"MY STORY"
Hey guys let me tell you a little about myself. Lets start from the beginning of my life as a PRO STUNT RIDER.
I purchased my first motorcycle being a Honda CBR F4i 2001. Only took me a few weeks into riding when I realized how bad I wanted to learn how to wheelie. Not just a basic wheelie I wanted to be to ride it for miles. I found myself on the backroad 90 percent of the time. I guess I found it more fun riding wheelies then just cruising around town.
After a few months of doing this before I knew it I was starting to figure it out. At least I thought I was. Quick snap back to reality when in mid wheelie the bike decided to death wobble and launch me off the at 50 mph into a superman face plant to the asphalt. It was sweet! ...... Psych.. I broke my collarbone having to add steal to keep in all in place it was so bad. Plus had to sit around for 3 months with no money. During that 3 months I started thinking about stunt riding more and more and watching videos left and right. Knowing I couldn't really afford another accident like this but I was dying to get back on the bike. So after all that and still wanting to keep riding I must have a passion for this and it just took control of my life from that point on.
Now it was time to start putting a cage and stunt parts on the bike since by this time I've already ruined the plastics for not having one on there sooner. After getting the stunt parts on the bike I felt a little more comfortable about crashing since I had a few parts on there the bike should be fine. At this time things were getting pretty expensive and I wasn't making a lot of money. So if something broke on the bike then I had to rig it up to make it last. money was tight.. next thing I was tired of riding to the lot because of how often I would break something so it was felt it was easier to start driving the bike there on a trailer. Before I knew it I was just in parking lots trying to master the art of stunt riding.
The passion grew strong and I was starting to really figure out how to ride the bike over the years. I was even learning some of the most difficult tricks out there and I was learning them without to much struggle. Thats when I decided it was time to step it up and try to pursue a career out of this and become more professional. Told myself "Maybe just maybe I could practice enough to get as good as the XDL guys and compete with them." I felt like i could do it and sold myself on the idea. why not ? i got off work everyday at 3:30 and had nothing to do might as well invest in myself and see what happens. And that is where my journey begins.
I started doing lots of research and contacting some people about traveling. I didn't have much money but I was willing to go even more broke to follow this dream of mine. luckily our industry is full of awesome welcoming people. Now that I'm traveling a little bit and making videos and reaching out to others the word competing kept coming up. Just the thought of competing would make me nervous. But with the AM series opening up I had to man up and get out there and go for it. First comp my bike wouldn't even run so I got zero points in that round already telling my self its over with now. It drove me nuts the thought of not being able to do good in the comp series was killing me. Never thinking I could win or come back from round 1 I actually came back for the next 3 rounds and took 1st place in 2 out of 4 and 2nd in another giving me the points to take the AM championship 1st place!
I couldn't believe it. I was shocked ! I was being contacted by companies and it was really feeling like I was going somewhere with this. This was no easy task though let me tell you. I was sleeping in my van in hotel parking lots so other riders thought I had a hotel room. I didn't even have enough money to hang out with them and go out to eat with them so I found myself most of the time being kinda lonely outsider. Was pretty sad and hard at times but the distraction of determination will keep your head up through pretty much anything.
Now I was thinking about investing in a better bike and I went and got myself a 2004 kawasaki zx6r. That bike was amazing and was the next level move for me since I was able to ride this bike 10x better then my honda. If only I switched sooner. Having the sponsors and support it was a much nicer setup bike which allowed to me to go dominate any trick I could think of and not worry about parts breaking while trying them. I loved that bike. It changed my life.
After pushing my self to learn alot of the more difficult tricks being done on a sport bike I told myself its time to hit up the XDL and give it a shot. 2011 I went to XDL INDY by myself to ride and compete with the guys I've looked up to the last 5 years of riding. I was so nervous I couldn't even act myself and felt so out of place but I held it together and placed 12th place out of 15. To me I did amazing to even get that place but time to go back to practicing now that I know what I need to work on.
Year 2012 comes around and Im ready to hit up all the stops for XDL and I sent out my resume to see if I could find any more support for this journey I was about to pursue. And couldn't believe it when I received a email back from ICON and they actually wanted to have me join the team. I thought it was a prank email. This changed my outlook on my direction with stunt riding. I was more determined then ever. The passion grew strong and nothing was going to stop me. placing 6th over all in the XDL results I was just a hair away from being top 5 in the world! Holy Smokes! I told my self I bet I could get top 3 if I just learn some new tricks and go faster and bigger. I began practicing every day for 2013 XDL to come only it never did.. All though I pretended in my own head it was coming back every year and just used that as motivation to keep pushing myself. Just didn't think it was going to be 4 years later before I could compete again.
Had a crazy idea during that 4 years to learn something crazy nobody has done before and thats the 360 rock walk BMX trick. A trick the stunt riders couldn't even visualize being possible but I could see it and I knew it was possible. My next 6 months of riding is going to be hell for me. And it was exactly that until that day I landed it and figured it out in 2013. To me It was a new beginning to our sport. I believe those are the tricks that will carry this sport to success. It took 2 years before another person was able to land a 360 which proves its difficulty. Now that this trick is being noticed so was I and my name seemed to start getting around more. It was a great feeling after so much time went into that trick it was all so worth it. Now still waiting for some one to land a 540 death shuffle. That one I created and its been a couple years now so I'm stoked to see that nobody has yet to land that one..
Year 2016 XDL is finally back and I believe I'm more ready to I could ever be. Go to round 1 and do absolutley terrible. Placing 6th place was simply unacceptable and no way will I let that happen again. I felt like all that time was wasted the last 4 years. That day on I completely changed my lifestyle. I had 3 months to learn and relearn a new bag of tricks and master them for my run for round 2 Sonoma California. Those 3 months were straight hell. Time was up and I headed to sonoma after a long 50 hour drive I arrive there. I relax for about 40 minutes when I get a call from some family telling me my brother was hit on his motorcycle and he passed away. And just a few months before my father passed away. So this was the worst news ever at the worst possible time. This was that one weekend I have to be on my game and now this. Part of me wanted to go home but there was no way I could back down from this. Ive put so much into this and I just showed my brother the week before the run I was going to use to take first place. I felt I still had to prove to him and me that I could do it. That weekend i was able to dominate nearly every side event competition and also win 1st place in the pro freestyle Making me dream complete finally after so much time. i continued on the series doing really well I was able to come out 2nd place over all in the Championship Series. My next goal is to get 1st in the Xdl Championship. I want a title !
My journey doesn't stop there and never will stop . Im still out chasing my dreams and pushing videos for you guys to watch. I plan to make more professional videos and also learn some more tricks that nobody has seen. my career is just getting started so keep up with me and lets see where this sport take us !