| Tell us where you grew up?. |
| Orlando Florida, born and raised. |
|
| How did everything start with UGP? |
I was studying architecture in High school and I was in my second year of
studies. At this point I was kind of bored of the rules of architecture and
I started snooping around the class room and found some old school “even
for that time period” printing equipment. In 1986 school wasn’t going real
well for me, ha ha. So I was day dreaming allot and came up with UGP. I
started doing shirts at home with the equipment I stole from school.
At the time there wasn’t really an industry for a BMX apparel brand, it did
not exist yet. So I went to my local boutique store “Spotted Zebra and
started selling shirts. At the same time I was racing and traveling to all
the races and riders started to support what I was doing.
At the time if you started a brand with t-shirts and or number plates you
went on to make a bike. That was not really my vision and also Chris from
S&M and I were becoming good friends he was starting a bike company and I
had more interested in the graphic / clothing end of things.
So we both started the first true BMX rider owned companies. UGP changed the
way things were done. Now there was a BMX apparel category. At the time I
don’t think I even thought about that but in hind sight it is really cool to
see what we started.
Now this is the normal way for people to start there own company. |
|
| Why did you start getting involved in the industry rather than just riding
your bike? |
| Well when I started there was no industry, BMX was at an all time low. I
was just doing what I wanted and when I realized that I could travel by
selling t-shirts and number plates I was amazed and never turned back. |
|
| I remember seeing UGP army tents and crazy contraptions set up at Nationals
back in the day... What was up with that? Did you make sure to always be
around and have a presence? |
| For me it was just a way to express my self. We tried to really make the
races fun. Times were different back then also. Freestyle was still very
small and most riders raced and then freestyle on the side. So we tried to
mix the two different vibes of BMX. We did the crazy displays all the way up to the year before I started Roots. Then Racing kind of took a real weird
turn and we kind of lost interest a little. I love racing I just hate the
lack of personality in it right now. I always say once they ban the clips,
Shadow will be there to wreck shop, ha ha. |
|
| What did it take and when did UGP turn into a full time job, and how did you
make the transition to supporting your self? |
| I was in twelve grade “1989”. That was my last so called real job . I think
about that day all the time. I was like fuck this I can do UGP and travel,
fuck working for any body else. That day changed the rest of my life. |
|
| Who was your first employee and what was your first office like? |
| My little sister was the first true full time person. She worked for me for
like 10 years or something crazy. I even started to pay her, ha ha. As for
the first office it was my parents kitchen table, then I took over their
garage. Around 1991 or 1992 we got our first warehouse. |
|
You recently sold UGP. Was that something you had been planning for or did
it just come about? |
| That was never the plan! I thought I was going to do UGP till I died. But
it came to a point were the brand needed to grow and or get smaller. I was
not interested in either. I have been offered many times to sell UGP and I
turned them all down. When this opportunity came to me I also turned it
down. But they were persistent and I just ended up making a pro and cons
list and decided that by selling UGP many other doors could open for me.
Doors that would allow me to express myself and try new projects that maybe
I couldn’t of tried due to all the work of UGP. It was one of the biggest
and hardest decessions I have ever made in my life but one that in hind
sight changed my life for the better and has made the other projects that I
am working on become even stronger. |
|
| Now lets talk about your newest project “The Shadow conspiracy”? |
| Shadow is going on it’s 4th year now. The amazing thing about Shadow is from
the ground up it is totally different than any other brand in BMX. We set
out to create a new project that not only had a different image but
structurally is so different than any our brand. Just with the team they all
have voting rights on everything we do, they get profit sharing which all
leads to a group of riders that truly believe in what we are doing. They run
and believe in the products because they are apart of the whole process and
are rewarded for their hard work. |
|
| You seem to be trying to push Shadow more as a lifestyle brand while staying
true to BMX. It seems like your one of the first companies of my time to do
this. How do you feel this is going to help Shadow and how has the outside
reaction been? |
| I believe we are the first to go this route. I have two passions they are
BMX and design/fashion. For me to be able to mix the two makes me feel
fulfilled. My goal is to expose BMX in what I see as the proper presentation
of action and design. I made some serious friendship in the fashion world
and they know what I am about and they are truly feeling what I am putting
down. This all together I feel is opening a new door for BMX to show case
it’s design ability and creativity that is already here in BMX. I do not
believe that Shadow and or I are going to complete change BMX, I am merely
trying to establish baby steps in moving BMX in the direction I feel is best
for our true love, BMX. I want to see in 2 years the artist of BMX getting
world wide fame for their design skills. The action of BMX has always ruled
that is not in question. But now is the time to show all that the
creativeness is also there and it is upon them. |
|
| What's up with Agenda? |
| Agenda is tradeshow that is against the norm of what has been out there
for years. I would say for the BMX world it is like the Sub-division trade
show that Steve and the FBM crew puts on.
It is amazing they are offering a forum for small and big brands to showcase
them self's to dealers world wide with out all the bullshit bigger shows
bring to the table due to their size. |
|
| Why were you at Agenda this year? |
| We were asked by the Agenda staff to bring the Invisible:man x Shadow bike
to exhibit it along with Sneaker pimps show. For me that was the biggest
complement for us. We were not there to sell we just displayed the bike as
art. We built a Gallows / noose that the bike hung from. People were
tripping. No one has ever shown a bike in this manner and to have it at a
non BMX show just tripped people out. That was our plan we wanted to make a
statement, here we fucking are! |
|
| What was the inspiration behind the Shadow X I.M. bike display at Agenda? |
| Andrew Lee “Invisible:man” is a BMX head and when we spoke for the first
time we both were so on the same page on design and our outlook on life that
we decided it would rule if we did a bike that we would want to ride.
We wanted to something that was dark and mean as fuck looking. |
|
| Tell us about the collbo with I:M on the cruiser, and how it came about? |
| I have been a Invisible:man fan for a few years. So when a mutual friend
(Rickey Kim) introduced us it was on from the first talk. |
|
| You had done a callbo with Evil Monito a while back. How did you get
involved with those guys and what was the project all about? |
| Rickey Kim is the man behind www.mrkimsays.com and www.evilmonito.com among
many other projects. Rickey and I met many years ago and built a friendship.
One day we came up with the idea to do a callbo and both of us are sneaker
heads so making a sock that has some humor behind it was perfect. The socks
looked just like dunks but we called them (Sunks) and they came in a mini
shoe box. They are so sic. Rickey and I are still working on many projects
that will be revealed in the near future, just wait. |
|
| Tell us something about the Shadow team that everyone wouldn't normally
hear? |
| Well that is a tough one, but I can tell you this. The Shadows are the most
down to earth, shit talking, best guys in the world. When I am around them,
times are always good. They are the type of people that no matter what is
going on they will stop what they are doing and sit and talk. I couldn’t of
asked for better friends, riders and most of all a crew to be around! |
|
| What are your next steps for Shadow? |
| Keep making innovative parts and keep pushing the boundaries of design. I
really feel we have done this so far and with the collection for 2007 coming
to end of design I really feel like we will do the same for 2007 and beyond.
But most importantly we want to enjoy our life's that BMX has gave us! |
|
| Who are some brands inside and outside of BMX that you respect and why are
you into them? |
| You know the way I look at it is I respect all heads, companies and people
that do what they do for love and progress. If you are doing that no matter
if I like the style of your project or not, I respect it. I am inspired by
everything around form the minute I walk out the door. |
|
| Do you feel there is a way for BMX to cross over into the mainstream and be
successful? |
| Mainstream is a hard word for BMX. I am more down for the boutique style
rider owned stores and or mixed shops that carry skate, snow and or wake. I
feel BMX has more in common with these sports / lifestyles than we do with
road bikes. So yes I want to see BMX grow in a new way, a way that will
complement the true qualities of what BMX is. No Wal-Mart, ha ha. |
|
| Are you a sneaker fan? What are your favorite shoes? |
| Hell yea I am. I would say for the past couple of years it is the Nike Air
Max 90. Man if you are not on your bike then you need to be in a pair of
these! |
|
| When you are not doing BIKE related stuff, what are you up too? |
| Designing is what I do 24/7, ha ha. Also we live on a lake so this summer I
will be doing a shit load of wake skating. It gets hot as fuck in Florida.
Also traveling, my wife and I love Asia and travel there for chill time. |
|
| Is there anything you have cooking up that you want to talk about? |
| We just did an 8 page layout for Vapors that will be coming out in 2
months. I was really stoked on this. I am honored that Vapors choose us to
express our creativity in their magazine! There is so many new projects in
the works that I will just have to keep the Defgrip readers updated when the
time comes. |
|
Lets end this thing with some top 3's...
Top 3 places to vacation to? |
Japan
Whistler
Germany |
|
| Top 3 vehicles to drive? |
Dodge magnum
1965 galaxy 500
1970’s Honda enduro (fully customized like old Harleys were, Japan has the
sickest versions of this style) |
|
| Top 3 periodicals to read? |
Vapors
Wired
Dwell |
|
| Top 3 people that inspire you? |
Family
Sparky’s crew
Shadow team
(I know it is not people but this is what drives me) |
|
| Top 3 reasons to keep going? |
Wife / family
Learning
Traveling |
|
| Top 3 things you would like everyone to know about you? |
Chill
Driven
Consistent
|
|
