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On the evening of Thursday January 18, 2007 Adam Robb from Total BMX had brought Bubba Harris and Gork Barrette from Redline USA to the bmxultra.com HQ for an interview. It was obvious that Bubba was also there so he could have a ride on the backyard track. We recorded it on video (link above). For those of you who don't have the bandwidth we have transcribed the video, but you will have to try and watch the video as we also captured some of the riding.
bmxultra.com: Before we get started I have to ask you
is Bubba your birth name?
Bubba: No it’s not I’m Burlin Harris, I’m actually
the third, my grandpa is Burlin Harris, dad, me
bmxultra.com: How are you enjoying Australia?
Bubba: I love it, it’s really nice, I’ve been to a
couple of other countries, I’ve been to France, Argentina,
Brazil, Holland and so far Australia’s pretty much my favourite.
I like it a lot. The gold coast is really nice.
bmxultra.com: Did you get to a beach up in the goal coast?
Bubba: Yeah, we stayed right on surfers (paradise)
bmxultra.com: Did yiou check out the Kangaroos and other
native animals?
Bubba: Yeah we went to a wild life sanctuary. That was one of
my assigned projects when we got here. I had to get a picture
of me with a Kangaroo or my girlfriend was going to shoot me.
bmxultra.com: Did you ask if you could take one home?
Bubba: Oh no I wouldn’t go that far
bmxultra.com: How are you coping with the Australian
accent?
Bubba: Sometimes I have to ask people to say some things twice,
but other than that it’s not too bad, I’ve known a
lot of the Australian guys that have come over to race in the
US, so I’m kinda used to it. I was prepared for it before
I got down here
bmxultra.com: Have you picked up any Australian sayings
hanging around the Aussie guys?
Bubba: “Too easy”
bmxultra.com: Do you see yourself coming back to Australia
anytime soon?
Bubba: Well with the Olympics coming up I think I am going to
have a busy schedule the next couple of years but, I mean some
time in the near future, like next 2 or three years I will definitely
come back. I think there’s a supercross race here either
this year or next year
bmxultra.com: It’s in 08, I think it’s the
last UCI race before the Olympics
Bubba: I’ll definitely be back
bmxultra.com: What do you think of the tracks here?
Bubba: A lot of fun, I went to 3 so far Ashmore, Nerang and Park
Orchards, and they’ve all been really good. Nerang was a
lot of fun, I liked the pro section there.
bmxultra.com: How are you coping with the different surface?
It’s not the clay surface that you are used to from back
home.
Bubba: Yeah, it’s way different, kind of like pebbles on
the surface. I have dealt with that before, at the UCI worlds
in Vallet France, Holland was kinda that way, then the most recent
worlds in France were the same. I’d ridden that surface
before so.
bmxultra.com: How do you think the Australian riders
rank on an international level?
Bubba: Oh man, the Aussies are fast. You have so many fast guys,
from Warwick, to Fenwick, to Luke, Tiger, there’s just so
many guys from down here.
bmxultra.com: What do you think of Warwick Stevenson?
Bubba: He’s an awesome guy, we really get along. I mean
there was a lot of drama with our first title of course, but,
we are both competitors you know, we both really wanted it. I
mean I spent time with him, he recently moved back to the US.
This January we had a race in Reno and I hung out with him all
night after the race, had a few drinks with him. We get along
really well actually.
bmxultra.com: How has the XBR Super Clinic been going?
Bubba: Awesome, very smooth, I’ve been teaching clinics
since I was about 12 years old. So I have been teaching a lot
of clinics. It’s always good when you go to a clinic when
the kids really want to learn. And that’s what I found here,
everybody is really stoked on having people to train them so they
are really listening and really putting 100% in and that’s
what makes a good clinic, because the kids are putting 100% in
and not just you. So everybody are really wanting to learn so
they really are learning a lot, it’s great.
bmxultra.com: The Aussie Kids don’t see a lot of
US pros, do they put you up on a bit more of a pedestal than say
some of the American kids might?
Bubba: I don’t know it’s kinda the same as the US.
Because, I mean, we go to some of the tracks in the US where it’s
the same thing, they don’t see too many pros. With my dad’s
company we have tracks all over the corners of the US, the US
is pretty…well it’s as big as Australia and so you
see kids that don’t get to see pros as well in the US
bmxultra.com: If you weren’t racing BMX what would
you be doing?
Bubba: Right now I would probably be going to art school. Getting
a degree in computer animation. I really like computer animated
movies and graphic design. I’m actually going to come out
with a clothing company soon.
bmxultra.com: Do you tinker much on a computer, do you
find time to tinker much on a computer?
Bubba: Yeah when I’m at home. I try to design as much as
possible. I’m trying to get my little company off the ground
so making sure everything is alright
bmxultra.com: What are your favourite sports outside
of BMX?
Bubba: Oh…BMX. No…I don’t know I never really
did too many sports growing up. I played soccer from 5 thru 7
and then once I started racing, I started racing on my 7th birthday.
Ever since I started racing everything went out the backdoor.
I’ve been in love with my bike ever since. I like watching
the grid iron games, and I like watching supercross
bmxultra.com: What sort of music do you listen to?
Bubba: All kinds, I listen to everything from rap to rock to punk
to … my girlfriend makes me listen to country. I don’t
really mind.
bmxultra.com: Do you like any Australian bands?
Bubba: Ummm [Bubba looks at Gork in the background] I guess ACDC.
I just recently found out they’re an Australian band. [Laughter]
ACDC’s not too bad.
Gork: You have no idea
Bubba: I have no idea. I’m definitely not a music buff I
don’t pay attention too much to band names I just know if
I like the song
Gork: come on say Rose Tattoo man
Bubba: Oh year Rose Tattoo. Gork is in love with Rose Tattoo,
I’m yet to hear them but I heard they’re on Mad Max
bmxultra.com: What do you think of Neil Young?
Bubba: Neil Young? {Bubba looks stumped]
bmxultra.com: Ok so that’s the answer to that one.
Gork: The traditional question.
bmxultra.com: Do you find any time for the internet?
Bubba: I probably could have time for the internet but I don’t
make time for the internet. I try to stay away from all of that.
Say no to Myspace. Myspace is horrible. I mean, I don’t
even go on too many of the BMX websites. I didn’t even know
that Luke was hurt. I know it was on bmxmania and everything but
I didn’t even know Luke was hurt until about a month and
a half ago. I definitely kinda stay away from it.
bmxultra.com: What websites do you check out?
Bubba: I guess just the normal. I mean it’s really rare
that I go on to a BMX website but I usually type in bmxmania
bmxultra.com: What’s your favourite place to ride?
Bubba: I love riding trails. Any good trails, it’s a lot
of fun I love to ride. There’s a really good track actually
over by my house, it’s a NBL track that’s recently
opened up which is really fun. Pretty much trails. Any good set
of trails.
bmxultra.com: Alright so you have hit up the BSX track
for about an hour now what do you think of that?
Bubba: It’s a lot of fun. It’s a great backyard track.
I could come back here and spend hours each day.
bmxultra.com: Who do you ride with most?
Bubba: Growing up I rode with Mikey Day almost every single day
or at least twice a week we tried to ride together but since I
moved to Arizona lately Joe Sowers, actually he won the cruiser
junior elite title in brazil, he’s a world champion right
now. Karl Clarke my buddy dingo, that’s about it.
bmxultra.com: I wanted to talk to you about the possible
four-peat this year
When you first started racing as a pro at the age of 16 did you
even think you would be in Australia just over 5 years later having
broken records like:
• the youngest ever pro rider to have won the ABA pro title
• The first rider to take a three-peat AA ABA crown
Bubba: Oh no you cant know anything like that I always knew I
would be in BMX for the long run and I always knew I would be
a AA pro one day. But I didn’t know that everything would
come so quick. I didn’t know that everything would fall
my way so soon and to have three already is just amazing. I could
quit today and be so happy. But I won't.
bmxultra.com: Do you think much about the four-peat?
Bubba: Not really. Not at all. Last year I didn’t think
too much about getting three I try to take it race by race. One
race at a time and make sure you’re prepared for the next
weekend. I think if you concentrate too much on the future you
forget the present. And then prepare for that race you are going
to that weekend. It takes each race to win the title so it’s
one race at a time
bmxultra.com: Let’s say you pull off the four-peat,
something that’s never been achieved before; would you trade
it for a gold medal at the Olympics?
Bubba: Trade it? I don’t know, I don’t know a gold
medal at the Olympics is pretty huge you know. It’s my major
goal right now but to trade my titles that I’ve won, I mean
they meant so much to me in the past I don’t know that I
would trade them for anything. It’s been a big part of my
life the last 3 years. I think I would probably keep those but
I mean at the same time you are talking about Olympic gold, the
biggest thing in sports. That’s such a hard question.
bmxultra.com: I saw your name listed in a US Olympic
Committee document along with Stumpy and Mikey Day as contenders
for the 08 Olympics; how does that make you feel, considering
we are still 18 months away from the event?
Bubba: Great just to be a part of the Olympic committee, I mean
we had a big chunk of the elite us riders do a camp at the Olympic
training center this winter just to be a part of that Olympic
team and get that Olympic feeling you know being at the training
center and getting the support from the US Olympic committee is
an amazing feeling you know. Hopefully I can stay on top of my
game and keep my name on that list that’s the goal.
bmxultra.com: Is there anything you will do differently
in your lead up to the Olympics than say the world championships?
Bubba: No not at all. I don’t think so. I actually think
the world championships are going to be a tougher race you know
because say take US and Australia alone there’s a lot of
US guys that aren’t going to be at the Olympics. We and
Australia have such big talent pools they’ve got to pull
from and to only be able to pull 3 riders you are already missing
a lot of competition right there. The Olympics are just going
to be another race but of course you have got to peak at that
time so make sure your training is right.
bmxultra.com: Do you think an Olympic gold medal in BMX
would mean more to a BMXer or the country they win the medal for?
Bubba: Both. It’s a new sport of course a gold medal for
any body in BMX is going to be huge because that country is going
to own the only gold medal in that sport ever to be achieved until
2012 so I think for the country and the rider its going to be
huge for both. I know personally for me I’ll feel like it’s
bigger for me, it is personal, if I even make the gate. Definitely
something I am planning on putting my wheel in there for.
bmxultra.com: How did you become a part of the Redline
team?
Bubba: Right when my team manager Gork went over to reline I went
right with him. We were having issues with the answer team that
I used to ride for and things were kinda falling apart there and
it was just kind of a blessing in disguise because right when
Gork went to redline I had the chance to move with him it was
kinda like a family move. Redline has become my family over the
last 6 or 7 years. How long have I been on redline?
Gork: seven years
Bubba: seven years so it’s just amazing.
bmxultra.com: What do you think of your team mates Jason
Carnes and Kim Hyashi?
Bubba: Oh they are awesome. I love Jason and Kim’s amazing
as well. Kim and I live in the same town so we see each other
at the track every once in a while we have a cool relationship
as team mates. You don’t get a better guy that Jason he’s
such a good guy
bmxultra.com: What’s it like traveling with Gork?
Bubba: You know what? Just like I expected it would be. Me and
Gork have known each other for a long time and he’s just
real kicked back and neither of us are uncomfortable at all at
any of the time so its like traveling with one of the family really.
bmxultra.com: It must be pretty exciting having a Bubba
Harris signature series bike and your photo larger than life on
the side of the Redline team truck do any of your non-BMXer friends
give you hell about it?
Bubba: Oh yeah of course all my high school friends when I was
growing up with them. They kinda knew what was going on all through
high school and all my close friends they always give me a bunch
of crap but they all do it in fun you know.
bmxultra.com: Flats or Clips:
Bubba: Flats for fun clips for racing
bmxultra.com: ABA, NBL, UCI
Bubba: UCI because it’s the Olympic sanction so I gotta
go for UCI
bmxultra.com: Indoor or outdoor tracks?
Bubba: It depends, the indoor ABA grand nationals I love. The
ABA Grand Nationals is like an outdoor track inside so its hard
to say it just depends on the track I guess
bmxultra.com: I hear that last year you made a charge
at the triple crown, #1 in ABA, NBL and UCI, something that Warwick
Stevenson also tried but was unable to pull it off. Do you think
it is possible? Will we see you have another shot at it in the
near future?
Bubba: Anything is possible of course every year that I race…last
year when I was doing the NBL season I kinda had real bad luck
for the first couple of NBL races, nearly every NBL race I went
to it seemed that I hurt myself. I broke my shoulder at one I
hurt my knee at another so just bad luck really last year with
the NBL season but I mean every year that I am doing all three
I don’t race a sanction to go for second. So I will definitely
be going for it in the future. But it’s definitely possible
anything is possible just all the cards just have to fall your
way
bmxultra.com: Can a BMX pro make a living from race winnings
alone?
Bubba: Race winnings alone? It would be really hard to do but
if you have an awesome sponsor like I do and you know family to
support you. By family I mean my team and my actual family then
it’s definitely possible. Racing winnings alone it would
be hard, I think they would have to up the anti a little bit if
you are only making money out of race winnings
bmxultra.com: Do you have any tips for international
riders looking at hitting up the ABA or NBL circuits?
Bubba: No, just come over and ride. Be prepared for some competition
because pretty much all the classes are steep from the challenge
classes up to the elite classes the talent pool in the us is really
huge just be prepared for some competition when you come over
bmxultra.com: How do you stay motivated through so much
travel, training, and injury?
Bubba: Thinking about what I would be doing if I wasn’t
riding my bike. I get to make a living and have a good time doing
something I love to do. It’s not too hard to stay motivated
for me because I love my bike, I love racing
bmxultra.com: Are you able to take any down time?
Bubba: Not too much, in the US we have a 12 month season between
the ABA and the NBL so not too much down time, the down time I
do get I get a couple of weeks at home here and there. It’s
nice because when I am at home I’m at home. I don’t
have to go to work, in the morning, wake up leave home. The downtime
I do get is totally worth it
bmxultra.com: What are your current goals?
Bubba: My current goals are, let’s see, what’s the
next race Guthrie? So I just gotta make sure I am ready for the
next race
bmxultra.com: How long do you see yourself racing BMX?
Bubba: For as long as I can, I mean John [Purse] made it, he’s
still making it, John’s not done yet, you are definitely
going to see more of John Purse and he’s what? 34? Something
like that I’ll definitely be pedaling for as long as I can.
bmxultra.com: What is your most memorable BMX moment?
Bubba: Oh man, probably my first year with Warwick, it’s
not going to get any crazier than that, more drama than that,
to go against somebody…there’s not going to be somebody
more of a competitor than that. SO far my first title against
Warwick Stevenson is probably most memorable.
bmxultra.com: You’ve raced against him since his
return to the US do you think he will be back and the racing will
be the same?
Bubba: Warwick Stevenson is Warwick Stevenson. He’s always
there when he’s on the gate, he’s always going to
be in the top 3. It’s just how he rolls. He’s definitely
going to be there for the #1 title, he’s an athlete, definitely
a competitor
bmxultra.com: Which riders do you have the most respect
for?
Bubba: I have complete and total respect for the whole AA class.
If you’re AA you are AA for a reason especially in the US
it’s not easy to get in the AA if you don’t deserve
it. I have to say because I grew up riding with him and I know
him as a person and a BMXer I have respect for Mike Day. Mikey’s
the man.
bmxultra.com: Which pros did you look up to when you
were coming up through the amateur ranks?
Bubba: I did a clinic when I was about 8 years old with Danny
Nelson and Allan Foster. That was before Chris Schoonover came
in. When I was a kid around 7, 8, 9 those were the two guys I
really looked up to and then when my dad started to do clinics
we had a pro work with us called Chris Schoonover and he pretty
much taught me everything I know on a bike skill wise he was definitely
my mentor. I was his protégé