It’s also the company you keep. Im always commenting and pushing those I want to see improve or giving my thought positively to those who are trying new things. I feel this comes back to me with others when I ride so its give to receive.
Mick Nieland
Age?
52
Location?
Im from Sydney Australia, a suburb called Castle Hill, no castles, just hills.
Never stopped, New Starter or Comeback King?
I am a comeback king. My 2nd stint as a rider came after the death of a good friend (and king of our skateparks in his time) Pat Piercy, who passed in 2013 from a heart attack. At the time he had around 6 or 8 bikes, so we bought them all to support the family and I bought his rider which was a 2007 Quadangle.
I decided to start riding again, when I initially started, I was pushing around 3 ft, but then I held a King of the skateparks reunion in 2014 to raise money for his family. At the event I decided to go for it as my old riding pals were there. I pulled maybe 6ft this day, a few combos and I never looked back. I was hooked again.
Bike?
So my bike was the Quadangle for the first 2 ½ yrs as an ode to Pat, I rode it till the tires were starting going hard and I retired it rather than change it. I replaced it with my current rider, a 2017 Haro sport Lineage.
Where do you ride?
I ride bowls 90% of the time as its my first love, my local is Meadowbank skatepark which is half an hour away (nothing is really local to me that I ride regularly), I love riding my training ground too which is Fivedock skatepark (where the Vans pro cup has been a few times).
Im also loving the newish Sydney park and I also travel a few hrs sporadically to ride bowls and indoor parks 2 hrs north of me.
Do you mostly Ride Solo or in a crew?
I always ride with a crew if I can help it….just in case. I did have maybe my worst ever crash with only 2 of us. So riding solo is rare. There are usually riders wherever I go but if I do find Im solo I don’t push it.
How often do you ride?
I mostly ride once a week. Sometimes I will ride twice a week and occasionally I will do a night session somewhere. If I could I would ride 4 times a week, so that I could progress, but Im always thinking of a ride, and what I want to achieve. Im still a teenager who gets excited when I turn up for a ride. I quite often cant sleep the night before I ride, I get so worked up, I think I am addicted haha.
Tell us a bit about your riding history?
I was bought an 84 Haro FST after my 82 mongoose got stolen from high school. I met a guy who was into freestyle, he was part of an amateur trick team and he had a dodgy AF quarter pipe and could do basic but impressive flatland.
The quarterpipe was the drawcard for me instantly. Eventually we went to Fivedock skatepark and I saw Pat Piercy and other well known riders from our Freestyle history – I was blown away.
Some of those riders became great friends and I started riding there religiously, even sleeping in the park so I didn’t have to go home. I ended up riding in 1 or 2 of our “King of the Skateparks” series (3 events through the year) in 86, and came third behind Pat Piecy and Ken Degraaf.
I went to several Big B contests south of me in Canberra, and a few smaller ones. I would always get 3rd !!
I equaled Ken Degraaf in height in one competition for the height contest to get equal 2nd (so sort of 3rd again), a theme here I think.
I was always about ramps/bowls, never flatland. I could do some flatland but I was never confident to ever enter. I was always a rider who would charge at ramps so flatland always was a side venture, this is something Ken Degraaf, although an all rounder, would teach me – he always flew at transitions at break neck speed.
Anyhow, I was sponsored by Diamond back in 87, their only Australian rider, so a Mike Dominguez Strike zone was my rider.
I also worked for Rockdale cycles who sponsored me and also held contests. So my core riding years were 84-90 BITD, and now 2014-2022.
My old Diamond Back sponsor lives very close to me, he’s 84 now, I still visit him when I can and we talk bmx and life. Beautiful man
Do you feel Oz gets enough exposure in the BMX media?
Absolutely, and of course with Insta and FB and other platforms it gives bmx its day in the sun. We have the current Olympic, Fise and X games champ here in Logan Martin, so we have some very talented riders here.
Australia is lucky, we always place or represent. The beauty of social media is it’s giving us all our time to shine now, even 52 year old ageing bmx misfits!!
Do you still push yourself when you ride?
Very much, I feel I push too far at times!! I go for it most times I ride.
I will always do smaller airs, mix it with an x up or one footer, or one hand one foot then I feel confident, then I build speed, then the height comes.
It’s also the company you keep. Im always commenting and pushing those I want to see improve or giving my thought positively to those who are trying new things. I feel this comes back to me with others when I ride so its give to receive.
Do you feel vert riding is dying?
Yes I feel vert is dying, I hate to admit that, I ride half pipes from time to time, but rarely the larger ones (we have the largest in AUS not far from me, its 14.5ft-at Monster skatepark). I personally feel this area is unfinished business, like I have never really given it a serious amount of my time (on the large half pipe). What happens in the Japan X games was disappointing. I think the art of freestyle is on large half pipes, it’s so fast, flowing, it’s just a “hold on, and don’t pull back” style of riding, so admirable to watch.
What would you like to see happening in BMX to help encourage riders to ride vert more often?
I’d like to see more half pipes go up and and more contests on them basically, this is really the key to encourage riders to get on vert. While it’s traditionally an experienced riders domain, its very doable and we have the talent here and abroad to bring it back. To exclude vert from the X games was so wrong for many reasons.
Is there anything that really scares you trick wise?
Tricks that scare me, well here is where I admit that I don’t have a huge bag of tricks, and anything like 540s, flips, and whips are terrifying. Problem is my closest place with a resi is 2 hours away, its too narrow and its slippery. They do have an airbag but it’s very taxing physically pulling yourself out of an air bag. Immediate tricks that are not far away that scare me are turndowns. I can do lookbacks but these seem to be a dead sailor to sideways landing when I try them….something to work on .
Is it hard to connect with other riders where you live (especially now you are a bit older)?
I’ve never had an issue here, there’s always an instant comradery with bmxers and a confidence, and mutual respect. I find that a lot of people don’t expect to see what I do when I ride (other than those that know me), this is always an ice breaker.
There are sometimes clicky groups that tend to be loyal to themselves at a park, but that’s not bmx is it!!, its almost rude and not what the core values that the bulk of us strive for. To not acknowledge your fellow rider or chat only to your buddy you arrived with means you miss out.
Whether it be to encourage or to congratulate, or talk shop, its all part of the riding experience and I love this stuff. I will 99.9% of the time make it my business to connect and encourage.
BMX has come a long way over your lifetime. Whats your view on modern BMX?
It really is next level, I look for those that not only have great skill but flow when they ride, this always the epitome of bmx. But having said that, a triple whip to bar spin, while impressive, can be trumped buy a huge air that is one trick and clicked. A lot of my posts are tables with some height, I love a good floater so I love seeing it in todays riders also. While I love an old school air, progression is also great to see. I love watching the Vans pro cup, X games, Fise, anything televised.
Who were the riders who influenced you when you were younger?
My influences back in the day are no surprise. Mike Dominguez and Eddie Fiola were the kings and the had their own style, in fact, anyone on the Haro team in the 80s, they were all good, DMC, Tony Murray, Blyther, Wilkerson, Hoffman. Uk riders Neil Ruffell and Craig Campbell also.
Who were the riders who influence you today?
Sergio Layos, Tom Justice, Larry Edgar I love to watch and the fast and loose crew. Australian riders – there are many, mostly from Queensland, these guys blast, can do tech and above all, are very respectful to older riders .
What’s next for you?
Its to keep riding, doing what I love, I know that I’m inspiring others to have a go so this is also motivating. And my message is and always will be, just ride, do what you love, you have one life, and its never too late so just fucking send it!!!
Any last words?
Thank you Neil for giving me a voice to share my passions and thoughts with you all. I hope some of you can relate and some of you get motivated. We are are all just ageing bmx misfits so enjoy the ride. Ride on gents!!!
