Day in and Day out I practiced and studied my idols. If it rained the basement would suffice, if it was too late out came the magazines and video to dissect the latest trick, and if all else failed (sitting in church) I would analyze and ponder new tricks. Throughout this period most people would call my activities an obsession. To a certain degree that is true, but one aspect that could not suffer in my families eyes was school. While all these activities took place my grades were good and I graduated in the top half of my class. Most of my papers and creative assignments involved Freestyle themes, but I was a good student (actually ahead of most in terms of credits).

1987, after one year of competing locally and placing well I was given the opportunity of the greatest magnitude. Before leaving for summer tours Chris Lashua had purchased the infamous Mountain Dew/GT Team and needed two subs. After being selected, I was riding high (no pun or drug reference intended). The first show date arrived and was the most exciting moment in my BMX career. It gave me a sense of accomplishment reaching a stepping stone in my development.

In the next six years my association with Chris and the team would take me on several trips to California, Throughout the U.S., several trips to Canada, and a month long trip to China as an ambassador to the United States. Chris and I with a host of teammates, including Dennis Langlais (the guru behind this site), Gregg Macomber, Steve Macomber, Ron Stebenne,Matt Bergman, John Dumas (the number one MC of all time) Glenn Gollrad, Mike Noguera, Frank Ludovico, Tommy Simpson and Darren Pelio, traveled and performed for Hundreds of thousands over the years and Hundreds of Millions in China all before the age of 22.

What is most amazing about all of this to me is that we did this with no "Adult Manager" for most of our endeavors. Chris was a mastermind in terms of making things happen and exploring new avenues for the team. I will credit Chris for teaching me how to be more than a Freestyle rider and become a true performer and professional. Dennis was the ultimate entrepreneur. If there was an opportunity to utilize, Dennis made the most of it and has built the largest Organization of BMX teams worldwide. Through Chris, Dennis and my other teammates examples, Freestyle taught me how to recognize an opportunity, determine how to achieve it, take the steps to do so, and how to handle myself in a professional manner at all times. Freestyle led me to discovery of how important it is to teach others what professional/ personal skills and talents you have to offer. Some of my greatest memories of Freestyle shows or contests come not from the roars of thousands of people cheering you on, but from seeing the joy and sense of accomplishment of teaching someone a trick that has puzzled them until that point.

The moral of my story. Freestyle is a sport which should be encouraged. It should be embraced as a positive influence upon Girls and Boys of all ages. Through my ten years of being involved in Freestyle I never fell victim to Drugs or peer-pressure. I was too committed to my love to be bothered with silly habits such as those. You may wonder what type of career path will Freestyle offer to my son or daughter. Looking at the list of teammates above you will find the following:

• 9 college graduates (one doctor and three multiple degree holders)
• three successful business owners (one with multiple businesses)
• one Fireman and former Coast Guard Officer
• two successful Manufacturing Professionals
• 8 children that may be freestylers some day

In closing, one of the most important factors in my career was the support of my family and friends. Without them I never would have had the enormous ramp, taken all the trips to competitions and shows, had anyone who cared if I was away for a month or not, and just plain support and encouragement along the way. Thank you to my family, friends and teammates for the ride of a lifetime and encourage kids to pursue their dreams and interest.More Stories»

Dennis Langlais-1985 AFA Masters	Gregg Macomber-1990-TFP Show
Chris Lashua-1989 TFP Show	Scott Moroney-1991-TFP Show

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