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Roots!!!!
- Thread starter pnj
- Start date
I noticed some riders missing... maybe some guys who won a lot of contests for them...
it would be interesting to find out why some of those guys were left out. You could do your commenting right here, Joel. Start just before the mountain bike guy does. you have five minutes. Give us the highs and lows. How you helped to innovate the freestyle frames and how they always used your input. Then how they dropped you because you......
Go!
Go!
I genuinely remember some of the pictures they used. Awesome find.
They didn't drop me, I left. They wouldn't let me turn pro at 17 so I bailed. I was told it would look bad to have a 17 year old pro when there older amateurs on the team. Within days I signed with Micki Conte and replaced Dennis McCoy on her show team and started touring with Joe Johnson.
I just find it really odd that they used Chris Lashua (whom I really like), but nothing of Park Carter or I, who were winning contests for them and getting them a LOT of magazine coverage. I talked to Mark Eaton who produced this and he said that it was Mongoose's call on who they wanted. He said he wanted to include all the riders but Mongoose said no. Sucks because Park and I did so much to legitimize that team for 3 years. They didn't have legit contest riders who were innovating until we showed up. I haven't talked to Park in years but I'm pretty sure he'd feel the same way.
As for highs and lows... Getting my first contract at 15 and summer tour were the highs, telling them adios was the low. I really wanted to stay, but Mat Hoffman was turning pro and felt like it was my time too. If Mongoose would have let me, I'd have stayed.
There, I said what I had to say.
I just find it really odd that they used Chris Lashua (whom I really like), but nothing of Park Carter or I, who were winning contests for them and getting them a LOT of magazine coverage. I talked to Mark Eaton who produced this and he said that it was Mongoose's call on who they wanted. He said he wanted to include all the riders but Mongoose said no. Sucks because Park and I did so much to legitimize that team for 3 years. They didn't have legit contest riders who were innovating until we showed up. I haven't talked to Park in years but I'm pretty sure he'd feel the same way.
As for highs and lows... Getting my first contract at 15 and summer tour were the highs, telling them adios was the low. I really wanted to stay, but Mat Hoffman was turning pro and felt like it was my time too. If Mongoose would have let me, I'd have stayed.
There, I said what I had to say.
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I watched it again today. Good stuff.
Joel - good to hear some other input/view on it. But sorry to hear things didn't work out for Mongoose and you back then. That's cool about Eaton wanting to include you guys but a bit lame on Mongoose - maybe it was a time thing or maybe politics. Were you on the team when McGoo was there? He seems like a character from the years I've read about him in the bmx pubs. I like the ad he did and his reasoning.
I enjoyed that vid and it brought back a lot of memories. Never had a Mongoose but I liked their frames and parts and there were a lot of them at the local track. Didn't know about the Moosegoose headtube that brought on the scooter craze. Learn something new all the time.
I enjoyed that vid and it brought back a lot of memories. Never had a Mongoose but I liked their frames and parts and there were a lot of them at the local track. Didn't know about the Moosegoose headtube that brought on the scooter craze. Learn something new all the time.
I was with Mongoose when McGoo came aboard... that may have been the reason I left. My dad and him didn't get along at all (I was 16 or 17 then) and I think that strained the relationship. It's funny though, watching that video of Chris Lashua... I won that contest! That was also the contest that Joe Johnson landed the first tailwhip.