arnette

How does one become a pro BMXer? 

It’s funny you mention that because it’s really unusual to be from Wisconsin and be in the position I am in … There was a pro from my area that I sort of grew up with, his name is Dave Freimuth. He was ten years older than me but he’s still one of my best friends. I looked up to him growing up because he was local but also known all over the world. I obviously loved how he rode, I loved his skills on a bike but I loved his lifestyle and everything about it … I grew up playing ice hockey, that was my main sport. BMX was always my hobby but a hobby that I loved and was passionate about. After high school was over I didn’t really play hockey as much and I went to college at UW-Madison and started competing all over the country. I won a major event that sort of forced me to go pro when I was in my sophomore year.

When some of the biggest BMX riders come through Chicago they often stop at your private facility, The Bakery, to ride with you. What made you want to create your own unique place to ride?

Someone actually asked me that earlier today. They were like, “So wait, you use this facility to basically promote your competition?” And I was like well yea, because technically they’re my competition but — especially my sector of BMX, which is street riding — we’re all friends. We’ve been on trips with each other and we’ve traveled the world together … So I was like why don’t I take advantage of that and have some of these guys come visit me and ride my spot that is basically my paradise that I built. The selfish component of that is that I have a place to ride 24 hours a day, anytime I want, rain or shine. A lot of hard work went into building it and making it happen.

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