Open Mic: The Josh Hansen Interview.

If you came here to find out who this Josh Hansen fella' is, hopefully this will shed some light. I met up with him almost a year ago at Jomopro where he made a big impression on me, by riding extremely well in the jam circle outside of the contest. I saw a lot of flavor and depth in his riding, as well as consistency. and yeah,  I felt the same way you may be feeling right now - "who the hell is this guy?!" As I see it, he's a good rider on the rise, and you will no doubt be seeing more from him in the future. Let's get this puppy going!


first question, who are you and what brought you here?

My name is Josh Hansen, I am 23 years young, and I live in Champaign, IL. I grew up in a small town called Two Rivers, WI and moved to IL in 2009. I was summoned by Jm McKay for this interview.

a question that's asked a lot is 'what made you want to ride flatland?’ -

I had an accident riding ramps in 2008, I was doing an ice pick and missed the transition of the ramp completely and fell to the pavement shattering my elbow. I couldn't ride for awhile and was kinda shook up after the fall. I could do hang 5s and bar hops before I made flat an all time thing. I always had an interest in flat riding by riding with my two good friends Clancy Burke and Andy Musil. I also rode with Mark Hilson (of Baco and Jerry Springer fame) who did some weird flat shit while riding ramps. In the middle of 2009 I started focusing more on flat and riding a little less street and ramps. I still love and ride street and ramps but flat is on the top of riding priorities.

what keeps you from quitting?

I guess its the fact the I have a strive to want to learn new things and meet people. Its something that is always there, and will always be there. People need things like that.

do you have a favorite color?

Purple is pretty legit. Black and White is pretty legit too.

if a doctor told you that you had, at best, one month to live, what things would you need to do to feel like you fully lived your life?

Keep doing what i've always been doing. Also learn hitchhiker kickflips.

i ran into you last year at the Jomopro contest there in Joplin, MO. what did you think of it? have you been to other contests? if so, how does it rate?

Contests are a good time I have been to quite a few and they are always a great time. The Indy contests have always been my favorite. I enjoy competing even if I ride like shit or ride awesome. I guess I really just like being part of it all. However, I never "train" for contests. I hate that word. If you are gonna train, don't train for a contest, train for life, train to do things all the time, not one particualr event.

Overall though the Am circuit, despite some of its flaws are a really good time and guys like Steve Lapsley are trying to make something that works. If all works out I will be at most of the AMFLT contests this year, Jomopro and the Anderson In contest. I am most likely not going to be at voodoo, due to cost. (sadface)

some riders primarily tailor and develop their riding for themselves, some push for web edits, documenting new ideas without the constraints of time, pressure and live audience, and others ride so that they perform well at contests and events. what do you ride for?

Progression, and see how much I can meld some of my street stuff with my flat stuff, and really just trying to see and develop new ideas and concepts. I love making edits as well, despite not making too many. There will be a really nice edit or two coming out in the future, so stay tuned on that.

at Jomopro i couldn't help but notice that you ride a PiR frame, made by master craftsman Malo. Can you say a few words about it?

Malo did a wonderful job on my frame. Basically I wanted to have the frame 19.5 (im tall 6"2), low top tube (6.15 standover),12.9 rearend, double diamond (no bends for me) 75ht/71st, high BB and some other features like the closed dropouts. I really love the frame, Ive been on it for a year and have no desire to ride anything else. You want something good, go with PiR.

when i watch you ride, i can't help but notice a heavy street-ish influence. how long have you been riding street or other genres of bmx?

I started riding BMX in 2003 and I really rode alot more park then street up until i started riding flat in mid 2009. I rode alot of stuff like banks and miniramps, doing coping tech and stuff like that.. I also enjoy alot of freecoaster fakie style stuff.

how do you stay sane during these long winters when there is snow everywhere and the weather is inhospitable?

In Wisconsin you paid money to ride skateparks or you pissed and moaned how much the winter sucks. But since I live in Illinois now, I am lucky because I have a warm indoor parking garage I can ride and I know people who have their own indoor spots too.

your favorite web edit or flatland video?

Akira Okamura - Soul 53# is my fav. The atmosphere of that particular edit is pretty close to me just riding around random places and doing whatever.

favorite food?

Spicy food. and seafood

do you have any hobbies outside of riding?

I don't have hobbies, I have interests. Hobbies cost money. Mostly I just work and go to school and ride. Pretty much just chill when I am not riding.

do you have a girlfriend, wife?

I have a wife actually.

would you accept a sponsorship from a company if they approached you? if yes, top 3 companies (or types of companies) and why.

I would take a sponsorship from any company who I can represent and they can represent me.Also Any Shoes, Tires or Clothing company I will take with open arms haha.

where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Hopefully riding and having a job that makes good money.

if modern flatland was a song, what song would it be?

I know it wouldn't be a dubstep song.

do you have a favorite rider?

Akira Okamura, Travis Collier, Marrti Kouppa are my top 3.

do you watch sports on tv?

I watch NFL football, and Pro Wrestling is pretty entertaining at times.

vegetarian or omnivore?

Meat eating Vegetarian.

what is the next new trend in flatland?

Hopefully jumping tricks. Most people say more street influenced flat riding, but that has been going on longer than people think.

nicki minaj: tramp or too cool?

too much of a tramp to be cool.

we touched on your custom frame earlier, but are there any other special things about your bike?

I have a modified Nankai Bamboo convered to female axle with bluesix ti bolts and ti lock nuts. I also have a counterbored colony stem and a custom made Bottom bracket spacer. All made in the USA by Zodiac Eng. It also weighs 19.6 pounds.

are there any parts you ride that you will want to stay with till the end?

Hopefully all my parts will last. My coaster and my frame I defiantly have a soft spot for however.

favorite band?

I listen to alot of music, so its hard to pick a favorite, but I enjoy Opeth,The New Pornographers,and Autechre as of late. Quite the sporadic list.

favorite snack?

Anything spicy.

how would you describe the ultimate flatland jam? we've talked about doing it here in austin, but for the uninitiated, your thoughts:

The Super Happy Fun Austin Mega BMX Flatland Jam of the Eternal Riders World United Jam will hopefully happen someday. Seems like a good time.

SHFAMBMXFJERWUJ for short.

(try and post a jpeg image of the long facebook discussion we had on this im sure people will laugh at it) fs: i would if i could, but it is simply too long- between 100-150 comments if i recall.

at this point i'd like to just thank you for putting up with this random onslaught of questions. now the mic is all yours.
shoutouts, thoughts, anything at all you'd like to add:

-Clancy Burke and Andy Musil for getting me hooked on flatland.

-Mark Hilson for all the fun sessions, hope all is well wherever your at.

-Wisconsin riders who have been good to me over the years.

-Malo @ PiR Products for making the best frames ever. [pir.bmx@gmail.com]

-Ken @ Zodiac Eng for making me some nice parts.

-The nice people at 217bmx.com for all the great edits and trips.

-Chris, Paul,Jake (Indy crew)

-Chicago area riders

-Chad and Brandon @ juggahoe bikes/milwaukee flatland crew

-And My family for their love and support with this unusual hobby.

Well shit, now it sounds like im giving a speech. Time for some cheap plugs.

Go get a something made by PiR products, Go buy something from Zodiaceng, check out 217bmx.com, watch all the great videos on flatstyle. add me on twitter @hashcab217. stalk me on facebook. And ride your bike.

well said. 

here's some clips of Josh riding his bike. enjoy!

~jm

Open Mic: The Frank Macchio Interview

 

Let's start at the beginning with a little introduction for those that haven't seen your videos; what's your name, where are you from, and how long have you been riding?

I'm Frank Macchio from Queens, Ny and I've been riding for a decade now!

As a rider that started riding street and "converted" to flatland, I've got a big soft spot for guys that can ride both. Have you always ridden both flatland and street?

Nah, I just rode street 'cause that was the only thing around. I never had a chance for someone to show me the way of really riding the bike. Once everyone stopped riding by me I just kept doing it and found flatland. It is just a good retirement plan for when I have kids and flatland has just shown me the way of progression in riding and life as well.

I recently saw a  video of you riding in the tiniest space ever (click to view) during winter I guess. I was really impressed with how much stuff you pulled and learned there. What's your mindset like when you're getting ready to session in an area that small?

Ride the bike. Don't hang out with people and get shitfaced. Progress in something and stop being around all that garbage. Listen to Death Metal and be influenced on gore and blasphemy, and just learn how to ride the bike. It betters myself as a person and rider.

Do you ride with anyone, or mainly alone?

I mostly ride alone but sometimes I ride with my boy Scott and Fernando and Andre when I can. They help with my riding a lot. I would not have any skills without them.

Do you think that Global-Flat is a good thing or a bad thing? I hear a lot of strong opinions on both sides of this question and I'm curious where you stand on it:

I love that site! Anything with flatland is awesome. They help with the whole flat scene; with rider hook ups and videos. I mean what else can you ask for? It's giving flatland a place on the map for flatlanders all over - hate it or love it, to each his own.

Is there any trick that scares you?

No trick scares me. There is nothing to be afraid of 'cause you can take it in steps. It just pisses me off on the many trial and errors there are. Flatland is hard work, not something you can just do like street; just huck yourself.

Of all the tricks you've done, and seen done by others and by pros, is there one trick or link that stands out as a favorite?

Honestly Tim Knoll! Flatland grinds are the next thing. I journey to that side of it with steamroller grinds backwards and forwards, but that's just the beginning. Whatever you can do in flatland you can have some part of the bike grind. That is the next thing - just watch, street riders will get on that soon enough.

You seem like a super motivated guy; have you always been like that? What would you say to someone who had lost all motivation to ride?

Flatland did that to me...I'm just chasing the dragon with that feeling of the hard work to dial something in. If you ride flat, look forward to that because you know that feeling...

A lot of people have noticed that you seem to progress at an amazing rate; how much do you ride?

Shit I fucking put in work. I watch videos in slow-mo, take notes, stand on the bike in mad odd ways just to see what I can come up with. I even ride in every mind state; li'l buzz, even shitfaced so it's harder! Because when you're sober it's going to be easier. I ride every day, at least do one link of something - rain, snow, cold, hot; I don't give a shit. Riding progresses myself in every way.

Top 3 songs to ride to?

Oh geez...All Deicide...Cannible Corpse...At the Gates!!! Those bands make me think hard and want to master the bike; all of their songs.

If you didn't ride, what would you do?

I would have been a shitty person; gone to bars, sold drugs, fight people, go to jail, and do horrible things. That is what I would look forward to because what else would there be? Flatland is a savior!

Any plans for traveling to jams or contests in the future?

Fuck yeah! I will make time, I just need to hop on a bandwagon iff I can get a ride. I need to be around people on the level of flatland. All flatlanders are just real people so if you know me, tell me when you're going somewhere. I got gas money, let's do this.

Do you have any favorite riders?

Anyone who I keep in contact with in some way somehow, but also hummm...too many. How about anyone who is a backwheel killer.

If you could meet and ride with your pick of any 3 riders from the past or present, who would they be?

I can't pick...the dudes in TX and China and wherever there is tons and tons of riders. I just wanna ride with flatters.

What's your favorite snack?

LEMON SNAPPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tell me a little bit about your bikes, what's your setup for flat and street. Anything you'd like to change?

My flat bike is perfect-18", very small to man handle. Too bad that don't mean shit because it's all about the work and skill you learn. My street bike is 19" with huge bars and small pegs. No freecoaster. Makes no sense; it's more of a hoodlum ride.

Finally, I'd like to thank you so much for the opportunity to share your point of view. BMX needs more real talk. Any last words or shout outs?

Thank you Jim for this and getting me to have a reason to make another edit and push my riding- fucking 1st juggler!!! And thank flatland and anyone that I have talked to or is a part of flatland that bothers with me, and anyone I rode with and the people that take the time to read my nonsense. Hopefully we can ride somehow and you can teach me how to ride the bike better please.


This is an edit that Frank did yesterday just for the interview!

A Flatstyle Exclusive!

ABF (All Bout Flat), a really nice edit made by Tom McCarthy:

Open Mic: The Louis Orth Interview

Open Mic is a new feature on the blog, interviewing non-pro riders that inspire me with their passion for riding and progression. I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to interview Louis. Without further delay, Open Mic with Louis Orth:

Let's start with an introduction; name, age, years riding, and where/who you ride with:

My name is Louis Orth. I’m 21. I’ve been riding for nine years. I ride in a parking lot that Ross Smith used to ride in or this little concrete slab in my backyard when I am home from school. I ride in a parking lot five minutes from my house or in the basement when I am at school. I don’t really ride with anyone. And if I do, it’s with Sunny Singh or Brett Gill. Sometimes I ride with Brian Tunney or Erin Donato, but not as of late.

What first got you into riding?

There used to be a bike shop two minutes from my house called “Bike ‘N Gear” that I would frequent because I was fascinated with bicycles from a young age. My father bought me a Dyno Air when I was in fourth grade. It had mags and only back pegs. I rode it a lot, but not flatland. Just jumping curbs and racing the neighborhood kids. At one point I was 12 and I was at a friends house and we were just riding around and I wanted to go to the bike shop and look at all the bikes that were much more expensive than mine. When we were crossing the street I saw this guy on the side street doing something I had never seen before on a bicycle. I immediately said to myself, “I want to try that.” Couple of weeks later I bought a real wheel set and put front pegs on. It’s been a disease I can’t get rid of ever since.

Do you have a favorite color?

I don’t generally have a favorite color. I’m partially color blind, so it’s kind of difficult to have a favorite color. Although I do like brown for some odd reason. And yellow. Sometimes gray. But I hate red.

A lot of people it seems tend to take it easy during winter, but you seem to have pushed through and kept up with it. What's that been like? Do you find that your riding is different during winter, e.g. different tricks, different style?

It’s been rough, I’ll admit it. Sometimes I don’t want to go out, but I can’t stop it. Something feels off if I don’t at least ride for 10 minutes. It’s also very difficult to get people to come out and ride when it’s 20 degrees with high winds. I don’t see what the big deal is. I can’t change the weather and I can’t drive to California anytime I want. Another thing that is rough for me is when people come out to ride but only ride for like an hour or so. I can’t do it, I need to ride for at least two hours or more. Maybe I’m heartless or can’t feel pain, but I just need to ride. I think my riding is a little different during the winter. I mean for right now I have a tiny basement to ride in when I’m at school and a tiny concrete slab in my backyard since I am home for the winter break. So everything is in tight circles and very slow. But my riding is slow as it is. I don’t know how to ride fast. I definitely try different types of tricks, like crossing my arms or crossing my feet, or both. I don’t need a huge space to do something like that. I like riding in those small environments, my brain gets confused because I’m not riding in a huge area so I have to improvise what I want to do. It’s definitely humbling when you pull something in a small area when you know it’s 10 times easier in a huge lot.

Because our winter's here are very mild, I'm curious; is there anything special you do to keep from simply freezing in low temps?

I don’t really do anything special. I wear a pair of regular socks with a pair of wool socks over them, thermal pants, jeans, a t-shirt, a thermal shirt, a sweatshirt (non-hooded), jacket, light gloves, and a beanie. My jacket and gloves come off within 25 minutes of my session. Sometimes I come back drenched in sweat and other times I come back dry as the ground. It’s weird.

This is a question I love to ask people: Why do you ride?

There are many different reasons I could give you why I ride. Mostly everyone’s response is because it’s fun or it gets them away from reality, or whatever generic response they can come up with. I don’t have a legitimate reason as to why I ride. I’m of German descent and Germans are known for their hard work ethic. I’ve been told I work very hard with everything I do, whether it’s work or tying my shoes. I really like flatland because it baffles me. I don’t understand how I can think of a trick one day and why I couldn’t think of it the day before. It’s such a mind-altering sense of feeling to me. I just like figuring things out on my own. It’s very humbling knowing that I pulled a trick on my own and that I figured out a technique to pull it. The hard work is the reason I ride. I can’t half-ass a trick and expect it just to happen. Sure, some tricks come easier than others, but just like everything else in life, if you half-ass most things, you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s a lot like chess to me. If you make a certain move you can lose the game. If you make a certain move you can win the game. It all depends on how much I want to put into a trick. But, the lack of knowledge about a trick and the hard work, that’s what drives me.

Riders have a lot of different motivations and inspirations. What are yours?

I don’t know where my motivation comes from. I really don’t. I could go days, weeks without seeing anyone who rides and still be psyched to ride all day. My inspiration comes from people who work hard and do their own things. I used to play ice hockey as a goalie and my favorite goalie was Mike Richter. The man worked very hard to be where he was in the NHL. I could watch an old video of him playing hockey and I’ll be pumped to ride. I like surfing and body boarding. The amount of time and punishment they take from the water is very inspiring to me. Trick wise though, Brian Tunney, Jody Temple, Rodney Morweiser, Ross Smith, and Aaron Behnke inspire me.

Do you have a favorite video or video part?

That is very hard to answer. I do like a lot of older videos. One of my all-times favorites though would have to be Doses. If you don’t know, you’ll never know. I enjoy Dane Beardsley’s videos a lot. My favorite video part would have to be Ross Smith’s in Blend. Every time I see it, I just get so amped.

Where do you see your style taking you, riding wise?

I don’t know. Honestly. I don’t even know what kind of style I have. I know I ride really slow and do really weird and stupid tricks most of the time. I just like trying to figure out how to get into and out of tricks. Or combining tricks that shouldn’t be combined. I can’t see it taking me very far though, I am horrible.

Top 3 dream travel destinations?

1. Germany. I’m of German descent and I’ve just always wanted to go there and I would love to ride there as well.

2. Texas. It seems very rider-friendly down there and plus it’s warm.

3. Japan. This is an on-going joke between my friends and I. But I really want to go there. Maybe if I eat their food or drink their water I can become an okay flatlander.

Favorite band?

The Acacia Strain, hands down. But I can’t ride to them. I ride to instrumental music, like Explosions In The Sky. I hate techno and dub step. Too many noises for my ears.

What's your bike setup like? Do you have parts that you never want to change?

My bike setup is nothing like what is normal these days. My bike is pretty much just setup how I want it to be setup. I don’t care about trends or what pro is riding what and what company put out this frame. It’s a bike. But I run front AND back brakes. I run Love Goat pegs. I have custom bars. My bike is heavy compared to other bikes nowadays. It builds character and muscle. I think it weighs like 28 or 29lbs. I don’t care though. My seat is low. It’s setup like a BMX bike, not a dinky flatland bike. I love my cranks, Odyssey Black Widows. I would never get rid of them. I like them too much. And I really really like my bars, but they are slightly bent, but I don’t care. Also, I haven’t changed tires in like two years. I always ride the Animal ASM tires. Also the Animal grips rule.

Because this is January I'll ask this, have you set any goals for the year?

No, I don’t have any goals for this year. I never put out any goals for myself. It’s better that way. Because what if you mess up and you never get there? It’s always in the back of your mind and it would make me go crazy. I have ideals of what I would like to get done when I go out to ride, but most of the time, I just do whatever comes at me. If I accidently figure something out from trying something else, then that is awesome and keeps me stoked. Chase said it best, “You can't set a goal. Because what if you get there?" I’ve always got tricks on my mind. I’m always thinking about trying something or doing something. It never stops. It’s constant progression in my mind and without progression there is no need to ride my bike anymore. That’s when I’ll stop riding.

Are there any tricks that scare you?

Death trucks. I’ve been wanting to try them ever since I’ve seen them. It just looks ridiculous and I can’t figure it out. I’ve never really tried them, but one these days. I don’t need my nuts anyway, I’m never going to have kids.

Do you have a "dream link/trick"?

Probably half-packers. I’ve been saying that I’m going to learn them every time I go out to ride. But I just can’t figure it out and I’ve never really put that much effort into trying them. It’s a very frustrating trick. And I’m not trying to learn it because every one and their grandma can do it. It’s just a trick I know I can figure out weird and different ways of getting into or out of. A dream link would be able to pull anything Kevin Jones does. I’m not even kidding. He still rules.

If you had to tell a non-rider what flatland was or was about, what would you say?

It’s a lot like anything else. You put time in and you get results. It’s like you’re a scientist trying to come up for the cure of cancer, except you’re trying to learn a trick. It’s hard to explain. I usually just tell people it’s a form of BMX that consist of tricks where the rider usually has one wheel on the ground and is trying to balance with the rest of his body. It’s fun, you should try it.

Louis, thanks so much for taking the time with this interview. You're one of the guys that's kept me motivated from across the country with your passion for riding. Any final words or "shout-outs"?

I would like to thank you Jim for even thinking that I deserve an interview, I for one think opposite. I have a long list of thanks, get ready. Thanks to my parents for putting up with me and all the hours I’ve spent in a parking lot far from home. Thanks to my brothers for pushing me with everything I do, even though they are really annoying sometimes. Thanks to Rodney Morweiser for getting me into flatland and for being my mentor for nine years now and of course for always fixing my bike and hooking me up when I need it. Thanks to Mike Wilson for just being awesome at flatland and giving me stickers when I was a young kid on Runyon Ave, it meant a lot. Thanks to Grove Street Bicycles for letting me be on the team and always supporting me with whatever I need and letting me work there too. Thanks to Matt Crystal for being my best friend and always down to help me figure out tricks and being my trainer. Thanks to Sunny Singh for being my friend and always pushing me to pull tricks even when I know I should stop riding for the day and giving me props even when I don’t deserve them, I still hate you by the way. Thanks to Mark Kenny for being my friend and supporting my decisions with every day life and giving me the opportunity to be a subject of his film class. Thanks to Rick Danielsen, Dean Watson, Eric Marion, and the rest of the Efinger’s dudes for letting me ride with you guys and accepting that I ride BMX, not just flatland. Thanks to Mike Kuhn and the rest of the Grove Street BMX team. Thanks to Gary Mendez for being a good friend and letting me remember who I am. Thanks to Garret Hoogerhyde for being a good dude and fixing my bike when needed. Thanks to Erin Donato for giving me my first free frame and various other parts throughout the years, I forever owe you. Thanks to Chad Catalano for making my bars and being a good dude. Thanks to Rosie Taylor for being the smoothest rider ever. Thanks to Dave Debuono for just being awesome at everything. Thanks to Mark Harris for staying underground. Thanks to Brian Tunney for being an awesome dude and being awesome on bikes and for the advice and all of the bike parts you’ve given to me. Thanks to Brett Middaugh for giving me a shot at writing on www.bmxnj.com. Thanks to Steve Lapsley for letting me a part of the Am Flat Circuit. Thanks to Frank Macchio for the decade progression. Thanks to Adam Guild for making Doses and inspiring me. Thanks to Brett Gill for being anti-global-flat and hating the world with me when we ride. Thanks to Wawa Peach Iced Tea, butterscotch crumpets, yellow Gatorade, water, apples, apple juice, carrots, food, parking lots, and to music. I’m sure I forgot a lot of people, but you know who you are and I wouldn’t be here today without any of you.

My final words are: Shut your mouth and ride your bike.



photos by Jon Stettler