Today i will be mostly in a digger!

Yep, just putting in the new boardercross track at Bugsboarding.

You will have to come see - sure it will be leaked out soon  but put it this way - its different, technical and should make for a good bit of racing!

For those who don't know who you are, tell us about your involvement in the wonderful world of wheelie-boarding.

I have worked for Maxtrack and MBS Mountainboards now for almost 9 years, i have been the team manager, centres design and build, events manager and involved with R&D.

I also have a park called Bugsboarding in Gloucestershire.



How and when did you first hear about mountainboarding?...

I was 22 years old and was finding it hard to keep up snowboarding with no money. Then one day i saw a Mountainboard in a shop window, it was a 132cm frame board and i thought this was the way to get that snowboard style feeling here at home in the UK all year round.

I bought it there and then and off i went to my local hills, i found it to be a bit of a speed wobbler so was straight on the case of finding better boards and accessories to fix it up, thats when i came across Maxtrack and MBS and they were based 4 miles away! Sweet.

I hooked up with them and very quickly saw that the board i had was shite and the new MBS boards were a lot better looking.

After hooking up with MBS boards i found NoSno and asked to get a test on their boards too. After a couple of weeks and lots of rides i decided that the board i found to be best for me was an MBS.


Do you still do any other boarding/extreme sports?

Yeah - i will always Snowboard - i started skating half pipe a couple of years ago and enjoy learning new stuff when i can.

I also do a bit of longboarding when i find the time, there are plenty of other things i would like to do if only i had the time to do so. I may well get into biking again this season with Bugs being open to bikes .

I have seen many a comp and had many a ride with the ATBA, from 30 people entering when it all first started to now over 150 on a regular ATBA comp - its grown really well for such a small sport - if you look at some of the other sports that have been around for longer than the Mountainboarding you will see that they still only have the same amounts and numbers attending the meets.

If they get too big it becomes unfeasible to run them.

They need to keep pushing get more members and progression will naturally develop the sport and where it needs to go - there are many options and they need to keep the doors open to suggestions.

Regional rounds held by the best centres and organisers would be a good step so there is more for the average rider to take part in before they get thrown into the champs against top riders - this can be of putting for new riders so they need to have local stuff to enter to get the experience and then they will be better off when it comes to the British Champs riding against the top riders in the UK.



Tell us how you got involved with MBS and Maxtrack...

Ahhh - ok, well....................

Once i started mountainboarding i hooked up with them for a new set up and then got asked to do demos for them in the UK and across the water with Bud Gallimore( Burton sponsored snowboarder at the time).From there i carried on at work until one day the boss of Maxtrack called and asked if i would like to work for them - no brainer in my eyes at the time so said yes. From there i started all the crazy stuff you see today and still going strong.

All the us guys are a crazy bunch of individuals and like me we all seemed to get on fine - they have very strong opinions and helped develop the sport here in the early days. Leon is like a brother to me as we have spent so much time together and Austin ( Leon's brother) too.

I have been to their part of the world and things are very different but cool and can see why they are such legends in their own right.
How does their riding style / attitudes differ from old Blighty?

Not sure - we are all different in our own ways and those guys in a different country probably act like we do when we are abroad.

They all have loads of respect for the UK and its riders and every year can believe the progression of the sport here.



What are some of your stand-out moments with the MBS crew?

There are so many i don't know where to start.Back a few years ago Akoni was over for a season and the first comp was at Court Farm. Myself, Phil Bridges and Chris (pudding) McCarthy said we should pull out all the stops - so i threw down the first back flip seen on a Mountainboard in UK competition!

Starting the rail generation was cool too - the classic Leon and AJ on a rail shot popped up and no one believed it was real!

Being in the position i am i have to take part in all of the promotion that's going to help the sport grow - i find it easy because of the love i have for the sport and think nothing of it.

It can be good fun and i can be a real pain but whatever it is as long as people see it and think ' i want to have a go at that ' then its all good.



You've also helped design tracks & courses at numerous centres over the years, what work ( and where ) are you really proud of?
Bugsboarding is a real treat - now with a new track its even better.

Court Farm downhill track is cool - the Edge is one of my favorite with both the freestyle and boardercross and the Winterberg track in Germany is the daddy - going back soon to make it even better.


Obviously being the owner/manager of progressive mbc Bugs Boarding is a great acheivement; how do you make it all work?
Not sure! Great friends and riders help it all happen and a lot of hard work - as soon as i am finished at MBS i am straight over to the centre to keep it all going - the people that help out at the centre are legends i we wouldn't be able to do it without them.


Has mountainboarding in fact taken over your life?!

Yes , yes it has! My girl friend Lindsay has been a god sent this last couple of seasons and helps make me take breaks from it all but as soon as they are over its back to it!



The Fat Face night Air WFC's took place for the first time at Bugs last year ( '08 ). How was it for you?
WET! Such a shame but that's life. Made the most of what we could, fingers crossed for this year - should be a biggy.


What's in the pipeline for Bugs in the future?

An up lift - trying to invest in a drag lift for the park so as to retire Goldie. It will be the new stairway to heaven.

The IMA is there to attract people from all over the world - most key figures are involved from all corners of the world and the idea is to make it attractive to outsiders and show them that Mountainboarding is here to stay.

Once it is up and running the idea is to attract other outside companies to get involved and have major sponsors for major comps.


What other plans does the IMA have?

Lots , its just getting around to them - watch this space.

I like every type of riding, freestyle, boardercross , freeride ,  downhill you name it.

But the best type of riding is with my friends, without them it all seems a bit normal!

I love trying new stuff and the boys i ride with most - the MBS Pro team  - are always pushing the limits and its sick to see.



What set up do you run, given the massive choice at your disposal?!

Pro 100 , Matrix Lites , Rockstar Pro's , T1 tyres(summer) T3 (winter) F3/F4 bindings,Fx pro heel straps

Super eggs.



Where do you feel mountainboarding (in general) is going?

I think that we will be seeing the sport become a lot more main stream over the next few years.



Where do you feel the world (in general) is going? !

To a place we have never been before - why we are all obsessed with destroying the planet is beyond me!



And us!...  Would you like to plug any thing for this year?

Cream Tea's and Jam ( Yeah! )

Battle of Bugs ( formerly the Fat Face Night Air)

Thanks to all the people that have helped out at Bugsboarding over the years and made it what it is today - thanks to all the people who have supported Mountainboarding.

Thanks to my beautiful girlfriend Lindsay for being such a star and putting up with me!

And thanks Mum.



Finally; the random Rem quick-fire questions...


How many pairs of shoes do you own?

? loads


Blue or red tyres?

Black!


How big do you think a mountainboard will be before it becomes the first mountainboard bus?

18feet long from tip to tail!


What do you do on a Thursday?

Get seshed and ready for the weekend.


Have you ever been to Skillsville?
Whats skill? Been to a ville!


UK or USA?

UK UK UK - you know UK


Burger or Pizza?

Pizza topped with burgers.


Would you rather have a quaver for a nose or wotsits for lips?

Not bothered as long as i can eat them.


Are there any good places to eat round your way?

My house.


What question are you glad we didn't ask?

W

Forwards ever , backwards never!