In the Shadows of Conspiracy....

Where are you originally from?

Orlando, born and raised.

How is life in Orlando and what are the pros and cons?

Super chill, an amazing town when you get past the heat and the tourist area, ha ha. The pro’s and cons are almost the same. The small town vibe is one that works both ways. I travel the world and then coming back to a small town keeps you grounded / Pro. But also there is not as much inspiration in the small town which is a / Con. I love the big city but I am fully an outdoor Southern kind of dude.

What are some of the best bike shops that you have been to?

The cool thing that is happening right now with BMX is that riders are opening their own shops. Fully transforming what was once the typical bike shop and flipping it into BMX boutiques stores. A few brick and mortar shops that I have allot of respect for are: TwoxFour, Goods BMX, Rise Above, Street One, Staff BMX, Peoples, Strictly BMX, just to name a few.

When did the training wheels come off on you bike?

Man the funny thing is my first bike and me trying to learn to ride it, I had a crazy temper and just lost it. The funny thing is after that kind of start who would of thought that BMX would become my life.

How long have you been into BMX? Who or what prompted it?

I was about 11 when I truly got into BMX. I had these Hessian neighbors and they rode. I was playing traditional sports at the time and those Hessians seamed to be having a lot more fun then I was. So that was the end of team sports and BMX full on.

Who were some of your idols as a kid?

I would say the only idols in my life are my parents as they have always supported me through the good and bad. Later in life I would say that my biggest influences came from Andy Jenkins and Jeff Tremaine with their take on art that they laid down in BMX action & Freestylln magazines. Indirectly those guys shaped my future.

When did you start your first business venture, and how did it evolve?

* I started my first brand at the age of 16 and continued doing the brand for 20 years. At the time their was no brands really based on the lifestyle of BMX. Myself and Chris Moeller started the first rider owned brands.
It was such an amazing period of my life. But 3 years ago I sold the brand to focus more on Shadow.

When did you start Shadow Conspiracy and how did it differ from your first business venture?

As I was saying, my first brand was an amazing period in my life. But it was a brand I started at 16 and Shadow was me at 30. Shadow is a brand that heads don’t buy into it, they are apart of it. When riders write us they don’t ask to be on the team they ask to be a Shadow. That action means allot to me. I would say the difference is learning who I am and what I wanted out of life and state it through my brand.

What made you want to do a parts and clothing line?

Being able to design using Cloth, Metal, Plastic and Paper is the most amazing thing. Most designers only get to choose one or two of these elements and we are consistently being challenged to open our minds and find new and better ways to advance our products. The apparel brings new ideas to our parts and vise verse to the the apparel. Ultimately we felt we had ideas that could change BMX, so we went for it.

How would you describe your personal dress code?

I am super laid back and enjoy making clothes more than rocking them scene style. I am fully a black t-shirt, driver cap, vans and jeans kind of guy.

Have you ever seen the 1997 film “Shadow Conspiracy” with Charlie Sheen? If so what did you think of it?

That movie is lame!!! At the time we came up with our brands name we had no idea about this waste of film movie.

The line doesn't really read BMX at all. It has a much darker inset and really makes you feel as if you are part of an esoteric sect. How did you build this feel of the brand?

Shadow is a brand that is about telling a story. Our main influence came from Alfred Hitchcock and his style of movie making. He was able to take your mind on a journey that you had to fill in the blanks. He would show the knife, the blood but never the stabbing. Truly a genius. With Shadow we follow a similar mind set that we are not out to spell the obvious, we want the Shadows world wide to be apart of the story.

What are some conspiracy theories that you think are actually true?

I could go on for days about this.

How do you feel the streetwear market is evolving and what do you think is its next natural BIG step?

I think the big step now is that Streetwear is evolving into more of a collective of like mined creative types that are not necessarily into Hip hop, Graffiti and or Skate. The community is fully of creative people that have many interest. Shadow being a prime example of this evolution. I have always felt this way about this community and it is amazing seeing it evolve.

What are some of the best financial business decisions that you have made in the last year?

buying our own building.

What is your average weekend like?

Man I love the weekends. Sitting by the pool and hitt’n up the lake for some wake skating. On Sunday a group of friends get together and we have a Full on Southern BBQ style chill sessions.

What are some hobbies that MANY WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ABOUT?

Wake boarding and wake skating. I suck, but fuck man that shit is fun.

What is a locale that you would really like to visit?

My next big trip / location I want to visit is Russia. It is for sure on my list for 2008!

What is the best part of life for you right now?

Family and tight friends for sure. But mostly the fact that I have been blessed. There is not a day that goes by that I am not 110% grateful for the life I have lived!

Drop a jewel for the people on how to develop a core message of a brand?

*Passion never dollars. True greatness only comes from those who believe in their path!


Invisible man collab bike....