Brian Kachinsky is a unique figure in the world of BMX. He has a vision of how to run his life and career in a way that both supports him and provides him with a lot of fun in the process. He's competed in the X Games and had the opportunity to travel around the world riding BMX. We had the chance to talk with him recently about how he got into BMX as a kid, what riding looked like for him in high
school and college, and the realities -- good and bad -- about life as a professional BMX rider. This is part I of that interview.
Read Part II
First, the basics:
Born: New Year's Eve, 1981
Hometown: Neenah, WI; now lives in Chicago, IL
Sponsors: GT bikes, Vans Shoes
Brian on Social Media: Twitter - Facebook - Instagram
How did you get started riding BMX?
Brian: I started riding BMX as a mode of transportation. My friends and I rode bikes to get around town. Many of my friends had BMX bikes so when it was time for a new bike I decided on a BMX. It was a chrome GT Vertigo. I was hooked ever since.
When did you realize that you maybe had a knack for BMX riding?
Brian: I actually didn’t have much natural talent on a bike. I was athletic but BMX was very difficult for me. I think it was the challenge that I loved and once I painfully learned a few basic skills, I started progressing more and more. It wasn’t easy but I was determined to figure it out.
Was there anything specific you did to develop your talent as a BMX rider?
I basically just rode my bike a lot in between all the other sports I played and after my school work was done. It was a nice thing to get away. I loved the freedom and loved that I didn’t have a coach. It was different from hockey, baseball, football and everything else I did at the time.
Talk about the people who were influential on your development at that time. What did they do to encourage you?
All of the Baco guys were from the neighboring town I grew up in. Many of them like Dave Freimuth, Mark Hilson, Chris Rye and Mark Fluette taught me so much. Guys like Dave were already pros known worldwide so it was easy to look up to them and how they pushed their riding. Being around those guys as well as tons of other Wisconsin locals definitely pushed me every time I rode my bike.
When did you first ride competitively? What was that experience like?
I first started competing in some local contests when I was 15 or 16 and did really well in them. I actually won a few of them and then won some stuff around the Midwest. Things took off after that. I started competing more and had some pictures in magazines and some video parts. From there I met more and more people, traveled more and started on the path to later becoming a pro.
What was high school like? Did you participate in other sports or activities besides BMX?
I was actually really involved in ice hockey. I was one of the captains of the team and really enjoyed it but I was a bit burnt out on hockey and found BMX as a passion. I still loved playing hockey but BMX took over in my heart after that.
You went to the University of Wisconsin and studied Consumer Science. What was it like balancing BMX with your college studies?
College was tough. I studied hard, didn’t sleep much and had limited time to ride. I made the most of the time I had on my bike and rode as hard as I could. Even if I could only ride for an hour in between classes or whatever it took. I used BMX as a stress reliever and something to take my mind off of schoolwork. I sometimes rode instead of partying as well. I went to a big school where partying was part of the culture but to me riding was often more satisfying. I found a balance and enjoyed my time at college while also progressing my riding.
So you graduated from college and faced a decision about what was next. What made you continue pursuit of a career in BMX?
I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after graduating college but I knew I wanted to finish school and have my degree. I was already pro at the time but had to pass up a lot of travel due to school. Once I was done with school I wanted to see the world and ride as much as I could. I didn’t have school loans to pay off due to academic scholarships, money I saved, money my parents saved, etc. I was basically at square one once I was out of school but was armed with knowledge to use down the road. At the time I felt like traveling and experiencing things in life was the next step to learning and bettering myself. I don’t regret that at all and I think it was a the right path for me. I wasn’t motivated to go onto graduate school and also didn’t want to sit at a desk all day either. I took the path I took and everything worked out slowly but surely.
Next: Life as a BMX Pro - Part II of interview with Brian Kachinsky.
No comments:
Post a Comment