I’ve been noticing Zack Trnka more and more lately. He’s definitely been on a level of progression that’s on a high pace. After his last edit, I knew he was well over due for an interview! I got some help from his brother Jesse with the questions and I think it ended up turning out awesome. So check out what Zack has to say, some photos and videos, then leave some love for him in the comments!
Name: Zack Trnka
Location: Waterdown, Ontario
Sponsors: None
Years Riding: 3 years bmxing and then a few mountain biking.
What was it that first got you into riding? Any early memories just pop into your head?
My brother Jesse and my neighbor Matt got me into mountain biking years back, then they started bmxing and pretty much forced me to start riding bmx.
You had a fresh edit for BMXfu drop the other day. How long did you film for that? Do you have any other edits or video parts in the works?
It was filmed in like a month or so because there is no where good around here to ride. I am hoping to get an edit in California and maybe a Toronto day edit or something like that.
Is there anything you tried for your video that you didn’t get?
I searched every city we went to in hopes of finding a good uprail that I could grind up to whip out. I couldn’t find any good ones so I tried it at a local spot in st. catharines and died trying it. I was so mad
Why do you ride like such a beast? That’s all that comes to mind when I watch your edit.
I just like doing hard stuff. It’s way more fun for me and I just love learning new tricks.
Why don’t you film things like uprails to tuck no hander to manual to barspin out?
I was riding with just my brother when I did it, so there was no camera and it was on a skatepark ten stair rail so it doesn’t really count.
I’d say you are quite the dialed rider. Has riding always come pretty natural for you, or was it just a lot of hours put into falling on your ass?
Well, thanks for saying that. I’d say I learn some tricks a lot easier than other tricks. For example, barspins and tailwhips came easy, but all the other tricks take way longer and I definetly mess up a lot.
I’d imagine your brother Jesse is a pretty solid motivator to push both your riding skills. How much of an advantage is having a brother that rides over not having one?
It is definetly better. I learned tricks a lot easier because he could tell me what I was doing wrong and stuff like that. When I first started bmxing he always made me feel so shity cause he was so much better than me.
How do you feel about riding with Jesse and Matt Albert?
I absolutely hate riding with them lately because they always talk shit on me when I can’t land stuff. They make fun of me and they get everyone to call me a prodigy and they make me feel like a dick when I land something they can’t do.
How does it feel to be Jesse’s brother, actually?
It is terrible because people always call me Jesse’s brother or ask me if I am jesse. I don’t think that will ever stop happening because everyone knows of him.
How pissed do you get when you can’t land truck hops every time?
Of the tricks that I can do, there is nothing that makes me more mad than hop trucks because I had it fairly dialed last year and over the winter then after Toronto BMX Jam, I basically couldn’t do it. When I did do it, it was so sloppy and scary feeling. I’m finally starting to get them back though.
You rode in the Toronto BMX Jam right? Are you into contests really? Do you have any plans of hitting more this summer?
I don’t think you could count that as riding really. It was more like me falling. I was kind of still drunk from the night before which I felt like such an idiot for. I’m not really into comps that much but it’s just fun getting to ride with new people. I would like to go in the muskoka woods comp that WANT beverages is having. That’s about it for now.
I know I asked Gobbo this question, but how do you feel about the Hamilton scene? If you could live anywhere else, where would you go?
I hate living around here. I pretty much only ever ride with one person at a time, at crappy spots. If I could live anywhere else it would probably be St. Catharines because the BMXfu riders are super sick.
Actually, I hear you got some plans of hitting up California here soon? What do you have planned for that trip?
Going to Justen Soule’s house and hes going to take us to Woodward West and hopefully find some amazing street and skateparks. Hopefully I don’t die from the heat.
Where are some other places you would like to go in the future?
I definately want to go to B.C and Texas. Pretty much everywhere else on the planet.
What is it about BMX that you like so much?
It is just the most fun thing I’ve ever done. I love it. There’s nothing better than riding because there’s always something new to try and it’s pretty much the only thing I’m good at lol.
What do you hate about it?
Falling sucks, and it costs a lot.
What do you think you would be up to if you never got into BMX?
I would probly be a stoner because that’s all waterdown is basically.
What are you usually up to when you aren’t riding or yelling at yourself for not landing truck hops?
Playing with finger bikes, watching tv, or hanging out with the few friends I have because I ride too much lol.
Do you work or go to school at all? What’s the shittiest job you have ever had?
I work at Rona and it’s ill. Pretty much all I do is drive a forklift. I tore shingles of a roof at another job. It was like 40 degrees celsius and there were three layers to take off. I wanted to die.
There’s no way in hell you are straight edge. That’s for sure. What’s the beer of choice? What makes for a good night out for you?
Lately, I’ve been drinking Busch because I’m cheap. When I’m not being poor, I choose Budweiser. A good night for me has to consist of some sort of drinking game like beer pong, drinkopoly, and things like that. Then hot tubbing and fires.
Have you ever gotten yourself into any fights or anything? I feel like I’d be worried if you came swinging my way.
No way, I am pretty much the least violent person on the planet. I always pretend to want to fight people though, like Drew Bezanson. I challenged him to a sumo fight once, with those big suits you can get.
Approximately how many girls does it take to satisfy one Zack Trnka?
Half a girl.
What’s the last song you heard, movie you watched, and website you visited?
Something from Dupstep for music, the new Nightmare on Elm Street, which was terrifying, and The Come Up.
If you could have one super power. What would you choose and why?
Flying for sure, because then I could cheat and air really high and do big tricks lol.
What’s the wildest or weirdest situation you have been put in?
When my little brother told someone I stole their iPod from their car (which I didn’t because I was playing beer pong that night). So he got three people to come to my work and try to fight me.. They didn’t end up doing anything though, it was funny.
If you could go back and relive any moment in your life? What would you want to go back to and why?
Probably Toronto jam weekend because it was the most fun weekend of my life. I was hammered for over twelve hours on saturday.
Would you beat up a hooker if money came out of her like in Grand Theft Auto?
Nope, because I am a wimp.
Where do you see yourself in a few years?
Definitely biking and for sure not working at Rona still haha.
What’s the best advice you have ever been given or able to give?
“Do it, you wont.” or “Don’t tell me!”… it’s from the show King of Queens haha.
Do you have any shout outs or thanks?
Thanks to Jesse, Matt Drew, Will Cashin, and everyone else that I ride with except Matt Albert. I’d definitely would like to thank you Kurt for doing this interview with me.
Anything else you want to say?
That I absolutely hate when people call me fat, because I am not fat at all.
