DIG ARCHIVES: THE VAN HOMAN INTERVIEW
VAN HOMAN INTERVIEW
REPRINTED FROM DIG 57: MARCH/APRIL 2007
INTRO AND INTERVIEW BY BRIAN TUNNEY
PHOTOS BY ROB DOLECKI
ILLUSTRATIONS BY JON EDWARDS
It’s a few days after Christmas when I make the short drive to Van Homan’s 2x4 BMX/Skate shop in Pennsville, NJ. To any discerning resident of the area, it’s probably way too cold to be spending time outside. But I notice something unusual as I make my way down the main street of Van’s small hometown; BMXers, lots of them. Some are pedaling along the street, others have left their bikes outside of shops and fast food restaurants. It’s clearly too cold to be outside, but this budding scene shows no aversion to it, simply happy to be outside, utilizing whatever new bikes or components they received just a few days prior on Christmas day.
I notice BMXers wherever I go. Usually, it’s one or two people on their own. But there’s something different about Pennsville, NJ. It’s a tiny town, it’s really cold out, and there’s at least ten people on BMX bikes as I drive the mile or so down to Van’s shop. Clearly, this newfound scene is the result of Van’s new shop, which opened in the Summer of 2006. Van’s perspective on this is simple: he wanted to build a community. And so he did, and even though it’s only just begun, it’s growing at an alarming rate.
As I enter the store, I notice that the shop is stocked with everything anyone could ever want in a BMX-related kinda way, from complete bikes to clothing to every imaginable component in a wide assortment of colors. And then I spy Van behind the counter, keeping track of stock on a notepad next to the cash register. This is the same guy that’s produced legendary video parts and done countless amounts of unthinkable acts on his bike, putting himself to work so that BMX can thrive in the place that he grew up.
If he wanted to, he could still be just riding his bike, collecting cheques from his sponsors and getting by pretty comfortably. But that’s not how Van Homan does things. Before moving back to Pennsville, he made a decision that involved giving back to the thing that’s given him so much over the past 15 years. So he moved home, got 2x4 off the ground and put his money where his mouth was.
It’s a side of Van Homan that not many people have seen yet, and it’s inspiration in the making. The video parts and the unspeakable acts he’s accomplished on his bike are only a fraction of his person. He’s gracious, he stands up for what he believes in, and he’s driven enough to make it over whatever bumps in the road he might experience along the way.
Welcome to the Van Homan interview.
Tell me about your new shop, 2x4.
You know, everyone’s starting bike companies and clothing companies and all these things. And I feel like BMX has gotten to the point where it was a little more self-sufficient. So the market was flooded with cool companies, but not enough shops to put it out there to kids. Everything is just mail-order, and I feel like a shop creates a community and a way better scene. That’s what I wanted to start.
What made you want to come back to Pennsville then (Van’s hometown in Southern New Jersey)?
A few things. When I originally moved away, there wasn’t much of a riding scene here. And I just felt that there was more out there that I wanted to see, and I wanted to live with guys that rode, and just ride all the time. So that’s what I did, and it was awesome. And it had gotten to the point where I had moved around a couple time, and I was living out in Downingtown (Pennsylvania), and that was cool because I got to live out some dreams I had as a kid, as far as having a backyard ramp and ramps in my garage. But when it came down to it, there just wasn’t anything out there for me. There wasn’t any good street spots, there weren’t too many people to ride with out there, so I just thought about it, and when I thought about where I wanted to be for good, it just made sense to be here. I wanted to be near my family, and there’s stuff to ride here. Actually, I really appreciate the stuff to ride here. I used to not appreciate the spots before, but there’s actually some amazing spots here. My style’s kinda changed, and it suits the spots around here.
How has your style changed?
When I was 18 or whatever, all I was really looking for was downwards rails, downwards ledges and dirt jumps. I didn’t really ride too much other stuff, and now, a good loading dock or a good set of stairs is good. Anything really, my mind is a lot more open to everything, and there’s a lot more to do than just a double-peg down a rail, or a manual on a loading dock. There’s a lot more options when you broaden your horizons.
How do you think your style has evolved then since Criminal Mischief?
I think everyone evolves. I know I have in the past ten years. I just learned a lot more. If you keep riding, you’re gonna learn a lot more, and you’re gonna ride differently. It doesn’t matter who you are or what level you’re on.
To the outside observer, Pennsville, NJ is a one-road town adjacent to the Delaware Memorial Bridge at the bottom of New Jersey. For Van, it’s a plethora of re-discovered street spots. big Gap to over grind not far from the 2x4 Store...
Are you still as motivated to ride?
Yeah, as much as ever. To tell you the truth, when I was out in Downingtown, there were times when I would get discouraged just because, getting to a spot took so much effort. Now, I can just walk out my door and have spots to ride. Even though it’s a small town, there’s things to ride and it keeps me really motivated. I go out and mess around whenever I can. Normally, on a daily basis, even though lately it’s been busy with Christmas and the store, I’m more motivated now than ever. And after we finished filming Fit Life, normally I’m burned out and don’t wanna work on another project for a while. But for some reason, I’m kinda amped to do stuff still.
(We’re sitting in Van’s living room, and I’m staring around when I notice Orchid boxes underneath the Christmas tree.)
Who got Orchid Footwear for Christmas?
That’s where we keep the ornaments for the tree....
I guess everyone’s seen the Downingtown house in videos and everything, but could you explain where that is in relation to Philadelphia and Pennsville?
It was about an hour West of Philadelphia.
(The phone begins to ring, so we pause.)
That was Garrett Byrnes that we paused for. OK, where are you guys gonna go on the 2x4 roadtrip?
We’re just gonna go South, where it’s warmer. Get a couple vans and let er rip.
Who’s going on the trip?
Everyone on the 2x4 team, which is Garrett, Brian Wizmerski, Randy Brown, Geoff Slatterly, Cesar Monzon, and then we kinda have a working class team, which is just basically our good friends. Guys that work and ride and are down for what we’re doing, Cody Jennings, Andy Carr, Gannwear (Dan Kelleher) and Trey Lampe.
Do you wanna explain the process that you took for filming for Fit Life?
The process I take in general lately, is to kinda never stop filming. That way you never have a ton of pressure on you. Right now, I already have a handful of clips. Some of it’s stuff we shot for this interview, but it helps if I just keep filming. Sometimes, I put pressure on myself, and at times with Fit Life, I think I put too much pressure on myself, but you just gotta go out there and do your thing and hope people are feeling it. And it helps to not compare it to what you’ve done before or what other people are doing; you just gotta do what you do.
Were you satisfied with that section?
Yeah, I was definitely happy with it. Any time you film something, you always feel like you could’ve done a little bit more or a little bit better, but I think if I didn’t feel that way, it would be a problem. That’s what motivates me.
Would you rather ride contests or do video parts?
I don’t know, I like doing both. I’ve definitely been doing less contests lately because I’ve been putting my focus towards other things, but I’m doing something that’s fulfilling what I’ve wanted to do for a long time. But I think I’m still doing my job for my sponsors. The shop really helps promote that, and I can still ride a lot, and film and that kinda thing. I do like contests, but I’ve definitely been getting away from them, and I definitely don’t like the big contests anymore. I did have fun at them in the past, but I’ve done that. Not that I’m done with contests completely, but I’m definitely going to do less.
Not a lot of people know that you were a top X-Games rider, and that you’ve done good in almost every big comp you’ve entered. Do you apply a different mindset to those than you would, say, just riding around Pennsville?
It’s different. I’ve never considered myself overly competitive, but I definitely don’t mind competing. Some people try to act like they’re not competing, but if you’re in those things and you’re out there trying, you have to have a little bit of competitiveness in you to even be there. And I enjoy that. It feels good to have that nervous feeling in the pit of your gut and overcome that, whether it’s something scary on street or a contest. They both do the same thing. But that’s not the only thing that satisfies me through riding. Obviously, just going out on a nice day and doing smooth, fun lines is just as satisfying, but it all fulfills different satisfactions…
Who’s someone you wanna beat in a contest?
Well, I beat Dave Mirra....
Do you wanna explain your relation with Little Devil?
Derek [Adams] has just been my friend for a long time. I’ve known him for over ten years now. We met riding trails, and Derek was into the way I rode, so he started hooking me up with t-shirts. That was still when he was in his grandfather’s basement, and it just evolved from there. The company, our friendship, everything. It’s kinda cool that we came up together and everything worked out the way it did. I’m really happy to be a part of it. With anything, there might be ups and downs, but I couldn’t be happier with what Derek’s doing. I have been from the beginning, and I’m sure I will be to the end.
How would you define a professional rider?
It’s a weird thing in general. It’s not as defined as other sports. It’s not always based on competition. You go out there and you have a job to do as far as putting a brand out there. And some companies choose to do that through contests, and some choose to do that through other ways. The companies I ride for, I really believe that what they do is positive, and that’s why I’m a part of what those companies are doing. They’re not saying, “You have to do this.” They’re just saying, “Go do your thing,” and through that, people will see Fit, or Little Devil or Orchid. And I think that’s awesome. Just show them that you’re having fun.
I guess this is a pre-requisite for getting on the Orchid team and having a signature shoe; being able to do burly over icepicks and back on sketchy banks to rail in the Philadelphia area...
Who would you say is the best definition of a professional in your opinion? Or who do you look up to in that respect?
I could think of a few people, but I think in general, there’s more to being a pro bike rider than just being good on your bike. Some people take being a pro for granted; they only take and don’t give back. You need to be out there riding, and if your company asks you to do a video part, you need to take that seriously. Whatever it may be, riding for a company shouldn’t be all take. You should be in contact with them, and vice versa. They should let you know what’s going on with the company and the team, and you should keep trying to get them photos and video clips. Don’t just expect free stuff and money to show up every month for riding your local spots.
How did you end up on Orchid?
I’m assuming most people reading this don’t even know that Airwalk had a BMX team up to a few years ago. It’s basically the same thing as Little Devil. Derek was my friend, and it grew from there. But it was weird, because I was riding for Airwalk at the time, and I was torn. Blatantly, I had just signed a contract for a decent amount of money with Airwalk. So all bullshit aside, it was kinda hard. I knew Derek’s thing would be awesome and I wanted to be a part of it, but I was struggling with it, cause there was money coming in from Airwalk, and I was trying to live, be smart and maybe do something for my future. So it was a struggle, and it kinda just worked out. Cause out of nowhere, Airwalk folded. So it was a blessing in disguise; Airwalk was gone and then I was able to get on board with Orchid, which is what I really wanted anyway. It worked out great.
Is your second Orchid shoe coming out soon?
Yeah, in the Spring. I’m really excited about it. The first one’s been out for a while now, and we’ve just been changing the colors, so I’m excited to have something new out. We have a couple other things in the works too, with my other sponsors to possibly make a co-op shoe. There’s a good chance that there might be a Fit/Orchid shoe, so I’m pretty excited about that…
Where do you want your riding to go in the future?
I wanna just keep riding. Keep doing what I’ve done so far, keep putting out video parts, and keep trying to develop my riding. With the shop now, my views are changing. Everyday, kids come in and I get to see riding from the ground level. It’s a different world. We get so caught up in the industry gossip and drama and what everyone’s doing, but when you see kids come in your store everyday, and they’re just riders, just kids that ride bikes cause they like to ride bikes, it gives me a whole new perspective on it, like, “This is what BMX really is.” It’s so easy to get tied up in stuff that’s only a small part of what BMX really is.
Do you wanna explain what Duo is and how you came to be involved with that?
It’s pretty cool. Duo is a tire and grip company. Chris Doyle came to me and asked me to be a part of it, and it was something that I really wanted to to do. And then with Coalition, Ian Morris mentioned that Greg Walsh wanted me on Coalition, and I just spoke to him and told him that I was into it. I like the fact that Coalition is still a young company, with a lot of room to grow. And I like and respect the people on the team. So as long as the Duo thing was going to be OK, I wanted in. And he was fine with that, so that’s it really.
So what kinda grips do you ride then?
I actually have Fit grips on my bike right now, but that’s cause I haven’t changed them yet. The Duo grips just came out....
So seeing a different perspective on the BMX scene now, is there anything you don’t like about it?
Well, it’s not that I don’t like things in particular about BMX, but I think, sometimes in the industry, we get tied up in things that aren’t important. There’s some assholes out there. And that sucks, but the whole world is like that. It doesn’t matter what you’re involved in, there’s gonna be pricks. That’s what I love about the shop. It keeps me focused on the good side, what it’s really about. Running a company, you don’t see that everyday. You know it’s there, but you’re not in direct connection with the kids, so it’s easier to lose touch with them.
What’s the interaction like with the people that visit your shop? Was it weird for you to take a step from being a pro rider to the guy behind the counter?
I guess it’s a little weird. For customers, it might be weird, but for me, it’s not. It’s only BMX, and I’ve never put myself above work or getting my hands dirty. That’s what I’m doing now, the 9-5, and I ride before, or after, or on my day off. And that makes me appreciate everything that much more. I’m not too proud to wait on a 12 year-old kid. He’s helped me out my whole life, supporting me as a pro rider. And I’m not too proud to change a flat or pull a pair of bars off the wall so someone can look at them.
I keep looking at the seventh frame of this sequence and thinking, “Wow, certain death doesn’t begin to explain the risk involved here.” Not only is the trick deadman, the bank itself is seriously deadly if you go down on it. ridiculous Barspin to overgrind in South Philly.
Before the shop, did you ever have plans of what you thought you might do when your riding was done?
No, I never had a clear vision. And sometimes, that made me nervous. But I figured something would fall into place. Sometime about a year ago, I started to realize what I wanted to do, it just came clear to me. I wanted to move back here and I wanted to open up a shop.
What made that happen?
Well, I wasn’t happy where I was, and just riding wasn’t enough anymore.
Do you ever feel old in BMX?
In a way, yeah. I think you just mature. I appreciate everything that’s happened over the years, and I feel satisfied with riding and doing what I do. So there’s not as much pressure on myself to accomplish things as a rider, even though I still wanna put good stuff out.
So where do you wanna see the BMX scene headed then?
I think it’s good when it’s a community. I think it’s gotten so big that riders are segregated. It used to be, if you saw someone that rode BMX, you’d have an instant bond with them. And now, there’s different types of riders. It just doesn’t seem as tight as it used to be, and I guess that just comes with everything as it gets bigger. There’s a lot more people doing it and not everyone is gonna get along, but in a dream world, I’d like to see everything more united.
How did you come onto the riding scene?
I used to hang out with Gary Thorpe and Garrett Byrnes, and I’d always go up and stay with Garrett and ride the Toms River (NJ) skatepark, and he’d always come down and stay with me. The way I got sponsored was through Derek. We went on a few roadtrips back in the ‘Seek and Destroy’ days, and we went to the Christmas Classic in Ohio. I entered the dirt comp, and qualified first at a DK Dirt Circuit. And then, John Paul [Rogers] asked me to ride for Schwinn. At first, I wasn’t even into it. I almost rode for Standard, but luckily I didn’t end up doing that. Schwinn helped me get to different contests and different places, and it gave me the ability to travel and be seen, and that’s where it all started.
Was Airwalk part of the Schwinn deal?
Yeah, back then, it came with Schwinn. And later on, it came to be a separate deal.
Do you still have any pairs of your Airwalk signature shoe?
Yeah, I saved some.
How long have you had the red helmet for?
I got in for Christmas one year. Maybe I was 15 or 16, so that helmet is at least 11 years old, if not 12.
Have you fallen on it a bunch?
Yeah.
You know you’re supposed to replace your helmet after you crash in it, right?
Not that kind of helmet though. Those are the ones with foam in them....
Who are some riders you look up to?
That’s a long list, I respect riders that can keep it together and have been doing it for a long time; Joe Rich, Ian Morris. Guys that have played a big role in making riding what it is, and still continue to ride hard and give back to BMX in some way. They’re still involved and riding hard, and they’re broadening their spectrum with what they do in BMX. That’s something, as far as where I am right now in my life, that I can look up to and relate to. I don’t wanna stop riding, but I do have other obligations now that take up my time. So I see them as role models. Back in the day, I would see Joe Rich ride, and he was a well known rider, and he was making a living from riding, and as I started to come onto the scene, I looked up to him. He wasn’t a complete contest guy, and he still made a living from riding because people respect him, and that’s what I’ve aspired to be. I like the idea that people respect riders for who they are and what they do rather than what place they get in a contest.
Yup, it’s that school from the Fit Life video. Barspin 180 over a mellow handicap ramp a bike ride away from Van’s house in Pennsville, NJ.
What’s the scariest thing you’ve done on your bike?
That’s hard to say, cause sometimes, I’ll do a scary thing that shouldn’t have scared me that bad, and then, there’s some things that shouldn’t scare me that made me nervous. I think it’s all about what state of mind you’re in at the time, and I know that sometimes, there’s things I shouldn’t be doing at the time, but you get so amped up that you can’t not do it.
I think it was the last clip in Criminal Mischief, the manual to second stage rail. I still watch that and think, what the hell were you thinking?
I was definitely scared on that. But I did the manual to gap into the stairs a bunch, and it was like, well, let’s see what happens? I wasn’t sure if it was gonna work or not, but luckily it worked out.
So do you come up on those setups and automatically know what you wanna do?
Well that one was right near our house, and it was real close. Garrett [Byrnes] was waiting at my house, cause we were gonna go ride, and that thing just popped into my head. I looked at it a ton of times and thought that I would do it some day. But for some reason, that day, it just popped into my head. I got real nervous and my hands started sweating, and I thought to myself, “Alright, I’m doing that when I get home.” I don’t know why. So I gave Garrett the camera bag, told him I had something to do and it just hit me. I had to do it right there and then.
Have you ever gotten spooked out of trying something?
Yeah, definitely. I think everyone does. I don’t think anyone tries everything they think they want to do. It’d be hard to live through that.
How do you deal with that?
It’s a choose your battles kinda thing. You just gotta decide if it’s worth it to you or not, and how bad you wanna do it. And I always think about how it’s going to feel when I pull it; is it gonna feel good or stupid? I don’t know…
How many Road Fools have you been on?
Six and a half.
What do you think those videos have done for you?
I’ve always had fun on them. Every one of them is a little different. I can kinda get along with anybody, and I think that’s why Marco [Massei] asked me to go on so many. I don’t put up a fuss. I go with the flow and try to have fun.
I don’t think anyone rides this ramp the way Van does. High speed gap to real deal wallride to barspin back in at the Little Devil warehouse in Norristown, PA. And for those of you missing summer right about now, look to the palm trees...
What makes you go nuts on trips like that?
I’m kinda motivated in general when it comes to riding, and those trips make it easy. Maybe it’s a heated session and someone else does something good? Then that’s the extra push you need to try something you want to try. Or if you’re on a trip and it’s gonna be a video, you wanna be proud of the finished product, so you’re gonna push yourself.
What’s something the average BMXer wouldn’t know about you?
I don’t know.
What would you do on a day when you didn’t want to ride and you didn’t have anything to do?
That’s rare these days. I’d probably wake up, hang out with Samantha, have a few brews, hang out with some friends, pretty much do regular dude kinda things, maybe watch a football game. I’ve kinda been into football lately....
What do your parents think about you riding BMX?
They’ve always been supportive, but I think when I dropped out of college, they weren’t too excited about that. But they’ve always been supportive, and now they’re supportive with the shop. They’ve had their worries at critical points, but they’ve always been there…
Do you have health insurance?
Yes.
Do you pay for that on your own?
Yes.
Is it expensive?
Yes.
Health insurance sucks.
That’s why I’m getting married. Samantha has good benefits.
Did you almost start a bike company a few years ago?
Yeah, with Steve Crandall. I’m glad we didn’t though. I don’t think either of us was ready for that. I think we’re both lucky we didn’t do it. I ended up being much happier just riding for a few more years, and their machine shop got to focus more on just FBM.
How’d you get on Fit?
Basically, it was before Schwinn even dried up, but things were sketchy over there. And I guess for obvious reasons. So I got talking to Robbie [Morales], and it came up, and he was psyched on the idea. So I called Schwinn and was trying to get out of my contract, and then they knew I wasn’t happy. So I was the first person Schwinn called when they knew it was going bankrupt, cause they knew I was gonna be the only one happy to hear the news.
Crack kills, but lookbacks sure don’t. Huge lookback transfer at one of Van’s oldest training spots; FDR Skatepark in Philadelphia.
Do you still have a Mean Streets frame? (Van’s signature frame from Schwinn)
Yeah, and I actually had a guy call me the other day, looking for one of those frames. John Paul [Rogers] sent me the blueprint for the frame too, I wanna get that framed.
How’d you end up getting your tailwhips consistent?
It’s weird, growing up, that was such a crazy trick to do. And now, it’s a casual trick that everyone can do. It’s all in your head. So much of this stuff is mental. Believing that you can do a trick is the weirdest thing to me.
What’s something casual now that seemed crazy to you?
Bunnyhop tailwhips. That trick seemed insane to me. I can’t believe I can do a bunnyhop tailwhip. If you told me ten years ago that I’d be able to do that trick, I would’ve thought you were crazy.
Where do you wanna be in ten years?
Well I would hope that the shop is consistently doing well enough to support me. Hopefully, by then, we have a system down where we can do cool things and I’ll know how to run a business without being too selfish about it. I wanna make it fun for the kids. I think a shop needs to promote community. There’s nothing positive about a mail-order situation. What we have is awesome. Kids come in and come out. They hang out, see new products, come out to events, etc. It’s a positive experience and it’s more than buying something. I don’t wanna ever be stiff with the shop. You’ve gotta keep your cool, and you’ve gotta be cool with everyone. Being about BMX is about loaning a kid some allen keys without charging them five bucks. Hopefully, that’ll come back in return. Give respect and you’ll get it back.... So I hope the shop is a success. I’ll probably have a kid at some point along the line too. And I hope to be comfortable. I don’t have any huge aspirations. I just wanna live comfortably, and enjoy myself.
And thanks to?
Samantha, Mom and Dad, Derek Adams, Mike Clarke, Robbie Morales, Chirs Moeller, Steve Buddendeck, Corey Muth, Greg Walsh, Smurf, Ryan, Dan Palumbo, The entire Two by Four team, all my friends and all of the many people that I’m sure I forgot. Sorry to everyone I forgot…
