How old are you?
"218 months."
Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
"I was originally born in Newport Beach, California. I then moved to Malibu when I was two, and I have been living in San Diego since I was five."
What riders motivate you?
"Well... my friends are the ones who have motivated me the most. From the beginning, Ryan Fudger, BBT, my brother Dave and Sean Yarrol have been the most impressive. Most recently, Dave Voelker, Jimmy Worbec, Mike Grosse and Mike Parenti have really motivated my riding."
What type of riding do you like best?
"To answer that question would only classify a person as one type of rider, and I believe that limits one's riding abilities. Like, this one time, I was riding at some trails with four pegs and a front brake. I heard this kid go, 'What is a flatlander doing here?' That kid was limited."
So where do you ride?
"Mission Valley YMCA, a lot of street in San Diego, Real Ride Skate Park in Lake Perris, Bear Cat Trails, Escondido Skate Park, The Dirt Brothers House (Woodward West), Orange County street, ditches, and Brent's trails."
What are some of your best tricks?
"My best tricks? I think that putting together a good line is better than one big trick."
Tell us what happened to your truck?
"I don't know, do you have it?"
How did you start riding for the Dirt Bros?
"I met Vic Murphy one day while riding at my friend Dana's house. He turned out to be a really cool guy, and I wound up meeting up with him again at a skate park. He gave me a Dirt Brothers stem. All my friends were riding for the Dirt Brothers, and I guess I just grew closer to all of them. The Dirt Bros. aren't just a sponsor, they are more like a community of good friends that I hang out and ride with everyday."
What are your plans for 2001?
"Right now, I am recovering from a collarbone injury, but in a month or two, I plan on joining the Dirt Brothers tour that is going from state to state."
What are some of your other interests?
"I like to travel, read books, play Tony Hawk and Mat Hoffman video games, listen to music, and hang out with my family and friends."
If you could change one thing about the sport what would it be?
"I would get rid of all these half-hearted companies that take advantage of their riders."
Who do you want to thank?
" I would like to start out by thanking my mom. I also want to thank my grandparents, Ryan, Sarah, BBT, Russ, Dirt Brothers Industry, Bike USA, and my sponsors: TSG, Dstruct apparel, Profile. Oh, and all the guys at www.SanDiegobmx.com."
It's not everyday that someone travels to Austria to get their knee repaired. In fact, Gary Young found out later that he was actually the first American to venture to Austria for the surgery-ever. We asked Gary a few questions to get the full story.
How did you end up doing your knee surgery in Australia?
I called Mat Hoffman and he referred me to this broker named John Cora. I called him about getting the surgery (in Canada), but he told me there were no hospital rooms available, and he asked if I wanted to go to Austria instead. He offered to pay the difference in the airfare and I was told that the technique they use in Austria is better than the one they use in Canada, so off I went.
Sounds like everything went well, but I'm sure there are some stories worth telling.
I went over there with a personal check, but you can't go to Europe with a personal check; it takes like two weeks to clear. So, up until the morning of the surgery I wasn't sure if I was going to have the procedure or not-I thought I may have wasted a whole trip to Austria. I maxed out my credit card and it ended up working out all right. John helped me out with the hospital costs, and my parents also wired me some money.
Did they have all the technically advanced equipment to work on your knee?
Yeah, they had all sorts of the most updated equipment, the surgeon didn't want to use a power drill to remove the old screws, so he used an old hand drill.
And how was your stay in the hospital after surgery?
(Laughs) Every time the nurses would change shifts, they would come in and greet me in German, so I had to idea what they were saying. Plus, all the water over there is carbonated; it's no good either. I had to find out what un-carbonated water is called- it's "onay," or something like that-no gas, that's good enough.
What else was a bit creepy?
The day of the surgery I got there at about nine in the morning, while my surgery was scheduled for four. Three-thirty came around and they had to prepare me for surgery by shaving part of my leg. The nurse who shaved my leg had this crazy twitch and I was getting pretty scared until the doctor came in and took control.
How long did they say it would take to recover?
About three weeks and it's been about four now. My knee is feeling good.
What post-surgery procedures did the hospital tell you to do?
I had a physical therapist in Austria and she told me to put Topfin on my knee, wrap it in Saran Wrap, and cover it with a towel so it wouldn't make a mess. I didn't know what Topfin was, so I asked an Austrian local what it was, and they said, "It's something you put on bagels; it's cream cheese!" It's supposed to take the swelling down, but I'm skeptical. It just stinks.
What is the weirdest thing you've ever seen?
This may not be the weirdest but it definetly stands out. One morning I was riding my bike to school and I saw this bum that I had seen before, but this time she was sitting on the side of a curb on a fairly busy street. Not too odd, but as I passed her I noticed she wasn't sitting, she was actually taking a crap.
In your opinion, what's the worst way to die?
Becoming a diehard Breatharian (see breatharian.com) and dying from starvation. Or just eating yourself-that would suck, too.
What's the best thing you've ever seen done on a bike?
That's a tough one, but in person I'm going to go with Brian Vowell's barspin transfer-to-hang 5 the deck of the ramp and then down the tranny. In a magazine, it was Dave Osato's tailwhip-to-manual-to-tailwhip [Ride, February 2001].
Explain a time you got suspended or a "referral" in school.
In sixth grade my friend and I tried to give this kid a swirly (Where you stick someone's head in a toilet and flush it). When we got the kid in the bathroom he started making a lot of noise and soon a teacher came in to see what all the commotion was about. Before the teacher was in the bathroom my friend and I were making a quick exit out the other door. We turned a corner and, you know those little door stops? Well, I hooked my toe on one of those, hit a stucco wall, and was left on the ground with a gash just below my ribs. The teachers figured that was enough punishment, though.
What is one quality that you see in others that you wish you had?
I wish I was a little cleaner, but I guess when you're a Dirt Bro. that's not really an option.
Is there something that you've tried to do for a long time, but just can't do?
I've never been able to make any musical instrument to work. I mean, I can get them to make noise, but as far as any form of song is concerned, well, it's just not good. It's amazing to me how people can make the sounds turn into music.
Is there someone who doesn't ride anymore that you wish still rode?
There are quite a few people that I wish still rode, but I'm happy holding on to the memories of sessions past. They are all awesome people and have been known to come out of "retirement" now and again. To me they are all still riders.
If you had the power to kick one state out of the United States of America, which state would it be and why?
Florida-it's the armpit of the U.S. If you ever go there you'll know what I mean.
Do you believe in fate?
Yes and no. Have you ever noticed how anything you do in life leads to something else? Or how something bad will happen and then somewhere down the road you'll look back and see how things just had to go that way to work out the best in the end? I look at that as what God has planned. Yet without hard work, nothing happens.
Ride BMX Gary Young Interview Outakes