it'll work. You've got to have a brain, don't you? » (Laughter)
BMXA: « Your legs are lookin' burly. How did you build 'em up? »
Mike: « I bulked 'em up by riding my 10-speed a lot. Then--hey,you guys, quit it. (Mike's nephew and his friends are shooting spitwads at eachother.) I'm king of the spitwads, so you guys had better quit messing around. »
« I'm workin' out hard. I want to do good. I don't like when people say, 'Aw, Miranda's hot and cold.' Hey, what do you want? Everyone's like that. No one dominated this year. I won the big ones so I'm happy. I think I performed well, and I did good for Torker. Right now I feel great. I feel confident. »
« I've been on the Hutch team for about two months, and I have my own bike named after me--which I've never had and I've always wanted. I have a lot of freedom. I have an American Express Card. (Whistles) Sorry, Hutch. » (Laughter)
BMXA: « That's for race expenses and things like that, right? »
Mike: « It's supposed to be. I only use it for things that have to do with racing, like if I need new socks to race in, or if I need a new sweater for after the race. Naw, I use it to get gas to go and pick up Brit (Audeoud, who's now back on Hutch!). I used it when I took him to breakfast this morning, and I use it when I have to drive all the way down to JT. Stuff like that. »
BMXA: « How's the bike working for you? Have you adjusted to it yet? »
Mike: « Yeah, mostle. It's taken a while. One of the biggest differences is the Hutch is two and a half pounds lighter than the Torker. It feels like a difference of 200 pounds. The Hutch is easier to ride. It's comfortable, and I feel like I don't make as many mistakes on it as I did on my Torker. »
« I had to put in a lot of hard riding to get on the Torker and be able to ride it right. On that bike you have to ride up in the middle. You can't lean back. On the Hutch, you HAVE to lean back. It's just the way the bike is. You ride father back. That's the way I prefer to ride, but it's still gonna take me a little bit longer to readjust. »
BMXA: « How does it work with you and Timmy Judge being team-mates and both being full-time comedians? »
Mike: « It's great 'cause we never really go against each other. We complement each other. He says something about my mom, and I talk about his grandma. (Laughter)
It's REAL great when we hang up on everyone else. »
« Timmy is like part of Hutch's family. He might get docked at the end of the month for doin' something wrong, but he'll never get ousted off the team. »
BMXA: « He gives Hutch a lot of lip,huh? »
Mike: « A LOT of lip. Timmy doesn't cut Hutch no slack. 'Cept for when you KNOW Hutch is mad. He don't say nothin', and me and Timmy try to make him laugh. »
« Usually, he'll give us that hard cold stare, and we'll say, 'Aw, Hutch, come on. Dude, whoa!' (Making faces) He'll look at us and just break up. 'Aw, you guys.' We can usually make him bust up. When he doesn't laugh, that's when you go to your room, turn on the TV, and think about it. »
BMXA: « How much moolah did you make last year? »
Mike: « Enough for me, my girlfriend, and my mom and dad. I live comfortably. Compared to what I had when I was growing up, I make a LOT. I know I'll make a LOT, LOT more this year. »
BMXA: « Do you have any plans for the money? »
Mike: « First I'm gonna get a fishing boat, and then a house. I love fishing--it's relaxing. »
BMXA: « Where do you go? »
Mike: « Little ponds I know. Catch some big whoppers,man. I eat 'em, too. Yeah, smell. » (Breathes on Gibey) (Laughter)
BMXA: « Where do you go, Fairmont Park? » (That's the local lake in Rverside, California.)
Mike: « No way. You ain't gonna catch nothing there but winos. » (Laughter)
BMXA: « What are you gonna do when your racing career is over? »
Mike: « Retire. Basically, that's it. I'd like to just retire if I can. »
BMXA: « Is it possible to make that much money? »
Mike: « I think so, if you invest it right. Whatever E.F. Hutton says, I'll listen. »
« I'd like to purchase dome land, a couple lots here and there, and maybe have one for myself. It just depends how life goes. You can never really make plans 'cause things do change. »
BMXA: « What are your racing goals? »
Mike: « I think my biggets goal in racing is to go out on the track and have people stand up and yell; I don't care if I'm winning; if I'm jumping or whatever, I just want to be the crowd favorite. I'd rather be the crodwd favorite than the finish line favorite or the scorekeeper's favorite. I don't care what number is on my plate--it's the numbers in the bank account that are more important. »
« I always make SURE I have a good time. I can have a good time anywhere--I have to keep it fun or else I get burned out real easy when there's too much pressure or if things get depressing. »
BMXA: « How do you do that? »
Mike: « Basically by jokking all the time, I just have a good, positive attitude about everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. I'm smiling when I go to the bathroom. » (Laughter)
« Living with Tommy Brackens, being on the same team as Timmy Judge, and being real good friends with Eric Rupe it's hard not to be funny. I don't think I could have a bad time if I tried. »
« I think that the dudes at the track who I consider my friends are a great bunch of guys. On the other hand, there are some sorry buzzards out there, too. »
« Now that I've traveled a few times with some of the top pros, I've learned that some of those guys don't deserve to be called human beings. They're like something from another planet. Everyone's different, and I guess everyone can't like everyone, but some of those guys make no effort at all. They think, 'I'm who I am and that's all I have to be. I just have to be me and you like me or not.' »
« I'm not like that; I just try to make everyone happy. If you like me, that's great. If you don't, I'll try a little harder. »