kurt!