Paul Vail

Bike Flat (BF): Most people know you as ~P~ what's your real name? Paul Vail (PV): ~P~ is what I sign everything with online.  People don't really need to know my name, but it is Paul Vail. (BF): You have definitely been around the sport a while, when did you start riding? (PV): I started riding in 1986 pretty seriously.  I had a $200.00 Mongoose racing bike that I put some pegs and a Gyro on and made some upgrades to.

I started out with flatland that year and at the end of the year got a Haro which was close to top of the line back then.  So, it's been over 18 years now of pretty much just flatland riding.

(BF): What is the biggest change you have seen from riding when you were younger to riding today?
(PV): There are a ton of changes, but the biggest may be the separation that seems to exist between different types of riding.  15 years ago everyone rode everything and had a ton of fun doing it all.  I spent months riding vert and some time riding street, but always came back to flatland primarily.  Now though it's like you have to have a separate bike for street, vert, or flatland.  People are pulling their front or rear brakes off their bike to say "This is what I do, this is all I do." I'm all about keeping all my brakes on my bike and riding whatever is presented to me at that time.  If it includes riding street for a few hours with friends, then that's awesome.  Not enough people trying everything and adding that variety to their riding.

(BF): What was your daily routine back when you were riding the most compared to today? (PV): Well, understand that I am still riding and hopefully always will ride and be considered a rider.  But, when I was younger and had the chance to go on tour I was riding no less than 5 hours a day. Usually 2-3 hours during shows and then about 2-3 hours before and after shows just practicing.  I got to meet a lot of really great people and go all over the US doing shows and just riding.

After the tour though I was competing and running about the middle of the pro pack with the Hoffman BS contests.  I worked delivering food which was good because it was from 11:00-2:00 then 5:00-10:00.  I always had 3 hours right in the middle of the day that I could ride, and time after work as well if I needed a night session. Now though, I am lucky to ride an hour a day, and usually it isn't that much.  I'm not complaining (to much) as I have a lot of other things in my life that are really important to me and are things that I care more about than my bike.  Specifically, my family.  I think spending time with my wife and my son, and providing for them is one of the greatest things we can do in our lifetimes.  I am just a small part of my family and it came before me and will survive after me, so I am proud to be a part of it and strive to make it better as I can.

(BF): I think 90% of riders first starting up came across your site, when did you start BMXTRIX?
(PV): BMXTRIX was started... Ummm... About 1998 or so.  I really don't know anymore when it officially went up for the first time. I was just getting into the Internet and computers more and wanted to have some sort of worthwhile project that I could work on instead of just random crap. So, I said to myself "There needs to be a good website with videos of tricks and really good descriptions of how-to do them."  I had been working on getting it all together when I ran across Bobby Carter's website, Bobby's World.  It was kind of like what I had in mind, but I didn't like the descriptions and I thought the videos could be improved on and the trick list expanded.  The first version of BMXTRIX was hosted on a free web server Tripod I believe, and I didn't own the URL www.bmxtrix.com at that time.  It was a while before I moved it to dedicated servers and really started going nuts with videos and stuff.

(BF): And what motivated you to keep it going? (PV): I keep it going because I always intended the site to be something that riders could turn to for help. I remember when I started I didn't know what any of the tricks were.  I got to ride in Northern California with some of the best riders of the time, but they were doing tricks that were way beyond me and it didn't seem like anyone did the basics so I could learn.  I didn't know what was possible or how to get to the level of those guys. So, it probably took me twice as long as it needed to until I progressed.

I get motivated whenever someone thanks me for the site. At a contest the announcer once said "Dude, you've only been riding two years, how did you get so good."  In the middle of the guys run he yelled back "BMXTRIX.com!"  That was really awesome and gives me reason to keep it going.

(BF): What is your career out side of flatland?
(PV): I am a control systems designer.  I design and program touchpanels that control A/V gear.  I work commercial stuff now, so when you see those movies with 10 video displays at the front of a war room and there is some guy that can direct different video or computers up to those displays and kick in volume and stuff, the interface he uses to do all that would be something similar to what I would program.  I started with photography, which is fun, but most will tell you that there often isn't
much money in it.  I then moved to accounting which was guaranteed to give me some cash, but is extraordinarily boring.  With this job I am able to work with computers some days, wire stuff up other days, figure out problems, do graphic design, programming, some sales stuff,engineer.  Just to keep it interesting the technology constantly evolves and gets better or at least different so there is always progression and things to learn.  I have a lot of fun with it and the pay is decent. Check www.crestron.com for the types of stuff I am programming and www.cpslink.com is where I work.

 

(BF): Where has flatland brought you throughout the world? (PV): I really have stayed inside the US, not through my own choice though. Money is always an issue and when I was doing well at contests, there wasn't a lot of money in it.  On tour I went through about 25 states for 9 months which was awesome, if not excessively boring at times.  I have been to Toronto a few times for events and really am hoping to make it to the Worlds in a couple of years.  In 1988 right after I graduated high school I went to Australia for a couple of months with my Dad.

That is a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life. The weather was great, I met a bunch of riders, and I went to a contest there. Way before almost anyone had even heard of freestyle down there was when I went and despite being a mediocre beginner in the states, I was told that I could enter pro down there.  Now every country is at the same level or ahead of the US for riders and riding quality and technology.  No Internet back then, so things had to trickle into other countries through magazines.  Not even many videos then.

(BF): Where do you see flatland heading in the next couple years?
(PV): I hate to say it, but flatland is either dead, or we need to push it forward ourselves.  Television, and viewers basically abandoned flatland altogether which has totally crippled the ability for money to flow into flatland and allow more riders to make a living off of it. There are so many riders with so much talent but I know there are guys that will never be a part of the sport no matter what because they have bills to pay and flatland will not pay the bills for them.  The few in the world who are making a living off of flatland are really lucky to be doing so and I am just sad that more riders can't. I can imagine things getting even worse with flatland then they are now and I expect street, dirt,
and vert to really be pushed off of TV as well in the next few years which will hurt a bunch of riders living their glory days right now.

I wrote this over 5 years ago on BMXTRIX and I think we are just at the beginning of the recession:
"These are the best of times. Parks are going up in smaller cities as the public grasps 'alternative' sports as acceptable. But ESPN will tire of the X-Games. Freestyle will see another recession and the best tricks today will be forgotten and reinvented in 15 years when freestyle becomes trendy again. For some of us freestyle isn't trendy and never has been. If you started riding in the last five years you haven't been put to the test yet. You haven't ridden crappy bikes when nobody supported the sport. You haven't ridden by yourself for three years straight because your trendy friends gave it up when it went out of style. That will be the true test... because it will fade from being such a commercial sport and things will get tough."

(BF): Is there any one person or company you see pushing the sport the greatest?
(PV): FlatlandFuel (www.flatlandfuel.com) is incredible and Pat, the owner, totally rocks. I think companies such as Ares is great and the smaller rider owned companies pushing flatland as a main part of their product line are awesome but none do as much as they hope they would.  There's just not enough money in it for them to sponsor a lot of riders and give flatland riders a chance to ride all the time. Red Bull is really being nice, but I am not sure how much they get out of it, it is appreciated
though.  Riders always push the sport and I respect them all and recognize the progress they are bringing to the sport, but the best flatlanders will always change the way bikes are ridden.  Any rider with a good attitude brings a lot into flatland to make it better.  I would say that Matt Wilhelm and Stephen Cerra in the US are two of the nicest riders I have met.  Always a good attitude, even when they are frustrated.  Martti and Jorge for doing KGB and pushing riding in new directions.  Alex and Simon are the two that, right now, are pushing flatland to new levels.  I just hope that every rider, no matter how good they get, remember that all riders are in this together as flatlander and we all should be encouraging one another no matter what.

(BF): Do you have any future plans for BMXTRIX?
(PV): Ah, the list is long and my time is short.  I want to reshoot the how-to's with better video and more versions.  Different tricks, etc.  I want to finish sections that have been around for a long time. I want to add some sort of store stuff, but really am unsure if I will ever do that.  I have ideas for product review sections and rider databases.  I want to add more interactivity with people who visit the site and allow them to help make the site better.  But, getting there is very, very time consuming.  I think it starts with giving the site a face lift. Maybe dump the black background that it has used since day 1.

(BF): So is your son riding yet?
(PV): My son just learned to walk and celebrated his first birthday. I have a bike ready for him after he spends some time on a tricycle. Right now though there is info about him at www.jacobvail.com and he is ripping it up on what he has:
http://newton.student.umd.edu/Jake%20pics/Jan05/Jan0705.JPG

(BF): Any last words or shout outs?
(PV): Thanks to my wife Debbi who, despite other family member's encouragement, has never tried to talk me out of riding.  All the riders who I have ever known and the floors that they have let me crash on - thanks!  I want people to spread the word of BMXTRIX to others who may be getting into riding for the first time.  The site is not commercial, there is not advertising in your face all the time, and I try to keep a good vibe in the forums and stuff and I have no qualms about promoting websites that also carry a good vibe and promote flatland.  Finally, a big screw you to Ryan Homes who is building my new home.  It was supposed to be ready in November and has a big unfinished basement that I can ride in (yes, my wife encouraged that also!) yet it won't be until April at the earliest that it is ready so I don't get to ride all Winter and we had to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my son's first birthday in a crappy apartment.  Man, I can't wait for the house to be done.

(BF): Thanks Paul, maybe I'll see you at the next Camden Jam.
(PV): I'll be there for sure, haven't missed one yet...  Or the next York Jam, or ????

(PV): I wanted to add one final P.S.  
When I go to contests and events I have sometimes written exactly what I have observed and what I have heard other riders talking about.  This sometimes reflects poorly on a rider or two.  I want everyone to know that when something a little bit negative is written, it is often the consensus of more than just me what is being said.  I don't single anyone out in particular and if judging was poor or biased then that should not be taken as offense by any individual rider.  I hope everyone knows just how much respect I have for them just for getting on their bikes everyday and riding and putting forth the effort to come to a contest and compete.  I truly like most riders and respect all of them, but I also keep the website honest about the single contest and what went down.  If a rider screwed up, was a jerk, or played around and it gets written about, you better believe that the rider better really think about whether that actually happened and is what caused those words to be written.  I never mean it as an offense, but as a reflection of reality so others who may go "Why did that happen?" may understand.