Photos/text: Justin Kosman
Anthony Napolitan has taken the 2006 dirt jumping contest hostage; sitting first in the Dew Tour standings, Napolitan has gone from trail weasel to podium pirate seemingly in one winter. But he’s proven he’s not a one hit wonder, after winning in Kentucky he’s been on the podium in Denver, X Games, and Portland. Aside from being long overdue for a haircut, it looks like Anthony figured things out pretty quick.
Name: Anthony Napolitan
Age: 20
Hometown: Youngstown, Ohio
What’s one thing people don’t know about Anthony Napolitan?
I don’t just ride contests. I do other things like go on long road trips. I like hanging out with friends and I like seeing new movies. “Talladega Nights” was good (laughter). I want to see that "World Trade Center "movie too, that looks good.
What do you think about everything involved in the World Trade Center bombing?
It’s crazy, I think every decade has a crazy event and that was ours. I was in school, an 11th grader in a math class when we found out, and then the rest of the day in school we watched TV all day. It was a big deal because terrorists attacked the WTC; I thought at first it was an accident but then when they showed that the Pentagon got hit I knew it was terrorists. I didn’t know anything about the Al Qaeda and how they hate America.
How did BMX find you growing up in Youngstown, Ohio?
I played football in 4th grade. I started playing little league football and I played it all the way up until 7th grade. In 7th grade I made the transition from football to riding BMX. There was this kid on the team who rode bikes and he had a quarterpipe and some grind ledges in his backyard, and there were jumps in the woods ten houses down with a six-pack and a tabletop. So he told me to come over and ride bikes and I had fun. I didn’t know anything about it and I jumped the six-pack rhythm section and did a double-peg grind the first time. I came back every day and every weekend. I quit playing football after that year of riding. At first I had a Huffy with a coaster brake but my friend had a [Schwinn] Hydromatic and he also had a Schwinn Superstock, which was the lower model of Foster’s bike. So I bought the Superstock and that was my first customized bike. I got different parts put on it and it was all the XS parts like Six Shooter wheels (laughter) and it was like a race bike, but I liked dirt jumping on it (laugher). I rode that for a long time, then I got a Terrible One.
I didn’t talk to anyone the summer going into high school. I didn’t see anyone besides the three people I rode bikes with. When school started people were like, “Dude, we thought you died. Where’d you go?” In my high school there were ten of us that went to the same school so we would sit at lunch together and a lot and the football player kids sat at the other end. They would sit at the other end and talk shit. I didn’t really give a shit because I knew them and could whoop their ass if I wanted to. The other guys were shitting their pants. When I was in 11th grade I got sponsored Fly bikes and System Cycle and people kind of started to understand what was going on. After high school I moved to Woodward and people started seeing me on TV and started flipping out. It’s just funny how things work out. Now they kind of get the picture. When I was little I was kind of mature for my age, I knew how things were going to work out. It’s cool I’m doing what I love when they are in school and stressing over a major they’ll probably hate after they are done. I’m glad I do what I do (laughter).
What has been the most memorable moment of your BMX career?
At X Games when I got that bronze medal. It was the first contest I saw on TV and I set a goal for myself that I wanted to be there. When I was there, it kind of hit me. “I in the X Games,” and once I was getting medaled, I was like, “ Wow, I have an X Games medal.” The whole year has gone real fast. It kind of set it on the podium when I looked up at big screen and I saw three X Games medalists with photos. I thought, “That’s on TV right now.” We were the only three that got dirt TV time at X Games. There was only eight minutes of dirt and we got almost all of that. I’ve gotten weird phone calls since X Games; I’m not going to mention specific companies but people wanted me to run stickers and ride for certain companies right before X Games, but I didn’t do it.
Mad Money. Where is all of yours going at the moment?
I haven’t spent any of it. I’m looking into investing some of it. I bought a computer, I sort of know how to use it, but I don’t know the programs yet. I get on the net and load photos and send stuff, just so I can stay in communication.
What do you parents think of all this?
Thanks to my parents for helping me out throughout the years. I think before I’ve never been a hard kid to deal with. I’ve had a job since I could drive, I worked for a heating and air conditioning company and I drove material to job sites. I’ve always had my own money since I was 16 and even when I would go on trips it wouldn’t put a dent in me financially, so they never had to throw money at me. They’re glad that I am financially responsible and I pay all my bills and everything.
What do you have planned for 2007?
Next year I want to stay in the top three and then win one more Dew Tour. I want to stay really consistent and work on some things, get back on the podium at the X Games. Aside from that I want to go to Hawaii or somewhere nice and learn how to surf—I want to surf real bad. I’ll probably hang out in California for a couple months with Nasty and those guy to ride the jumps again, maybe travel somewhere where I can get culture shock. A friend of mine just went to Egypt. It’s crazy to stand at a place somewhere like the Red Seas where Moses stood where something huge happened a long time ago, or just see the pyramids or something crazy like that. Just to see life from every point of view. I’ve been to Toronto and Vancouver in Canada, but those are the only places I’ve traveled. I’d like t go to England, Germany, and Italy.
Give thanks?
First off I’d like to thank Section 8 skatepark; that’s where I grew up riding and that’s how I think I got to be a smooth rider and learn tricks on big ramps. Without them I wouldn’t be in BMX at all. Thanks to Woodward, I wouldn’t be doing the tricks that are so big today. My sponsors are Hoffman, Target, Right Guard, Duffs Shoes, Profile Racing, Maxxis Tires, Ogio, Spy, System Cycle, Dark Matter, Woodward Camp.
Anthony Napolitan Setup Check
Frame: Hoffman Rhythm
Forks: DK ATF Forks
Stem: Fly
Headset: Aheadset internal
Bars: Fly Pantera
Grips: Hoffman Dimple
Lever: Diacompe Tech 77
Cables: DK linear with and Dragonfly top cables
Brakes: Fly
Pads: Koolstop
Cranks: Profile
Sprocket: Hoffman Dinky 25
Chain: KMC hollowpin
Pedal: Fly Rueben
Bottom bracket: Fly
Seat clamp: Coalition
Post: Macneil
Seat: Macneil Capital
Hubs: Profile mini cassettes, 36 -hole
Front tire: Maxxis Holy Roller
Back: Maxxis Miracle
Rims: Alex Supra B 36
Bar ends: Hoffman
Gyro: Snafu Mobeus
Mods: I made my Tech 77 into the same bend as the Odyssey Monolever, and I grinded it down a bunch. I cut the bars down 1/4-inch each side. I put a half-inch spacer between the cranks and sprocket for chain alignment. My seatpost is literally three inches long—I cut it with a Saws-All and grinded it smooth. I cut my axles in the back so they were flush with my axle nuts.
