I always loved motocross but my parents would never let me have a bike. I once talked a guy with an XR80 into letting me ride his bike. I did a beginner move and grabbed too much front brake going down this hill, and it sent me off a cliff. It bent the fork pretty good and I had to get my parents to pay for it. They weren't happy about me being on a motorcycle.
In 1987 I got a CR125. It was my first moto bike. The second time I rode it I crashed up at Gorman and put myself in the hospital for six days.
I was really into motocross with my friend Erik Sandin, the drummer for NOFX. I'd filmed for a hobby and decided I wanted to make a motocross video like the skate and snowboard videos that our bands were always in. My friend Kurt Haller helped us along with making the first Moto XXX video. Without him, we would've been a lost cause.
In the beginning of the video craze, it was Fox with Terrafirma, Crusty Demons and us. Fights or arguments would break out because all three video companies would be out filming the same guys, at the same location, at the same time.
When we first started going to the races, we were the freaks. We'd be throwing out free CDs from our record label sponsors, and the AMA just wished we'd go away. They hated us but the fans loved us. It's become a bit too mellow around our pits for me these days.
I believe Timmy Ferry riding for Moto XXX worked out very well for him because it was a low-pressure gig. Moto XXX gave him the capability to get back where he is, and it was an honor to have him ride for us. Travis Preston should come back to Moto XXX for '08.
For a privateer team we've done pretty damn well. We've won a supercross race with Brian Deegan where he did the very famous "ghost ride," and Larry Ward won a national for us. I was glad Deegan did that ghost ride. It made history.
I once broke my right (kick drum) foot a week before a big tour. My band was going to hire a fill-in drummer for the tour, but I got pissed and started practicing with my left foot. A few days later, I had to tell the guy who was stoked thinking he was going on tour that he's pitched and I'm back. I did the entire six-week tour with my left foot. I would come out on stage on crutches. It was a big accomplishment, but now I really have to think more before I go riding. I just can't overthink it, though, 'cause I still love to ride.