Mike Parenti Interview Leftovers
Super Waffle
- August 08 2003
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(At this moment of the interview a Mike Parenti interview appears on Blue Torch)
Why are you on TV right now? How do you feel, seeing yourself on television when you didn’t even know you were going to be on the show?
I knew I was going to be on the show, I just forgot. I’ve never even seen this; I filmed this like two years ago and this is the first time I’ve seen it. Every time I see myself on TV I feel like a jackass; I just feel like I have horrible style. But that’s just my opinion. No one likes to see themselves on TV; at least I don’t (laughter).
You haven’t been around too much on television or in the magazines lately. What’s the reason for that?
Well, I’ve done some things here and there for TV and some mags, nothing too crazy. I always feel like I should have something fresh and new for them. I get kind of hard on myself with those things because I see a lot of people progress in the magazines and on the videos and that’s what makes them who they are—Ruben Alcantara and guys like that. Those guys are awesome because you see those guys progress on the videos and in the magazines, and I feel like the last time I shot for Ride I was doing the same tricks. So I like to stay low-key, hang out in San Diego.
So tell me one of your craziest tour stories.
About two or three years ago we were on the road in Wisconsin, driving to Chicago on the Fourth of July, and we bought some fireworks. We cruise to Chicago and we do a show there, and we were about 20 minutes outside of Chicago and we get in a festive mood. So we get a couple of drinks, and the next thing you know we—Gabe Weed, Dave Voelker, Jarrod Fox, and I—all go back into the city. So were driving to the city and when we got to the city there was no parking, so we had to find this parking structure, and we were on top, getting crazy, Dave pissed in a gallon jug, and someone—I think Jarrod—started lighting M-80s and throwing them at us. We’re laughing, and someone threw one at me and I ducked and goes over the side. It falls 12 stories down to the bottom and explodes and scares the shit out of everybody—we thought it was hilarious. That turned into a trend where we just started lighting fireworks and sending them down this parking structure and scaring people and having a good time. We failed to notice that there was an outside bar where everyone was looking at us. It was fun at the time, then after we did about 10, 15, maybe 40 of them we thought we should take off so we don’t get in trouble. So we go to the elevator and it’s glass, everyone can see us. So we’re going down and we’re almost to the first floor and we see cops run around the corner. And we’re going ‘oh crap, we’re busted.’ So I decide I’m just going to stroll out like nothing happened. I’m strolling out and boom, next thing I know I got cop yelling at me and throwing me against this atm machine. I get handcuffed against Jarrod, handcuffed to his hand. Voelker gets handcuffed and gets all roughed up by this other cop. They’re all calling us idiots and jackasses—everything in the book. All the way, Gabe weed is trying to figure out the voucher to get the van out of the parking structure. They didn’t see him, they arrest us. I’m looking under my arm as I’m leaned up againsthe car and I see Gabe just stroll out the door like nothing happened.
So, they’re yelling us and they didn’t find fireworks but I guess Voelker threw some in the trash can and they found those. So they threw us in the back of the cop car right there and we’re sitting back there and they checked our licenses and stuff like that. They’re laughing at us, telling us we’re jackasses and idiots. Then Dave started taking the blame for everything, saying it was all him and that he did it all. So, when he took the blame they kinda lightened up and next thing you know they started joking around going “man, you guys were throwing fireworks and you scared a guy and his toupee fell off his head.” I guess another one we threw got caught in a tree and caught the tree on fire. So we apologize a lot and just want out of the cop car. So they let us out and then they start asking where Gabe was at. We say we don’t know and they threaten us to leave town. Next thing you know, Gabe Weed comes up with a drink in his hand and is like, “What’s up guys” all nonchalant.
Why are you such a good tipper?
At restaurants? Probably because my girlfriend is a server now and I see how hard she works. I kind of feel sorry for them because they carry plates around and they have to deal with a bunch of smart-ass bike riders. I think that it makes their days if I tip well.
Do you like Metal Mulisha?
I’ve got a black shirt on right now.
No you don’t.
Oh. Well, then, I guess I don’t like them. (laughter)
What’s your best quality?
I don’t know (laughter). Who knows? I don’t think I’ve got one.
Do you think people are going against you because your style is bad?
I feel that way sometimes. I just wish things would come to me a little more effortlessly. I love going big and high and things like that—I would choose that over anything. But, at the same time, I always love to hit a set of trails and have an awesome style. It seems like when people have style it just looks so fun while I’m stressing about jumping the jumps.
Do you think that’s the Voelker influence on you?
No, because I think that Voelker has great style. I guess you just see people when you ride with them at the skatepark and you want to emulate a different style. I think people see me in shows and contests, but that’s not where my style’s at, really.
So this is your first real interview in a magazine. Were you pretty excited about that?
Yeah, of course. I don’t know if people know exactly what I’m all about—I don’t know if they want to know (laughter). But yeah, it’s my first interview and I’m pretty stoked that you guys are going to waste eleven pages on me. Right on. I don’t think that your magazine sales are going to go up. (laughter)
Have you caught a lot of flak for jumping right into GT?
Yeah, at first I did. It took some time, but once I got to know everybody and hang out with everybody at the contests they started coming around. It seems like as I started riding street and getting more park pictures it started to turn some opinions around. I started out riding dirt, of course, but now all I do is play around on the street course. If I had a choice, that’s all it would be.
So you don’t have a choice? You have to enter dirt-jumping contests?
Yeah, I do.
Do you mind that?
No, I don’t mind. If I could ride flatland, I would; I just love to ride. My goal would be to ride vert and go ten feet high like Jaime Bestwick—that would be sweet. I think anybody that rides BMX would like to ride like that guy. I don’t care if it’s flat or dirt or whatever, it’s just that when I’m there I know I can do it, so I’ll enter it for sure. But if it were up to me, I would just be playing around on the street courses, because that’s where I get the most enjoyment. ve a choice? You have to enter dirt-jumping contests?
Yeah, I do.
Do you mind that?
No, I don’t mind. If I could ride flatland, I would; I just love to ride. My goal would be to ride vert and go ten feet high like Jaime Bestwick—that would be sweet. I think anybody that rides BMX would like to ride like that guy. I don’t care if it’s flat or dirt or whatever, it’s just that when I’m there I know I can do it, so I’ll enter it for sure. But if it were up to me, I would just be playing around on the street courses, because that’s where I get the most enjoyment.
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