(Photo: Aaron Zwaal)

I have been getting a ton of questions in the old inbox lately. Some aren’t worthy of a full post. Here are 4 that people want answered but that didn’t deserve their own posts.

How do you pronounce “Stijn Staal?”

It rhymes with Pine Sol. That’s all you need to know.

These days it looks like the top pros run pegs and mainly do peg tricks, do you think pegless riders fear this and feel the need to throw on some pegs to stay on top in the bmx game. example: would AK be where he is without throwing on some pegs?

I’ve definitely seen dudes who seem to have started riding pegs even though I suspect they don’t really want to, since that’s pretty much where people are at in terms of what’s popular right now. But I don’t really think it’s that big a deal. A lot of dudes are into grinding right now but there are plenty of pros who don’t ride pegs and even more who have pegs but use them sparingly. Plus it seems like a giant percentage of the popular skatepark riders are pegless. I’d say there is a pretty healthy mix of different styles, pegs or no pegs.

Would AK be where he is without pegs? I don’t know. I don’t think pegs are what makes Alex such an awesome rider. Sure, almost everything he does is peg based. But if he were, for some reason, forced to do jumping tricks, manuals, nose manuals and various pegless grinds I’m sure he’s still be an equally interesting rider, although obviously he’s a dude whose style matches up well with pegs.

Yo, who would win in a fight between Gabe Brooks and Brad Simms? Whats your opinion?

Gabe. Gabe’s got the Muay Thai background, the height/size advantage and probably the experience. Brad is a hardass but I’m putting my money on Mr. Brooks.

this video went HAM! it was clear and had alot of bangers…. most of my videos do… so y dont u guys ever drop’em in the Top Posts this Week section… sometimes theres alot of junk likeday in the lifes or whatever… just sayin. That Dave Mohoney and Matt Leviege edit was hammer

Matt, I’m not sure if you know this, but writing in to a website asking why your video wasn’t given the credit it deserved is WEIRD. Like, really weird. I haven’t watched your edit but I’m going to right now, give me a second.

Okay, so I admit, there was some really good riding in that edit. But was it top 10 for the week? Maybe not. Maybe it is. I don’t know. I don’t make those top 10 lists. The dude who filmed the edit in question, Brett, who also works for The Come Up, does. So maybe you should hit him up directly about this kind of thing. Instead of emailing me repeatedly about it. However there are a few obvious things you could fix, if you really want to get your edit on those top 10 lists. Does anyone seriously think that being on those lists is a big deal?

First, your video was on the Ride player. People hate the Ride player. They are statistically much, much less likely to watch a video if it’s on the Ride player. I don’t really hate the player that much, but from looking at TCU’s statistics it’s obvious that a ton of people skip over videos just because they aren’t on Vimeo or Youtube. And even if they do click the play button, there’s a pre-roll ad, which also causes a fair number of people to turn the video off. So you’re already starting off with a bunch of cards against you here.

Second, most boring song ever. I know the songs have to be cleared. But still.

Third, there were a couple of crazy enders in this video but for the most part, the riding wasn’t exactly spectacular throughout. There’s no doubt in my mind that a lot of this stuff is hard. But it’s pretty far off from what kids are actually into these days. Some of the stationary peg stall stuff reminds me of Hans “No Way” Rhey. Which could be seen as either a good thing or a bad thing, but in this case I’m going to go with the latter.

Fourth, Dave Mahoney filming in light blue mesh shorts with knee pads is probably going to cause most people to turn your video off and possibly throw their computer out the window, so keep that in mind.

I’m a fan of your riding. I remember seeing you ride the first Bone Deth jam back in 2005 or so. I’ve always posted your edits and enjoyed them. But you may be suffering from an inflated sense of self worth and that’s not a good look.

Finally, your video came out Monday. It is currently Saturday. Those top 10 lists are made every Sunday. I’m sure you can see how this is an important fact to take note of here.

The premiere episode follows Corey Bohan as he deals with a wrist injury suffered at Dew Tour SLC and his subsequent recovery. Corey spends his downtime off his bike at a crazy birthday party thrown by Red Bull and playing some tennis. The second half is full of really solid street riding in Australia featuring other riders on of Corey’s sponsor The Set, including Brad Simms and Kym Grosser. It’s awesome to see him out supporting his friends even when he can’t be riding a bike himself.

A minute and a half of Brad Simms riding for Nate Richter’s camera.

Only a couple of tricks in here but it’s cool to see The Predator making moves. If you missed it the other day check out the interview I did with him about the day that he filmed 18 clips for his Shook section.

There’s an old story that I’d always heard over the years about Brad Simms filming 18 clips in one day to finish off his Shook section. I hit him up about it to ask about that day and then the conversation led down a few other roads, covering topics such as the current video climate and who his favorite riders are. Check it out after the jump.

Yo let’s do a conversation on here about that day when you got 16 clips.

18, get it right.

How did that end up happening. Give me the story.

I had already been in Ohio for a day or so. I got there late and didn’t have much time to film.

This was your Shook part correct?

Yeah

That’s a pretty shockingly high number. Most of the best riders I know are hyped to get 2 or 3 DVD worthy clips in a day. Even 1 is pretty good.

Definitely. But that’s 5 years ago, times have changed and I highly doubt I could go out and do that now.

Just because trick standards are higher now or because you’re getting old?

Old! Nah, definitely trick standards. And maybe being a little lazy.

Where was this exactly?

Cincinnati, Ohio.

Do any of the tricks that you got that day stand out as being really hard to get or did you pick all stuff that you knew you could get pretty easy?

Not really because Tony Neyer and Chad knew the spots so I was never really lost for spots. It was a a legit mission because we got started late that day I think, around noon, and Chad said you need about 18 clips to finish this thing and I looked at him like are you crazy? And he said “no, but you can do it”. After the last clip it had just turned midnight and I was done.

Do you miss filming with Chad Shack?

Honestly filming with Chad was pretty easy back then because he didn’t complain about how long you took, he would just sit there until you got it or gave up.

Do you miss the Shook era?

The Shook era was cool but it went out of control after It’s On and Break The Tape.

Yeah I feel you, he tried to outsource too many sections and the quality went down a lot.

Yeah exactly. Getting that call to go up to Ohio and film that part changed my life.

Your Shook part was your big break. Before that you had only had your Bulldog section right? It seemed like for a while all the dudes who had Shook sections would blow up right after.

Shook was definitely my big break and the Bulldog part got out but definitely didn’t give me the break that Shook did. But yeah I can say for sure anyone else who had filmed a part in Shook got one too.

How long did that Israel edit take to film?

I was there for a month but wasn’t always filming.

You got any big video plans coming up? I still want to see a real banger section from you, but you haven’t really had the opportunity have you? I think that some younger dudes didn’t realize how overwhelmingly good you are until they saw that one fan video that a kid put together. A lot of your best clips have been in mix sections and random web videos.

I don’t have any sections coming up other than a new web edit. It’s hard because some of the companies I’ve ridden for over the past few years haven’t been that big into doing DVD’s or were just scared because of how the internet has killed DVD sales.

Right, right.

Yeah a lot of younger riders have seen what I’ve put online in the past 2 years but some have no idea what’s already been done or like most kids of today, all they know is what’s online so if you havent seen a DVD from 5 years ago you’re probably not going to look for it. Or they might think that’s all you have, but a lot of tricks I’ve been wanting to do for the past 4 years I’m starting to see get done. But because I haven’t had a chance to film a real part I just start putting them online and soon if nothing happens I will just drop all of it.

You’re sitting on footage right now?

I don’t have footage but it’s stuff I can do that no one has done. Stuff people talked about doing and so on. One of the tricks will probably end up online really soon.

Do you have a desire to work on a section that takes y’know, 6 months or more to work on? Probably your biggest problem is that you never settle down anywhere so it’s not like you’re ever around one filmer for too long. The amount of good riding you did in that Israel edit was so ridiculous.

I would love to have 6 to 8 months to film for a part. It would be a first for me because it’s never happened. I don’t think me not settling down to fim a section is the problem, it’s more of who really wants me to be around for it because I won’t just film with any old person.

But you don’t want to do that stuff for a web video, only if you’re filming for a big project?

I don’t even really care anymore at this point because 10,000 people will see it on DVD and probably 100,000 will see it online.

Yeah. I mean I don’t really think there’s any reason for a pro like you to differentiate between a DVD part and a web video at this part. You can work just as hard on a web video as a DVD part. All DVD parts ARE web videos. Just with some of them, the company waits a few months to put them out online. They’re all just video parts now.

True… it’s just different when I know I am something to do with a dvd. I feel like I was apart of something. Just from putting stuff online for so long now, I don’t even think i could film for one section for 6 months. There’s still days when I go out and film 7 or 8 things in a day and think about holding on to those clips for 6 months and i don’t have the patience.

I think there is potential for companies to brand web videos just like they do DVD’s and actually create that level of anticipation. like Nyjah’s Rise & Shine being the obvious example. All the Nike sections were released on the web and those were some of the most popular sections of the year.

I think it would be amazing if companies did that because it would keep riders like me hyped on filming and definitely keep everyone else ready for the next thing.

What’s good with icing up El Toro is that one still on your mind?

Icing up El Toro is definitely one but it’s not a different move or combo.

Yeah that’s true. Who are your favorite street riders right now?

Rob Wise, Tony Neyer, JJ Palmere, Garret Reynolds, Nigel, Ralphy, Mike Brennan, Nathan williams, Corey Martinez, Seth K, Dave Belcher, Max G, Kym Grosser, Chad Kerley, Ty Morrow, Gabe Brooks, Sean Sexton, Lloyd Wright, Mihal Mycek, Vasya L and Saava from the Ukraine, Edwin, Chase Dehart, Charlie Crumlish, Van, Dakota Roche, list goes on and on.

Jesus that’s a lot. I got a better question, name a couple riders who could take you out in a game of BIKE.

Sexton, Grosser, Lloyd Wright & Kerley. And Reynolds.

You think Lloyd Wright and Sexton got you? I could see Chad and Garrett. I don’t think Chad would do that to you though, I think he looks up to you too much. He’s like your son.

I wouldn’t care if Chad did he’s young, hungry and really talented. I don’t really say people are that good at riding but he’s pretty ridiculous. Sean and Lloyd would definitely be hard because Sean beat me in Australia at this park. Both of them do switch shit so easy so I get beat with that stuff.

Ah okay that’s your kryptonite.

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Follow Brad on Twitter.

Brad and I had a conversation over on Chicken & Rice about the day that he filmed 18 clips to finish off his Shook section.

This is awesome:

“12 days of summer with Brad Simms, Kym Grosser an injured Corey Bohan, Levi Jackonia, Calvin Kosovich, Chris ODonell, Callan Stibbards, Troy Charlesworth, TM Marc Urlich & photographer Brandon Means getting loose in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Letting the good times roll! Here’s some of what went down when it wasn’t raining or flooding.

Filmed and edited by Troy Charlesworth. additional filming by Calvin Kosovich Michael Vockenson and Jerry Vandervaulk.”

Brad Simms, without question, owns the quick manny one. Ride sat him down and got him to tell them how to do one. Speaking of… remember when he did it on that rail in NYC? One of the craziest clips ever and it’s even more crazy that he did it off a drop in that Israel edit.

Remember when people used to freak out about people grinding “nipple height” stuff? Well this is more or less as tall as Brad’s chin.

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Speechless. What a monster.