I knew Mike when he was just a young kid who came to Woodward. This kid could be fun as hell and irritating as hell all in the course of 5 minutes, just like any young kid. But he rode. And rode. And rode. He put the time in and pushed the boundaries of what was possible on a bike. You can say all you want about style/etc but Mike did his thing and that is what BMX is about. Your opinion of what bmx is your opinion. It isn't a fact. If bmx becomes like traditional sports where you have to have a certain look and have to ride a certain way it will kill the essence of it.

It sucks the way that Mike left the sport. I thought he had more to do. Most of the people on this site have no idea the amount of pressure it takes to be a top competitor, what toll injuries take on you, or the level of day to day commitment it takes. It is easy to look at 12 minutes worth of contest runs a year and say that their life must be a dream and that it is easy.

Mike took his commitment and applied it to a very successful business. This is pretty cool. It shows what I have been saying for years: BMXers learn more about self reliance and dedication than most people learn in their lifetime.

Thirty? At 30 you are still a baby...

Haha! Thanks Kyle!

I am concerned about this contest in a different way then is mentioned. I have been lucky enough to have met Travis and his buddies at woodward and they are super nice guys and I think they genuinely trying to push the sport. My worry is that you are going to have guys going for bigger and bigger tricks without the ability to really practice first. Oh don't worry, it's resi. Well look how many people get hurt on the Nitro tour and these are seasoned guys. Guys that use the setup day in and day out. I am afraid you are going to see too many guys huck stuff that they don't have on lock across jumps that they never get to jump. I think for this to really properly work you should give riders access to the setup for weeks if not months in advance.

I am one of those people that gave Ricky crap. Why? Because it is fun! Ricky did this the smart way. He did his research, made sure everything was the way he wanted it and built a masterpiece. Is it too expensive? Too light? The only answer that matters is his. In case you don't know Ricky kills it. Rides hard and does some completely bonkers stuff.

Mauls bike shop rules!