Name: William "Mat" Wilson
AKA: Mr. Furious
Age: 33
Years Riding: 20?....eek
What got you started?
I had an old Schwinn Scrambler 36/36 and without any outside
influence (or hand brakes) started doing foot endos and
tailwhips just dorking around when I was 12 or 13. About the
same time, I was into break-dancing. LOL The other guy who
used to breakdance with me was over my house and we saw
the infamous Mountain Dew commercial with freestyle riding in
it. Within 2 weeks we each bough a Schwinn Predator
Freeform and picked up some BMX Action magazines and
started imitating what we saw. Within a few months we could
do pretty much anything that we saw pictures of. About 7
months after we started riding, we went to Davenport, IA to
see a show put on by Rick Moliterno and Chris Romeo. We
started riding with them every weekend and that really helped.
my skills advance. When I wasn't in the Qad cities riding with
those guys, I was riding with a WAY cool bunch of local guys
included Chris Beltramini (Pep) and Derek Olzsewski (race_inc)
and a whole bunch of others.
influence (or hand brakes) started doing foot endos and
tailwhips just dorking around when I was 12 or 13. About the
same time, I was into break-dancing. LOL The other guy who
used to breakdance with me was over my house and we saw
the infamous Mountain Dew commercial with freestyle riding in
it. Within 2 weeks we each bough a Schwinn Predator
Freeform and picked up some BMX Action magazines and
started imitating what we saw. Within a few months we could
do pretty much anything that we saw pictures of. About 7
months after we started riding, we went to Davenport, IA to
see a show put on by Rick Moliterno and Chris Romeo. We
started riding with them every weekend and that really helped.
my skills advance. When I wasn't in the Qad cities riding with
those guys, I was riding with a WAY cool bunch of local guys
included Chris Beltramini (Pep) and Derek Olzsewski (race_inc)
and a whole bunch of others.
What inspires you to ride?
My son inspires me to be as good as possibly can at anything I
do. From way back then I thought how cool it would be to have
a son some day and be able to ride with him. He's only 2 now so
I need to keep my skills up for a few years at least to really enjoy
that.
I don't have anyone that I ride with now, but I get somewhat of
the same inspiration vicariously through VBMX. I love going on
there and seeing pics guys post of them riding. And reading about
Mark and Thlayli finally landing their decades. Or getting excited
because their are almost pulling whatever trick they are working
on. Or to see Chrispy just getting INTO riding at our age. That
rules!!! I don't care what difficulty level each of us is at, Being
able to feel the excitement each of us get from riding is what it's
all about. That is what made it so fun BITD too. I did my first
endos over 20 yrs ago and to see a guy doing his first at 30
something and having fun is more enjoyable than if I were able to
pull a spastic cross-footed backpacker to hitchhiker and have
nobody to share it with. Can't forget Josh. What a great dude.
do. From way back then I thought how cool it would be to have
a son some day and be able to ride with him. He's only 2 now so
I need to keep my skills up for a few years at least to really enjoy
that.
I don't have anyone that I ride with now, but I get somewhat of
the same inspiration vicariously through VBMX. I love going on
there and seeing pics guys post of them riding. And reading about
Mark and Thlayli finally landing their decades. Or getting excited
because their are almost pulling whatever trick they are working
on. Or to see Chrispy just getting INTO riding at our age. That
rules!!! I don't care what difficulty level each of us is at, Being
able to feel the excitement each of us get from riding is what it's
all about. That is what made it so fun BITD too. I did my first
endos over 20 yrs ago and to see a guy doing his first at 30
something and having fun is more enjoyable than if I were able to
pull a spastic cross-footed backpacker to hitchhiker and have
nobody to share it with. Can't forget Josh. What a great dude.
How did you find out about Vintage BMX?
Like many others, I was surfing looking for pictures of
old bikes and found it. I saw museum and thought,
"wow, that's sweet" so I saved it to my favorites. I had
it there for like a year and would occasionally go look
at the bikes. Then I finally noticed there was a message
board on the site. LOL. Pretty observant huh?
old bikes and found it. I saw museum and thought,
"wow, that's sweet" so I saved it to my favorites. I had
it there for like a year and would occasionally go look
at the bikes. Then I finally noticed there was a message
board on the site. LOL. Pretty observant huh?
What is your best memory?
Too hard a question. All the 2 a.m. sessions at Sapp Brothers truck stop sucking up diesel exhaust.
Riding in the city swimming pool with Bob Lehn and Chris Tunget and having the cops come chase
us for it. LOL Watching Ron Wilkerson go out of our hotel window on the 10th floor of the Holiday
Inn in Tuscon, AZ and walk a tiny ledge from our window to his room next door. Having a rep from
Odyssey approach me during the Columbus AFA Masters practice and offer me a sponsorship was
pretty cool. Or funnier yet, I was in the middle of making out with my then girlfriend when the phone
rang. To this day I don't know why I went to answer it (nobody else was at my house and we had
total privacy). I am so glad I did because it was the team manager from Haro calling to ask me what
kind of bike and size/color uniform to sent with my contract. It was only co-factory deal but who
gives a crap. It was like I won the lottery!!!! Get dressed honey, were going RIDDING!!!!
Riding in the city swimming pool with Bob Lehn and Chris Tunget and having the cops come chase
us for it. LOL Watching Ron Wilkerson go out of our hotel window on the 10th floor of the Holiday
Inn in Tuscon, AZ and walk a tiny ledge from our window to his room next door. Having a rep from
Odyssey approach me during the Columbus AFA Masters practice and offer me a sponsorship was
pretty cool. Or funnier yet, I was in the middle of making out with my then girlfriend when the phone
rang. To this day I don't know why I went to answer it (nobody else was at my house and we had
total privacy). I am so glad I did because it was the team manager from Haro calling to ask me what
kind of bike and size/color uniform to sent with my contract. It was only co-factory deal but who
gives a crap. It was like I won the lottery!!!! Get dressed honey, were going RIDDING!!!!
What is your worst memory?
I was in college and working 2 jobs and just could not find
time to ride at all anymore. My skills were really starting to
suffer. I went to a small local contest in Batavia, IL and got
smoked. I knew that day that my competitive days were
over because adulthood was upon me and preparing for my
career was just taking too much away from my riding. I
remember being so depressed about that on the drive home.
It was that empty feeling like getting duped bu a girl. I felt
like what had been my WHOLE life for the past 6 or 7 years
was being ripped away from me. I stopped riding cold
turkey for about 6 months because of it. Then I just had to
get back on my bike. I only rode for fun after that.
time to ride at all anymore. My skills were really starting to
suffer. I went to a small local contest in Batavia, IL and got
smoked. I knew that day that my competitive days were
over because adulthood was upon me and preparing for my
career was just taking too much away from my riding. I
remember being so depressed about that on the drive home.
It was that empty feeling like getting duped bu a girl. I felt
like what had been my WHOLE life for the past 6 or 7 years
was being ripped away from me. I stopped riding cold
turkey for about 6 months because of it. Then I just had to
get back on my bike. I only rode for fun after that.
What is your favorite topic?
By far it's the ones where you can tell guys hurry to
get on there and post about the riding they just did, or
a bike they just got, because the excitement is just
uncontainable. I would say a close second though is
the Trick of the Month. because I get to see the
friends I've made over the site actually in action. Plus
it gives me an excuse to make time to go ride. With
my messed up schedule this year I hardly ride at all
right now. Just a few more months and I should
have some more time.
get on there and post about the riding they just did, or
a bike they just got, because the excitement is just
uncontainable. I would say a close second though is
the Trick of the Month. because I get to see the
friends I've made over the site actually in action. Plus
it gives me an excuse to make time to go ride. With
my messed up schedule this year I hardly ride at all
right now. Just a few more months and I should
have some more time.
What was your first trick?
Endo of course. Then it was a jump-rope,
although many don't consider that a legit
cause you touch the ground. I'd say the first
legit HARD trick for me was fork whips,
followed shortly there after by a cherrypicker.
although many don't consider that a legit
cause you touch the ground. I'd say the first
legit HARD trick for me was fork whips,
followed shortly there after by a cherrypicker.
What is your hardest trick?
Hardest trick for me to do was probably a triple
licorice whip. I'm sure others did them too, but it was
a trick I came up with myself. It was a crossfooted
whiplash were each time you stepped each foot to the
peg, you crossed over in front of the one that was
already on the other peg. So for a triple you had to
step across 5 times including stepping over the frame
twice during what while rolling a triple whiplash.
Looked cool as hell. Wish I'd gotten it on video. I've
pulled a single since I started riding again, but haven't
tried multiples again yet.
licorice whip. I'm sure others did them too, but it was
a trick I came up with myself. It was a crossfooted
whiplash were each time you stepped each foot to the
peg, you crossed over in front of the one that was
already on the other peg. So for a triple you had to
step across 5 times including stepping over the frame
twice during what while rolling a triple whiplash.
Looked cool as hell. Wish I'd gotten it on video. I've
pulled a single since I started riding again, but haven't
tried multiples again yet.
What kind of bike do you ride now?
Comments
You guys are great. My life is so damn serious
all the time and I get so hung up on the politics
and agendas. I know that I have personal views
that strongly disagree with many of the guys on
VBMX but that is the one place that really don't
care. We are all there because we love bikes
(new and old) and riding. Thanks guys for
giving me a place to let go of some of my
bitterness and cynicism. Oldfreestyler wanted to
know why I'm Furious? I'm a cop, were all
d!@Kheads right? LOL. No, it's after Ben Stiller
from the movie "Mystery Men." His character
was cool as hell.
all the time and I get so hung up on the politics
and agendas. I know that I have personal views
that strongly disagree with many of the guys on
VBMX but that is the one place that really don't
care. We are all there because we love bikes
(new and old) and riding. Thanks guys for
giving me a place to let go of some of my
bitterness and cynicism. Oldfreestyler wanted to
know why I'm Furious? I'm a cop, were all
d!@Kheads right? LOL. No, it's after Ben Stiller
from the movie "Mystery Men." His character
was cool as hell.
Contact me at:
raddad67@bmxfreestyler.com
raddad67@bmxfreestyler.com
