My mom and I moved all around southern California before I settled in Corona. Back in those days I would go out on my own and check out all the local trail riding spots. When I showed up at Sheep Hills and Twin Palms and saw those guys ride, I knew that BMX was what I wanted to do. I started going every day and hanging out with the riders I’d seen in the magazines, like Brian Lopes and Shawn Palmer. Because I saw these guys riding in their everyday environment, I grew up living the lifestyle of BMX… not just training for events. We just rode every day, learning new tricks and jumping bigger jumps. As our riding progressed, our friendships did too.

I eventually met motocross rider Mike Metzger and we became good friends and roommates. I watched him become a motocross star, not only because of his talent but

because of his unique personality. The same happened with Carey Hart. I realized that all the athletes I looked up to were the same way--they weren’t afraid to be themselves. I had a lot of other interests besides BMX, and I focused on them just as much. I rebuild and customize old cars and take them to shows, goof around on motorcycles and R/C cars, and have expanded my tattoo collection. Usually half of my week gets spent in Vegas with Carey, where we ride bikes in between shooting episodes of his TV show. I’ve taken an active role with my sponsors too, because I believe the only way to stay true to BMX is to put BMXers in charge.

Having a lot of interests keeps things interesting and brings a lot of personality to our neighborhood in Corona. It keeps BMX fun.