Sponsors:
Nothing official really but Chris at Odyssey and Jim at Sunday! Bikes have been very very kind to me. I’m really impressed at the craftsmanship of Sunday! and Odyssey’s products and I’m honored that they like the idea of me using them.
How are you?
Fantastic. How are you? I’ve been busy with work, teaching and a lot of side projects and of course being a full time Dad. I’ve lost a lot of weight in the past few months with eating better and working out. I’m thinking about training for the Christmas Classic… but probably not.
For the newer kids to BMX who aren’t really familiar with the history. When were you pro and who did you ride for?
Sure, I turned pro in 1992 to be exact. I rode in competitions in 1991 against pros but it wasn’t called a pro class at the time. I was originally sponsored by Haro and then started Standard Byke Company with Rick Moliterno and Bill Nitschke in 1991 and the rest is history.
If you could have been pro then, or now, when would you choose and why?
That’s a tough question. The tricks are certainly bigger now but I really enjoyed more technical riding than going big. That’s not to say I didn’t have a great time riding vert and jumping. I was lucky enough to be the first to do no-handed 360’s and it’s great to see them still being done today. I guess I would have to being a pro back in the day was fun but I’m guessing from a financial standpoint the purses are much more attractive now. The ski-jump stuff is scary to watch since I know some of those guys don’t have health insurance but as I know all to well there is no talking them out of it.
Are you still riding? Where can you usually be found riding these days?
I try to get out as much as possible. I haven’t been lately but I’m hoping to again soon. I usually ride around my neighborhood but I’ve been trying to get out to the local parks and meet up with some locals. I once went to the local park a while ago and a kid came up to me and said “Anyone ever tell you that you look a lot like Krt Schmidt?”. I smiled and said “I get that all the time.”
Favorite Pro when you were, and favorite Pro to watch ride these days?
When I was riding as a pro I’d have to say riding with Moliterno was the best. We really pushed each other and created a lot of original tricks. Of course, riding with the all the amazing riders we sponsored over the course of my time there were a lot of fun to ride with as well. Nowadays as far as mainstream riders I’d say Harry Main and Mark Webb are amazing to watch ride. There are so many guys that I like to watch for different reasons. Guys like Morgan Wade, Matt Beringer, Nigel Sylvester, Terry Adams and Matt Wilhelm are my favorite because they look like they are having a really good time riding. Mark Murphy, Eric Carl, Jamie McParland, John Wold, Rich Hansen, Jack Nourse, Ben Polaschek, Leland and Sean Murphy showed me how you can have as much fun off the bike as you can on it. Too many to list here really. Watching the TV stuff bums me out sometimes because some guys make it look like a job but I watch anyways. But I always will stop what I’m doing to watch a Rob Ridge video. He’s one guy that’s really continued what Rick and I started with mixing lip tricks with flatland.
What is the first story that comes to mind from when you were Pro?
I guess the first time I felt “pro” was at a Rampage contest when a lot of other pros showed up. There were so many other talented riders there that weekend I felt excited just to be practicing with them and since I didn’t think there was a chance I would win I just relaxed and had fun. When my runs came I just seemed to pull everything I tried. I had just pulled no-handed 360’s and 720’s a few days before the contest and they just flowed out with ease and in the end I won and was so surprised. It pushed me to go home and try even harder.
You have since gone on to doing a lot with design and teaching. What exactly is your work these days?
Right now I am the Interactive Director for a company called DreamWorld Studios and I teach as an adjunct instructor at Rasmussen College in the Digital Design Department. I direct a small team of amazing designers and developers to create interactive and video solutions for a large range of large and small companies.
It seems like education is something that a lot of BMXers get bummed about. How important do you feel college and everything is?
You will be successful at whatever you are passionate about. I found early on that I really enjoyed creating the graphics for Standard Byke Company. So much so that I in turn ended up going to school to learn how to do it properly. I found out quickly that there is no way to do it properly. Every problem has a different solution and it always comes down to your experience. School is a good way to get involved right away in something you are interested in but if you can get a job in the industry you love then put your whole self into it and you will be rewarded. You can always go to school. Half-ass it and you can get in line with everyone else. Take risks. I think I’ve learned a unique perspective on what works and what doesn’t when it comes to brands. I experimented a lot with Standard in the beginning and all those risks paid off and have helped me become successful doing the same for others.
What’s new in your life?
I’ve got a 10 month old son who just started walking and its amazing to watch him learn how he can do anything he puts his mind to. I also have been kicking around a lot of ideas for a new business and I’d like to get back into the industry in some fashion if only to contribute back to the sport that has given me so much. Not in terms of material items but in character building. I feel I wouldn’t be as successful as I am today without all the things I learned about life from my experiences as a full-time rider. I’m proud of the few things I accomplished but more of what it gave back to me.
Where are you right now?
At home in front of the computer with my iPhone and TV with a glass of wine keeping my ADD in check.
What does your average daily routine consist of these days?
On average I get up and work out for a while, make some coffee while checking my Twitter accounts, IM, Skype, Facebook, 100+ RSS feeds, Google Alerts, personal and work e-mail. I then rock out to some 70’s rock, eighties rap or a podcast on the way to work and when I get spend most of the day taking credit for my amazing teams work. I try to support them as best as I can and then usually take off for the long drive home or head to the college to teach class. If I’m home I try to work out, ride or play with Henry before dinner. We watch some TV, maybe a movie or tell each other stupid jokes until she falls asleep then sometimes I’ll stay up and do the social media checking all over again or do some more work before getting back to bed to grab my average 6-hour sleep.
Tell us something people might not know about you.
I’m obsessed with psychology and philosophy. I have been consuming as I can get my hands on in the form of books, audio books, blogs and podcasts. Once you get a little older, get married, have children, start a business and hire employees you suddenly realize the world does not revolve around you and your problems don’t seem as important or as impossible to solve anymore. I’ve become much more introspective as I’ve gotten older in an attempt to understand who I am and what I truly want out of life.
Where can people keep up with what you got going on?
Well I am everywhere. Literally. Part of my job requires me to build, review and test social media sites so I’ve got presence on every major social site. I use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn the most but if you’d like to connect with me then I suggest finding me on Twitter @KRTS or Facebook.com/kurtschmidt
What does 2009 have in store for you?
I’ve got some big plans this year into next. I’ll be speaking at more events on interactive strategies and trying to get out to a contest or two just to watch and absorb the good vibes. You can always keep track of me at my interactive blog (http://imtheschmidt.com) or my BMX blog (http://krtschmidt.com).
Any plans for tonight?
Play with my boy, stay up late, have some drinks and think about how to make tomorrow even better than today.
