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What are you currently doing in Australia?

I flew out here just to do the press conference for the Crusty world record night, so yeah just came out to pump it up and I’m flying back to the States tomorrow.

Ok cool, so are you now living in the US?

Yeah, based in Southern California, roam between LA and San Diego. And it’s pretty much the capital of the world for motorcycles.

How do enjoy the lifestyle there compared to Australia?

Ah, it’s awesome like Australia’s wonderful, I mean the place is beautiful but it’s just the population isn’t as big to support so there’s a lot more money out there. And just ‘cause of that there’s more events and I just get caught up in some really wonderful, some really awesome opportunities, you know we’re doing stuff like ah…there’s just always something on you know and Red Bull’s been awesome, been taking us around on film trips, out on the dunes. Pretty much being able to ride with the world’s best guys every week which is a dream come true for me.

That’s cool man. Do you feel like there’s a strong sense of friendship amongst the different guys in the team or is it a professional relationship?

Yeah I’d say it’s definitely a professional relationship, you know everyone deals with each other and hangs out and what-not and we’re all definitely friends for sure, but at the end of the day it’s business you know, you kinda wanna beat that guy who’s your friend. It’s good times out there and the guys, you know, we hang out, we all hang out, we eat together at dinner, we all do birthdays and stuff like that but when it comes down to it we’re pretty much, you know, fierce battlers. It’s a weird relationship but that’s just how it is. I hang out with some of the best riders and we all hang out together, we all just share that bond and it’s cool. It’s cool for sure.

Cool. As far as the perception of motor-cross in Australia compared to overseas, I’ve always got the feeling that it seems like a bit of a sort of red-neck sport here, whereas I think overseas it’s more associated with things like BMX and skating, sort of put in that Extreme Sports category and treated differently. How do you feel about that? Do you think it’s perceived differently between here and where you are now?

Ah, I think that in America it’s more mainstream you know. And it’s big business, pretty much. You know, the Type Unlimited is the biggest player in the game and it’s a multi-million dollar industry. So a lot of the Australian guys are heading out to the States now and becoming big riders. It’s just done on a bigger scale in America, there’s more money and bigger events, so it looks better than Australia. Maybe it’s like you were saying, it’s a little bit red-necky and a little bit backwards but it’s a matter of the corporate dollars aren’t there to spend huge money on all of the events so people try and do their best and we’re producing some of the best riders in the world. And it’s maybe because we don’t have the best facilities and the riders have to work harder, and when they go to America and they have these perfect tracks and awesome set-ups and they’re just untouchable.

When did you actually start riding?

I started riding at four years old. I got my first motorbike for Christmas. Since then it’s been an ongoing love affair pretty much, I just loved my dirt bikes. I gave up there for a few years and did an apprenticeship as an electrician and sold the bikes. And then when Mum and Dad pulled the pin I had to fund it myself and you know, I made a few sacrifices and then quit my job as an electrician and now I’m traveling the world riding bikes.

Do you ride road bikes at all or are you strictly dirt?

I don’t ride on the road much at all and have never really had a desire to do so. People die riding bikes on the road you know. You cant ride them fast on the road because it is just too dangerous. I mean I have ridden them on circuits before which was cool but dirt bikes are my passion.

What injuries have you sustained from riding?

It’s been pretty gnarly. I’ve fractured my collar bone, broken my ribs, punctured my lungs a few times, broken my wrist I’ve broken my neck, I’ve had a concussion that nearly killed me and I was on life support. Those are always the scary ones.

So do you still find yourself afraid before a major event?

There’s always a level of fear. That fear is always a healthy thing, it has to be there. You have to have fear because if you start to get too cocky with it in principal you go down and obviously the injuries you can get can be serious. I remember the dangers every time I get on my bike and I know that every time I get on my bike I am risking my life doing backflips and breaking records or whatever so you have to be scared of it but you have to face your fears to live your dreams.

Is there something that you do to prepare for the challenge of a world record attempt psychologically?

Yeah there is a lot of mental preparation that goes into my riding. You have to be totally prepared for it beforehand and make the sacrifices like going to bed early and eating right. All of that is part of the lead-up, getting your mind right. Especially in competition I sit down and I picture my run in my head, I go over every single detail of it. So in a competition I’ve done that run three or four times in my head before I go onto the track. You put so much mental concentration into each event that once you have completed that trick your mind is completely blank. For this world record jump there has been years and years of mental preparation. Pretty much anyone can ride the bike off the ramp at that speed but to bring it back to earth at that speed is what is so hard and is the reason why it’s never been done before. It’s like a game of Russian Roulette out there. The chances of things going wrong, the risks involved are huge. Like you said before you have to be aware of the consequences and death is a possibility out there, it’s a serious business. It’s a big commitment to make and a big sacrifice but that’s our goal as a team and we’re willing to put it all on the line to have that record.

Are you in a serious relationship? If so, it must be hard having someone out there waiting for you when you are putting it all on the line so to speak.

Yeah I’ve got my fiancé Amy. She’s my best friend, wife to be and she’s there with me. She lives with me in America, she’s at my side, she watches me practice, she’s there for it all. She gives me tips along the way and she doesn’t want to see anything go wrong. It breaks her heart when she sees me go down. Unfortunately I’ve got to put my loved ones through so much pain and anguish when they see me fall but the triumphs are great and we share them together. She believes in me and my family believes in me. We know that I can be the best and it’s a matter of doing everything to get there. This next jump is a big goal of both of ours and we’ve been working for over a year now to pull it off. There’s been a lot of negotiating with all the people involved and finally it’s going down.

Is there any feeling of guilt on your behalf knowing that you could be leaving your fiancé all alone if things go wrong?

Yeah It’s gnarly man, I don’t even want to think about that. Obviously I consider it but I don’t like to think about it because failure is not an option. I don’t even think about if things go wrong because I’m doing everything in my power to make sure I pull it off perfectly. I don’t go that far to feel guilty about it because if you’re not confident you can’t do it. It’s when you’re not confident that you start feeling that way. I just stay positive and we talk positive. We both know that the risks are there but we kinda just don’t talk about it. She just asks me if I’m comfortable and I’m confident. I know that she’s asking a million questions with those few words but we don’t go there. We’re not planning for the worst.

Do you have an exit plan from this game? Do you have an age limit for your retirement?

Yeah I’m pretty much looking to retire around 30. I’ve started an importing business and we have an action sports store on the south coast of Australia. We’re importing Moose clothing which is the gear I wear on the bike. So all that stuff is available in the country now. Motor Enterprises is the company and we’re bringing all that stuff into the country. Bikes are my life so I’m setting up other avenues because with the riding I know that sooner or later something probably will go wrong and I could pay the price with my life. Right now I’ve just got my head down and I’m still kicking goals but further down the track I really just want to put my knowledge into it, help some kids out by being their agent or whatever and do my import thing. I want to stay in the industry but I don’t want to ride my whole life, that’s for sure.

I wanted to ask if the life on the road for professional motor X riders is similar to that of touring rock acts but I suppose being engaged it’s a bit different for you?

Well it has been a rollercoaster. When I started off I was single and traveled the world as a single kid, living it up at 18 or 19 years of age. I’ve met some girls and had some mind blowing experiences that people just don’t believe. Stretched hummers to get around in etc. My fiance's there and knows what goes on. She doesn’t mind me speaking to groupies as long as I’m just looking at the menu and not ordering anything. I still go to the parties but at the end of the night I’m going home to her.

You’re one of few pro FMX riders who isn’t inked up…

Most of the boys are tattooed up but not me. I’ve drawn up some artwork before that I like but I just don’t know that I want to have it on my body the rest of my life. Anyone can go get tattoos and you see some people covered in tattoos and think ‘gee you must be a pretty hardcore guy’ but I’d rather just let the riding speak for itself. I don’t have to look the way I’m expected to look I just do my own thing.

What sort of music are you into?

I’m a big fan of the stuff that I grew up on like Aussie Crawl and Crowded House, I love hearing that shit you know but obviously I’m a fan of hip-hop and the whole hip-hop scene and metal like Metallica and bands like AC-DC. I’m a bit of an all round guy, I listen to whatever’s pumping and suits the mood. I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to music as long as it’s not Justin Timberlake or something like that.