BMX UNION

Dominik over at Woozy sent me this to post up..
so click here to see the video of Stefan Lantschner right there.

Andrew Anderson is a contributor now for the website. He is from the Millwaukee area, a photographer, and rider. So you will see stuff popping up from him.

We’re also doing some new things to start off the year, this is an example, interviews with photographers also. You and I know it, without them the magazines wouldn’t be there, nor would your awesome myspace pictures to show all the chicks be there.
So here it is.

Name, age, location?
my name is Jake Geisel, im 17, i live in Milwaukee Wisconsin.

How long have you been into photography and more importantly how long have you been riding little kids bikes?
I’ve been into for photography for about 2 and a half years now, and ive been riding little bikes since i was 12. so 5 years.

Being one of the more prominent photographers in the Milwaukee area do you find yourself shooting photos of different people for different projects non-stop?
yeah. in the summer im usually gone everyday. i shoot a lot for mankind and profile with jeff k. I do some stuff with lil jon for kink. and stuff for mutiny with brandon hoerres. and stuff with mike hinkens for madera. and a lot of other random stuff.

Who’s soul do you steal the most?
haha I would have to say jeff k. I shoot pretty much everything for him.

What are some recent projects you worked on?
some stuff im working on now is getting more into medium format. ive always liked it a lot. and learn more about metering and lighting. as of shooting stuff theres really not that much ive been shooting. some random park stuff but nothing big.

(Brandon Hoerres)

I know you don’t really touch up your photos at all, what are your thoughts on post-photo work?
meh. its alright. i would rather look at a photo that hasn’t been corrected and good right off the camera. i think it takes away lotfrom what it really was. like if you look through any photography magazine, for example nature photography they have a lot of fixing photos in photoshop and changing pretty much everything. i just think it makes stuff unreal. some people take it to far.

Who do you enjoy taking photos of the most and why?
I like shooting for jeff a lot, cause were good friends and its always fun. and if I dont like how the photo came out or I wanna shoot it adifferent way hes always down for doing it again. pretty much all the people i shoot for I have fun with.

(Mike Hinkens)

Describe your ideal shot.
hmm, thats a hard one. I like shoot at night and messing with lighting. I like just the subject and whats going on light up and black background. It helps you focus on whats going on. or shots with lots of colors or good angles. that was a hard question to answer.

Do you see yourself making a living off of photography?
meh. it could happen. it would be a pretty sweet job to just shoot photos for people. work for a magazine or something.

Text much?
oh man, I’m holding my phone right now. I text way to much. probably over 10,000 a month. the other day my phone wouldn’t stop shutting off I texted like over 1200 in a day. It didnt wanna work anymore, but it’s all good now.

Do people ever make fun of the way you speak?
Theres only a few people that do. I always ask people if I talk weird and they say no and don’t understand why like only a few people talk shit on it. pretty shitty. I never talked shit on them.

(Lil Jon)

Not on the team, but on the Sundays Website

Theres a new Ryan Biz Jordan Sequence desktop background over at Volumebikes.com

Name:
Ted Efthymiadis

Any Sponsors?:
If only I did.
 
How many years have you been riding?
Last count I think was 14.
 
How is the canadian winter treating you?
This winter, I have finally decided I can’t stop the snow, so I’m just rolling with it. Spending time on the other things I love in my life other then riding my bike.
 
Do you have many options for places to ride?
Good Lord no. Zero indoors within about a 13 hour drive I think.

Do you find much time to ride with all the business stuff going on?
I’ll very lucky when it comes to time, I live a sweet lifestyle, it’s pretty free. I basically ride when I want if the weather is good.
 
Your the man behind Seshin, how long has seshin been around? And what made you want to start a company?
I started Seshin back in January 2001. I wanted to start the company because I had a machining and welding background. My main draw to start the company was the fact that bmx frames, bikes and parts were grossly over priced back in 2001. When I started working with a family friend who used to be an agent overseas, the prices blew me away. I was shocked to see the markup some companies were making.
 
You have some great prices on your goods, how do you manage that? I heard some where you won’t sell to distributors or anything?
When you buy Seshin the product is made, shipped to us in Canada, and shipped to the customer direct. Simple. This makes warranties a breeze as well!
 
Since you seem to aim for hooking people up with a good price and not big profits, do you have any other jobs outside of the company?
I’m Blessed to be doing ok for money. I do photography on the side with local models for some extra income, which is nice. www.nobleshoots.com
 
Any news going around Seshin, new products, team members? anything at all?
Sure, we are trying hard to get a killer team in the works and keep them happy. Our team manager has been doing a great job, we signed 3 or 4 new riders this year, and he’s got two new guys from the USA that should be signing in March.
 
You closed down your shop not too long ago, how has that gone for you and everything?
My shop was really a labor of love. It was a killer shop so many great times went down in that shop, it was more of a hang out then a shop really. I learned a lot about how BMX really works from a retail aspect and decided it wasn’t for me.
Getting orders online when I’m out at the lake with my laptop is a much better life for me to live.
 
You made a pretty awesome decision to ask the people on Bike guide what dimensions/name/colors/ect. for your latest frame the Shithawk which seems to be getting to be a pretty popular frame,  do you plan on doing anything like that again in the future?
YES! I honestly think that was the best business decision I have ever made.
The Shithawk version 2 will be out in a few months, and it will be even better then the first version. We added removable brake mounts, cable routing, gyro tabs and a few little treats.
Thanks BG!
 
Who are some of the people you ride with the most? Any up and comers you think people should be looking out for?
I honestly ride alone most of the time. I jam on my ipod and giver.
I think Greg Flag is one of the biggest underrated riders in Canada. He honestly makes me scream every time I ride with him! Love that guy for sure. Also Drew Bezanson ripps, I signed that kid when he was still a baby, now he’s on Shadow and united. Congrats Drew!
 
Does Seshin have any new web edits, full length DVD’s, or road trips planned anytime soon?
The last edit I made was with Greg Flag on my trip to Montreal

 
How about for yourself, do you plan on doing any vacationing anytime soon?
My life is a vacation compared to the life most are forced to live in 3rd world countries. I can’t justify needing in vacation.
 
Could you ever see yourself living anywhere besides where you live now?
Funny you ask, I’m thinking about moving actually.
 
What are some things your into outside of work and Seshin?
I’m all about learning how to live stress free. I remember days before I could really call myself a Christian, I was to stressed out and unhappy with my life. So I read a ton now. Knowledge is power!

Favorite movies?
I’m given up on movies to be frank. Every year movies get less interesting I find.
It’s all been done.
 
5 websites you check regularly?
Seshinbikes.com
ModelMayhem.com
Facebook.com
Fysbmx.net
Hotmail.com

What is one trick you wish you could do but can’t?
Hangover grinds on a rail.
 
If you could spend the day with one person, alive or dead, real or a fictional character, who would it be and why?
Jesus for sure. He can turn water into wine.
 
Who are your biggest influences in your life?
My father is for sure. He’s legit.

What kind of advice do you have for people looking to start a bike company?
Do something a little different. It seems like every company is the same these days. Stand out by mixing it up.
 
What would you like to accomplish in the next 5 years?
I’d like to get my dog titled trained in French Ring. He’s just starting out now, so in high years I’d hope for Ring3.

 
If you could take a road trip anywhere, where would you go, who would you bring, and why?
I’d go to California. With your sister, for some alone time.
 
What is something you feel should be changed in BMX now days?
I’d prefer if I could tell the difference between a male bmxer and an emo girl when I look at them from behind.
 
Any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to the force that put me on this earth, my parents and family, Freak,
All my team riders, my valued customers, any haters they keep me grounded.
The boys at Tenpack and macneil, they are what bmx should be.
Thanks for the invite to do this interview.

Anything I missed you would like to add?
Bmx used to be about friendships, it was a brotherhood. Bring back those days.

Some sad news that explains why the Empire shop was not open for a few days…

Edit: You really don’t realise how much something impacts another thing until it is gone. I have been seeing all over the Internet that Bonnie had love from everyone, and it brings a lot of people together in common ground. We need more Bonnie’s in BMX, it eliminates the hate and everyone has respect.

“Christmas ended on a low note for all of us here this year. out mascot and friend, Bonnie, passed away Thursday, December 27. Bonnie was recently diagnosed with liver cancer, and the disease quickly weakened her during her last few days. there wasn’t much hope that chemo would help her, and would only prolong her suffering. Tina and I decided that it was our responsibility to ease Bonnie’s pain and have her euthanized. i was with her in the room, and held her paw and rubbed her head until she passed on to the great squirrel-chase in the sky

it might seem silly to some people, but Bonnie was a big part of our family, and we’ll miss her. our plan was to no longer do the “Ask Bonnie” portion of our website when the new site (coming soon) goes live, but we’ll continue to answer questions and post comments until the site change. we hope to have a commemorative Bonnie shirt in the near future, maybe with profits going to the SPCA. Tina and I got Bonnie from the local SPCA, so why not give ’em a little back?

thank you to everyone over the years that stopped by to pet her, give her a treat, or just laugh at how nuts Bonnie was while she sat on the loading dock and guarded the outgoing boxes. if you’re going to have a beer this weekend, pour out a little bit for Barking Bonnie

Tom”

EmpireBMX.com