I need to do an intro/conclusion, but you guys can proofread this to see what's good with what i've got so far.
Matt Dibble: So Alex, you're a respected rider in the community today and pretty influential on others. How did you get yourself into that position?
Alex Steadman: I don't really know, I guess I've been around long enough and put in enough work to get there. I was lucky to get put on the Proto team because that definitely boosted me to a higher level so to speak. If I weren't on that team people probably wouldn't think as highly of me, but then again there would be less people whining about the fact that I "suck" and am on a big name team.
Matt Dibble: Haha, well we know that you're on the big name team for a reason. If you're not willing to say it, I will, ORIGINALITY. You have a completely different outlook on riding than many riders currently active in the sport. What are some of the tricks you do that set you apart, and what kind of things can we expect from you in the upcoming proto dvd?
Alex Steadman: Many of the tricks I do are not really that unique, more so I take normal tricks and do them in a way or place that people have not thought of. I do some tricks that people think are silly but can actually be legitimate when they're put in a line or done on something cool. Of course I do fakie manuals, and those are not really done too much. I am not going to say that I am the sole person in the sport who does them, but I'd say I'm up there in the ranks of the few people who are good at them. As for the dvd, expect what you normally would from me. Mostly things that make you say "huh, I would not have thought of that", and also one trick that most would never think I could or would do.
Matt Dibble: Your last sentence makes me laugh because all I can think of is that infamous hippie jump clip of yours, haha. I know people like Stan have some last minute things to finish up with the DVD, but how many sections have you seen so far?
Alex Steadman: Don't count on any hippie jumps in the dvd, that is something I never plan on doing again. I've seen everyone's section and they're all really good. Everyone has some clips that you would just not expect from them or anyone. I know Sanchez filmed a bunch and has a whole section which is pretty impressive because he hasn't been on the team that long.
Matt Dibble: Being on Proto I've heard is almost more like a 'family' than a team. Knowing them as well as you do and without giving too much away, is there anything in this DVD that surprised even you when watching?
Alex Steadman: The "more family than a team" thing is always used, and as played out as it is, it is pretty true for us. The problem is that just about everyone lives on the East coast and is pretty close to each other, while it's only Andrew and me more on the West coast. Then there is Chema who is down in Mexico doing his thing, but hopefully he'll be coming up to ride with us before too long. Every time we get together it's really cool. We're all friends and enjoy being with each other even when we aren't riding. I actually met a good bit of the team before there really was a team, or when it was just the SR team. As far as the video goes (it keeps coming back this, doesn't it?), there were plenty of things that surprised me. As I said, everyone has good stuff, but there are some entire parts that every other clip or more is surprisingly good. I always forget how good so much of the team is, so I know the whole scooter scene is going to be pretty blown away by this video. And in more ways than just the riding.
Matt Dibble: Yeah that brings to mind the old babboon videos, when you can just tell they're having a blast and don't care what anyone thinks. True homies right there. I don't want to keep hammering questions on the team, so I'll get a little more personal. You're in college now, correct? Can you tell us a little about your major, what you plan on doing after graduation, and how all of this has an effect on your ability to find time to ride or film?
Alex Steadman: I am in college, I am actually writing a paper between answering these questions. I am an elementary education major which means that I am going to be an elementary school teacher. I'm a senior and next semester I will be student teaching, so I'm going to be spending a lot of time teaching. Once I graduate in spring I am not too sure what I want to do. I would really like to move to California so I could work at the FD shop and do some substitute teaching to make some money on the side, but we'll see. I may just stay in AZ and try to get a job teaching. School and riding hasn't really been too much of a conflict for me because I am a big procrastinator so I do everything last minute which leaves me plenty of time to ride. My biggest conflict with riding is riding my road bike. Filming is another story, because I have no filmer in AZ. All the footage I've gotten was in California with Dylan, Andrew, or Tyler, or when those three visit Arizona.
Matt Dibble: It's crazy to think that you got all of your clips in such a relatively short amount of time while still having a solid section in the DVD. Only being able to film when you or others travel is just mind boggling, but I guess that parallels Sanchez like you said earlier because he hasn't been on the team for a very long time. Also, I can't get over thinking about you being an elementary school teacher. One of the most obvious characteristics about you are your dreads. Do you think there will be a point sometime soon with your graduation coming up that it will finally be time to part with them?
Alex Steadman: I don't know, they get kind of old sometimes, but I don't think they are going anywhere. Luckily all the schools I have worked with so far are cool with them, so I hope I won't be forced to cut them when I get a job teaching.
Matt Dibble: Being able to see you about to finish up college while still being on a professional team is pretty awesome. Is there anything you'd like to share with us about your involvement with the community, being able to watch it grow and mature?
Alex Steadman: With the scooter community? I'll try to keep the negativity to a minimum. You said "watch it grow and mature", but I feel like that is only part true. The sport is growing, but is not really maturing. There are more and more people riding, more companies, but we are still regarded as a kids sport. Sure every kid out there will say "you say scooterering is dumb until I briflip!" but 1) briflips are wack and 2) you will only be changing a few opinions. Look at any of the other big action sports, they went from being an underground sport of people riding kids toys to something bigger than they could ever imagine. Professional skateboarders are now household names. In that sense, scooters have done very little growing up. We are still a group of people making short videos for each other, and hardly anyone knows about it. To get any real recognition people need to start getting serious about the image of scooters. What is it now, you may wonder? Little kids wearing helmets. I am not saying stop wearing helmets and start breaking your skulls, but be more serious. Stop only riding your front yard and the local park and find some street. Start riding with local skaters and bikers to get scooters recognized as something that can actually be a legitimate sport, not as a thing kids ride on to get in your way at the skatepark. Don't get discouraged when people talk trash because you have probably ridden your scooter more than they have ridden their skateboard and are more well known in your scene than they are. Broaden your horizons to more than just an internet forum and get scooters going somewhere instead of running around in circles.
Matt Dibble: I agree 100% with what you said there, and I guess the way I worded that originally was pretty misleading. People like Josh Toy, now married with a child on the way, give a pretty mature image to our sport in my opinion. But wow, I can't get over how perfectly worded your last response was. I think I want to have that be almost your 'ender' haha. Do you have any last words, comments, suggestions, or other words of wisdom for the community?
Alex Steadman: Get off the computer and ride, make good videos, and stop being clones. No one wants to see a team of people who all ride just about exactly the same. Don't take no shit off of nobody.
Matt Dibble: So Alex, you're a respected rider in the community today and pretty influential on others. How did you get yourself into that position?
Alex Steadman: I don't really know, I guess I've been around long enough and put in enough work to get there. I was lucky to get put on the Proto team because that definitely boosted me to a higher level so to speak. If I weren't on that team people probably wouldn't think as highly of me, but then again there would be less people whining about the fact that I "suck" and am on a big name team.
Matt Dibble: Haha, well we know that you're on the big name team for a reason. If you're not willing to say it, I will, ORIGINALITY. You have a completely different outlook on riding than many riders currently active in the sport. What are some of the tricks you do that set you apart, and what kind of things can we expect from you in the upcoming proto dvd?
Alex Steadman: Many of the tricks I do are not really that unique, more so I take normal tricks and do them in a way or place that people have not thought of. I do some tricks that people think are silly but can actually be legitimate when they're put in a line or done on something cool. Of course I do fakie manuals, and those are not really done too much. I am not going to say that I am the sole person in the sport who does them, but I'd say I'm up there in the ranks of the few people who are good at them. As for the dvd, expect what you normally would from me. Mostly things that make you say "huh, I would not have thought of that", and also one trick that most would never think I could or would do.
Matt Dibble: Your last sentence makes me laugh because all I can think of is that infamous hippie jump clip of yours, haha. I know people like Stan have some last minute things to finish up with the DVD, but how many sections have you seen so far?
Alex Steadman: Don't count on any hippie jumps in the dvd, that is something I never plan on doing again. I've seen everyone's section and they're all really good. Everyone has some clips that you would just not expect from them or anyone. I know Sanchez filmed a bunch and has a whole section which is pretty impressive because he hasn't been on the team that long.
Matt Dibble: Being on Proto I've heard is almost more like a 'family' than a team. Knowing them as well as you do and without giving too much away, is there anything in this DVD that surprised even you when watching?
Alex Steadman: The "more family than a team" thing is always used, and as played out as it is, it is pretty true for us. The problem is that just about everyone lives on the East coast and is pretty close to each other, while it's only Andrew and me more on the West coast. Then there is Chema who is down in Mexico doing his thing, but hopefully he'll be coming up to ride with us before too long. Every time we get together it's really cool. We're all friends and enjoy being with each other even when we aren't riding. I actually met a good bit of the team before there really was a team, or when it was just the SR team. As far as the video goes (it keeps coming back this, doesn't it?), there were plenty of things that surprised me. As I said, everyone has good stuff, but there are some entire parts that every other clip or more is surprisingly good. I always forget how good so much of the team is, so I know the whole scooter scene is going to be pretty blown away by this video. And in more ways than just the riding.
Matt Dibble: Yeah that brings to mind the old babboon videos, when you can just tell they're having a blast and don't care what anyone thinks. True homies right there. I don't want to keep hammering questions on the team, so I'll get a little more personal. You're in college now, correct? Can you tell us a little about your major, what you plan on doing after graduation, and how all of this has an effect on your ability to find time to ride or film?
Alex Steadman: I am in college, I am actually writing a paper between answering these questions. I am an elementary education major which means that I am going to be an elementary school teacher. I'm a senior and next semester I will be student teaching, so I'm going to be spending a lot of time teaching. Once I graduate in spring I am not too sure what I want to do. I would really like to move to California so I could work at the FD shop and do some substitute teaching to make some money on the side, but we'll see. I may just stay in AZ and try to get a job teaching. School and riding hasn't really been too much of a conflict for me because I am a big procrastinator so I do everything last minute which leaves me plenty of time to ride. My biggest conflict with riding is riding my road bike. Filming is another story, because I have no filmer in AZ. All the footage I've gotten was in California with Dylan, Andrew, or Tyler, or when those three visit Arizona.
Matt Dibble: It's crazy to think that you got all of your clips in such a relatively short amount of time while still having a solid section in the DVD. Only being able to film when you or others travel is just mind boggling, but I guess that parallels Sanchez like you said earlier because he hasn't been on the team for a very long time. Also, I can't get over thinking about you being an elementary school teacher. One of the most obvious characteristics about you are your dreads. Do you think there will be a point sometime soon with your graduation coming up that it will finally be time to part with them?
Alex Steadman: I don't know, they get kind of old sometimes, but I don't think they are going anywhere. Luckily all the schools I have worked with so far are cool with them, so I hope I won't be forced to cut them when I get a job teaching.
Matt Dibble: Being able to see you about to finish up college while still being on a professional team is pretty awesome. Is there anything you'd like to share with us about your involvement with the community, being able to watch it grow and mature?
Alex Steadman: With the scooter community? I'll try to keep the negativity to a minimum. You said "watch it grow and mature", but I feel like that is only part true. The sport is growing, but is not really maturing. There are more and more people riding, more companies, but we are still regarded as a kids sport. Sure every kid out there will say "you say scooterering is dumb until I briflip!" but 1) briflips are wack and 2) you will only be changing a few opinions. Look at any of the other big action sports, they went from being an underground sport of people riding kids toys to something bigger than they could ever imagine. Professional skateboarders are now household names. In that sense, scooters have done very little growing up. We are still a group of people making short videos for each other, and hardly anyone knows about it. To get any real recognition people need to start getting serious about the image of scooters. What is it now, you may wonder? Little kids wearing helmets. I am not saying stop wearing helmets and start breaking your skulls, but be more serious. Stop only riding your front yard and the local park and find some street. Start riding with local skaters and bikers to get scooters recognized as something that can actually be a legitimate sport, not as a thing kids ride on to get in your way at the skatepark. Don't get discouraged when people talk trash because you have probably ridden your scooter more than they have ridden their skateboard and are more well known in your scene than they are. Broaden your horizons to more than just an internet forum and get scooters going somewhere instead of running around in circles.
Matt Dibble: I agree 100% with what you said there, and I guess the way I worded that originally was pretty misleading. People like Josh Toy, now married with a child on the way, give a pretty mature image to our sport in my opinion. But wow, I can't get over how perfectly worded your last response was. I think I want to have that be almost your 'ender' haha. Do you have any last words, comments, suggestions, or other words of wisdom for the community?
Alex Steadman: Get off the computer and ride, make good videos, and stop being clones. No one wants to see a team of people who all ride just about exactly the same. Don't take no shit off of nobody.
