Dan Kruk Archives – Page 11 of 20

Wethepeople BMX – “Endstate” Trailer

April 18, 2017

It looks like some of the Wethepeople team have been busy putting in work for a new video project out in California! Here’s a quick trailer to give you a taste of the new “Endstate” video that’ll be dropping here soon! Based on the line up and what we’re seeing here, this should be a dialed BMX video!

“Fresh off the back of Foundation, we got to work on a new California-based project filmed by Grant Castelluzzo featuring WTP PRO riders Ed Zunda, Dan Kruk, Felix Prangenberg, Jordan Godwin and a new addition to the AM team Jesse Romano. The boys went in hard, and the footage speaks for its self.

Look out for #Endstate dropping very soon…”

Dan’s Comp – Dan Kruk 2017 Video

April 16, 2017

If you caught the Dan Kruk Bike Check we posted the other day, you would have known that this one was coming! Here’s a fresh batch of Dan Kruk goodness from the streets of Souther California for Dan’s Comp! As expected, Dan put those pegs of his to heavy use on every ledge and rail he came across, leading to some real dialed clips. Get on that play button and check it all out!

“Fire in the SoCal streets by Dan’s Comp’s newest recruit, WeThePeople pro Dan Kruk. Serious combination of burly and technical moves, with Dan’s patented spice of originality mixed in. You will not be disappointed.
Credit: Grant Castelluzzo” – Vital BMX

Wethepeople BMX – Dan Kruk & Jordan Godwin Battleship Out Now

March 17, 2017

If you were wondering when Jordan Godwin and Dan Kruk‘s signature colorways on the Battleship frame from Wethepeople would be arriving, the answer is now. Wethepeople have released Jordan’s translucent matte brown and Dan’s Konfetti black frames for you to get your hands on.

Below you can find photos of both frames and Dan and Jordan’s personal bikes.

You might think Dan Kruk is from Chicago with those bars… But he’s actually from Milwaukee.

The Battleship frame is made from butted, seamless Japanese 4130 chromoly tubing with a 75.5-degree head tube angle, 71-degree seat tube angle, 11.7″ bottom bracket height, 9″ stand over height and a 12.7″ – 13.2″ chainstay length. You can find a 127mm tall CNC machined and heat-treated integrated head tube, Hydroformed top and down tubes, Integrated seat post clamp, Mid bottom bracket, a wide rear triangle for clearance of 2.50″ tires and 6mm thick laser cut and heat-treated dropouts that fit pegs and hub guards properly, even slammed.

The Battleship frame is available in 20.5″, 20.75″ and 21″ top tube lengths, colors of matte brown, Konfetti black, translucent purple and matte black with a weight of 5.125 lbs. (20.5″).

You can learn more about the Battleship frame and view more photos on the Wethepeople Website.

Review: Wethepeople – “Foundation”

March 3, 2017

There’s been plenty of buzz going around about the new Wethepeople full-length video, “Foundation“, the past few weeks. Now that the video is officially available, we figured it would be a good time to do a quick little review for those of you on the fence or didn’t realize it was available yet!

The Wethepeople “Foundation” video is a look into the past year for the team. They started filming for this video in January of 2016 and spent the next 12 months bouncing around to 10 different countries, hitting up 20 cities in the process. To say the team was busy logging some heavy miles this past year would be an understatement.

The “Foundation” video features full sections from Ed Zunda, Dillon Lloyd, Mike Curley, Pete Sawyer, Max Gaertig, Felix Prangenberg, Moritz Nussbaumer, Dan Kruk, Jordan Godwin with footage from their flow and distributor riders from around the world mixed in for good measure. When you look at the line up, it’s easy to see that this video is STACKED full of guys that absolutely crush it out on the streets. With that being said, this is a 100% street video. You won’t find any trails or skatepark action in this one, so if that’s what you’re into… This video probably isn’t for you. This video is focused on the grinds and the streets.

The video was filmed and edited by Cal Earnshaw. We’ve been big fans of Callum’s work for a few years now and it seems like every time we see another project from him, we’re blown away with just how much more dialed and clean his work gets. With that being said, the “Foundation” video has some excellent film work. Everything is smooth as butter, there’s a good mix of close up and long lens shots and he didn’t over do it with second angles like we have seen in other videos in the past. We really liked that the transitions and any graphics in the video were clean and simple. Obviously that’s personal preference, but we’re all for the clean and simple route versus overly done graphics. The “Foundation” video just made us even bigger fans of Cal’s work.

The soundtrack selection for the video was unique as well. Sometimes you go into a video and every section is the same genre and feel. It works or some videos, but it can get boring quick. Luckily, this video mixes things up from start to finish with songs from Los Under Heavy, Action Bronson, Marley Marl, True Widow, Mogwai, Daddy Kev, The Charaltans, Cults and The Man.

The entire “Foundation” video runs for 35 minutes. In a world of super short clips or extended Vlogs that are 90% of random non-sense that kills time that you will not get back, we feel like this length was perfect for the project. There wasn’t much filler in the video, which means it’s a majority of dialed riding that will keep your attention from start to finish. Everything flows together really smooth, so it doesn’t feel like it’s 35 minutes long, either.

Would we recommend this video? If you’re looking for a dialed new street video, definitely! The video turned out damn good and we really enjoyed every aspect for the video from the riding to the spots, filming and editing, song selection and more. Plus, it’s super cheap in price. You can pick up the DIGITAL DOWNLOAD for $5 RIGHT HERE. We’re not sure if there will be actual DVD’s being made, but it would be rad to see that option… Does that make us Mid School?

What was our favorite section? That’s a super hard one. We’re a little biased toward Dan Kruk since we’ve been watching him since he was an unheard of young gun, his section was his first as a Pro rider. We’re big fans of Dillon Lloyd and Ed Zunda’s section, as well. But if we’re talking favorite section, gun to the head… Make the decision. We’d say Jordan Godwin definitely brought the heat.

That wraps it up! If you have already saw the video, let us know what you think about the video in the comments below!

Catching Up with Dan Kruk

February 10, 2017

It’s been a while, so we figured it was time to catch up with Wethepeople and Madera’s newest Pro team addition, Dan Kruk!

One of the raddest parts about running BMX Union is the opportunity to watch riders progress and make their way from completely unheard of to a Professional. That’s exactly how things have progressed over the years watching Dan Kruk go from some random kid at the 4Seasons Skatepark in Milwaukee to a complete savage on the streets. Over the past couple months, things have definitely kicked up into high gear for Dan with the bump up to the Madera pro team, then the Wethepeople pro team, having a full section in the new Wethepeople “Foundation” video, getting added to the Dan’s Comp team and more, so we figured it was probably more than a good time to catch up with Dan and talk about what’s new! If you aren’t keeping up with Dan yet, you’ll definitely want to start… Let’s do this.

Current Location: Long Beach, California

Sponsors: Wethepeople, Madera, Dans Comp, MPEG, 4Seasons skatepark, Cement Face.

Hey Dan! Long time no talk. I take it you just got back from your trip over to Estonia for Simple Session. How was it for you?
Yes, I just got back to California the other day. Simple Session has always been a huge dream of mine to attend and this year, Madera and Wethepeople made that a reality for me. I couldn’t be happier about how the trip went. It was one of the funnest weeks of my life!

The end of 2016 and the start of 2017 have been huge for you with some sponsor changes. It was just officially announced that you were given the bump up to the Wethepeople Pro team after spending a little bit of time on the AM team. How did they tell you that you were getting moved up?
Yeah, I was just bumped up to the WTP pro team and they made it official during Simple Session week. We were having a big team dinner at Vapianos when they made the announcement. Still can’t believe it! It made the trip out there even more memorable!

It was announced back at Interbike that you would be getting your own signature colorway on the Wethepeople Battleship frame. Can you tell us a little bit about what the process was like working on that, and when people will be able to pick it up?
First of all I’d like to thank WTP for the opportunity. There is a lot more work that goes into a colorway than I had originally thought.
Picking the colors for the graphics and frame are harder than you might think, but thankfully everything turned out super awesome and I am hyped on the finished product. The Battleship frame with my Konfetti colorway should be available any day now!!

Wethepeople have just released their new “Foundation” DVD this past week. Do you have a full section in the video? How do you feel your part came out, and whose section was your favorite?
Foundation is my first DVD section as a pro rider and I’m stoked on how it came together so quickly! I ended up getting a lot of stuff I was super hyped on with the help of my homie Grant Castelluzzo behind the lens. My favorite section had to be Mike Curley. He is a tech wizard.

Do you have any trips or projects in the works for Wethepeople that you can tell us about? We would imagine there will be a welcome to the pro team video coming sooner than later, right?
Nothing super official for them right now. Just working on a few side projects for them here and there but you can definitely expect some new footage soon!

Photo: Felix Prangenberg

You were also bumped up to the Madera Pro team toward the end of last year, and you were also given your own signature Party Paint colorway. Was there any tie between the color you picked for your Battleship frame and the Madera parts, or are you just really into colors?
Madera and WTP actually approached me around the same time to do a colorway and I thought it would be a cool idea to have them both match in some way. I was really going for a 90’s style theme for both with the splatter for Madera and the wild graphics for wethepeople. Eben Fischer did a great job on the graphics as well as everyone at Madera on the Party Paint wrap.

How did Mike Hinkens and Matt Coplon let you know you were finally getting the bump up to the Madera pro team after riding for the flow team for a couple years?
I don’t remember exactly how it went but I’m sure it was along the lines of “Hey would you want to be on the pro team”. Matt and Mike are really good friends of mine so when the opportunity came about I was more than stoked. I’ve been apart of Madera in some way since my early teenage years, started out on grassroots, then flow, and now pro. Can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for me.

Any trips or projects coming up with Madera you’re looking forward to?
We will be doing a Madera shop stop at Stacked BMX in Riverside, CA at the beginning of March, then hopefully after that we are trying to head down to Ecuador!

If that wasn’t enough good news, you were also added to the Dan’s Comp team recently. What are you most stoked about with the opportunity to ride for them? Do they have anything going on that you can tell us about like a new full-length or anything? We heard Grant Castelluzzo will be handling some filming projects…

Riding for Dans Comp is a dream come true. My friends and I have been getting their catalogs sent to our house for as long as I can remember. Never did I think I’d be actually riding for them! Kinda funny to wear shirts and stickers on my bike with my first name on them. Grant and I are working on a welcome to Dan’s Comp edit for Vital BMX that I believe should be out by the beginning of March!

Alright, any other sponsor news you can tell us about?
Hmm you’ll have to wait and see!

Photo: Sean Morr

A little while ago you decided to make the move out to California after growing up in Milwaukee. What are some of the best parts about living out there versus the midwest?
I made the official move out here right before thanksgiving, but I had spent the whole last winter here. The best parts about living in California have to be the weather and spots. Even though I think the Midwest still has the best spots for sure!

What do you miss about Milwaukee the most? Do you think you will ever call Milwaukee home again?
I miss my friends and family the most, life was pretty dialed out there. It was easy to do the things I wanted, and not paying rent was a huge bonus. The winters really sucked but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I learned everything I know from countless indoor 4Seasons skatepark sessions and I don’t know where I’d be without that. Someday, when this BMX life is over, I may call it home again, but for now I’m just living life whereever it takes me.

Now that you have some heavy sponsor support, are you working at all, or is it just full-time riding and traveling for you?
I actually just got a job delivering for a restaurant here in Long Beach. It would be pretty tough for me to survive with out a job out here honestly.

Speaking of traveling. Where are a few of the places you’re really hoping to get to in 2017?
I’d love to get out to Germany this summer. Getting to visit the Wethepeople headquarters in Cologne is high on my list. I’d also like to get down to Ecuador and visit some friends/ride down there as well,

Who are some of the guys that have been really motivating you to push your riding lately? Any reasons why in particular? I’d imagine having so many riders around for Simple Session was kind of a big motivator this past week.
A few riders who have been motivating me recently have been Garrett Reynolds, Alex Donnachie, Felix Prangenberg and Courage Adams. Why? Well because they are all really cool dudes who do amazing things on a bike.

What have you been getting into when you aren’t riding these days? Any new hobbies or anything that have been filling your time?
Right now I haven’t had much time for anything besides riding and working. Once things get more routine out here I’d love to check out more of the natural beauty that California has to offer.

How can people keep up with you these days?
Follow me on Instagram @dankrukbmx and “Like” my athlete page on Facebook (Dan Kruk BMX)

Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
First of all Shout out to Kurt for this interview, all my friends from around the world, my sponsors, my family, my girlfriend and to anyone taking time out of their day to read what I’m up to!

Anything else you want to say?
Dream your life then live your dreams.

Dan Kruk On Wethepeople Pro Team

February 3, 2017

If you didn’t see this one coming, you’re completely blowing it! Wethepeople have bumped Dan Kruk on up to the Pro team for 2017! There were a few subtle hints that this one was coming between Dan absolutely crushing it for a while now, and that he has his own Battleship frame colorway coming, so it was only a matter of time before Wethepeople made it official… Today is that day! Congratulations to Dan for putting in YEARS of work to get to this point.

“From the ferocious fires of the AM team comes the wizard from Wisconsin, Dan Kruk. We love Dan, thats no lie, and it’s only natural he would end up on the PRO team. 2017 is only getting stronger for Wethepeople and Dan is now part of that strength. Crack open the cans, Dan’s on the PRO team.”

Dan Kruk On Dan’s Comp

January 13, 2017

Here’s some sponsor news for you! Dan Kruk is now doing it for Dan’s Comp! Two Dan’s don’t make a wrong, right? There’s no surprise that Dan has been picked up, since he’s been putting in a ton of work and really made some waves last year that gave him the bump up to Wethepeople and Madera‘s Pro teams. Expect to see plenty more goodness from Dan in 2017!

“We are excited to announce that Midwest ripper and We The People/Madera pro Dan Kruk has been added to the Dan’s Comp team for 2017. Dan came down to the Dan’s Comp Parking Lot Jam last summer and made a solid impression with both his riding and friendly demeanor, putting him solidly on our radar. Negotiations came to fruition and here we are. Here’s what Dan has to say about riding for Dan’s…

“I’m really stoked to ride for the Dan’s team! I’ve been getting the catalogs sent to my house ever since I started riding. I can remember bringing them to school, memorizing every detail about all the products and then building my perfect dream bike in my head. Never did I think that one day I’d sitting here writing about joining the brand! Excited to be a part of such an awesome team and I can’t thank Dan’s enough for the opportunity!”

Welcome aboard, Dan!
Riding shot by Jeff Z./Ride BMX”

Wethepeople – “Foundation” Trailer

December 23, 2016

If you have been following Wethepeople team at all this past year, there’s a good chance that you are well aware that they have been putting in some heavy work for their new “Foundation” video that will be dropping in February! Hit play to check out this trailer to give you a little glimpse into what’s to come! This should be damn good. Get ready.

“The WETHEPEOPLE crew set out in January 2016 to film for their third full-length BMX video and traveled to over 10 countries, exploring over 20 cities and destroying themselves mentally and physically in the process.

Ed Zunda, Dillon Lloyd, Mike Curley, Pete Sawyer, Max Gaertig, Felix Prangenberg, Mo Nussbaumer, Dan Kruk, Jordan Godwin and a huge bunch of the Wethepeople family are all part of this feature length BMX video – all pieced together by the unrelenting filmmaker Cal Earnshaw.

Due for release in February 2017.”