Mike Hinkens has been with Madera since the beginning. Besides being an amazing rider, he’s a really good dude and a close friend.

This Interview was done over the past month...hopefully you can get a hint of how much stuff Mike balances on his plate (besides helping with Madera's web responsibilities).

Enjoy.

1.What do you have your degrees in?

I have been in college for about 8 years and have already gotten a bachelor's and a master's degree in history. I am presently in school in order to get my teaching license. I really don't do much college stuff at the moment, as I am actually student teaching full time. By summer of 2008 I will be a high school history teacher.

2.What helped you make the decision to teach?

There have been lots of factors that have led to me taking this path so its hard to pinpoint just one. Yes, of course, having summers and every major holiday off was one reason I chose this job, but the nature of the work itself was more influential. I am certainly not a lazy person, but the thought of completing a random task with no meaning day in and day out for monetary reward seemed impossible to swallow. Forty hours a week for the rest of my life doing something that I really didn’t care about or see a need for, that's not for me. But with teaching, regardless of the who, where, or when we are on this planet, seems to be one of the few jobs that truly serve mankind. Healthcare was another thought, but I can’t stand blood and needles, so scratch that. In general, I truly feel like I can make a difference in the world and that my job is not just a small and menial part of the human experience, but rather a continuing thread in the growth of mankind.

3.What inspires you with teaching...what really bums you out?

Be it teaching kids history, or how to ride a bike, it often comes down to them smiling when they make the connection or achieve the goals they have set out to do. On the flip side, the need to baby-sit, discipline, and play games within a system that can sometimes be arbitrary and unfair, make it a bummer some days. I don’t like yelling at kids for things I don't deem wrong, but school rules do.

4. Have you had anything really discouraging happen this year? Any riders in your classes?

As far as discouraging goes, teaching has been a roller coaster! I would say my first week was the most up and down. One day I was loving it and making connections and the next day I was

frustrated and hating it. It's a tough job having to control, teach, and please teenagers all day. On one hand, you want to make them smile, learn, and have a good experience, but on the other hand you have to force them to do stuff sometimes and take disciplinary actions you aren't very fond of. Some days it just drains you and some days it exhilarates you. The funny thing though is that I have a rider in 2 of my 3 classes. One I recognized from around the neighborhood and the other was already a myspace friend. After the first day of class I got a message on myspace asking if I taught a specific class. I said yes and asked why and did not realize until the next day that he was in my class. Most of the kids have figured out I ride BMX yet don't get why I wear a tie everyday. It’s really funny.

5.What's this story about you and Jeff Dowhen...bunny hoping over a crate in front of them and then pedaling off leaving yourself a mystery to the young-ens?

HA! What a great one...kind of makes me look like a jerk! A long time ago, I was traveling my usual route between the Mungs house and mine via bicycle. I was always stoked as hell right after school got out to go ride so I usually was pedaling full speed and hopping everything. One day, as I passed an alley close to my house, I noticed a little launch ramp up against some garbage cans along with a bunch of young kids looking at it. I quickly pulled an about-face and headed up the alley. As I approached, I realized that they were pretty young and the launch ramp set up was not really legit so I took a few extra cranks and decided to hop over the whole thing, ramp and all. As I flew past them and over their ramp, I heard nothing but gasps and silence. It was pretty damn funny. I then continued on my way to the Mungs house. Later I would realize that those younguns included none other than Jeff Dowhen.

6.Speaking of Rich Mungall...did you grow up riding with him? He moved away right? How much of an influence was he on you?

Rich mungall is the reason I started riding pretty much. If it were not for him I probably would not have found BMX. At first, he and I rode together every single day. From middle school thru late high school we were out every single day, 95 degrees or 16 degrees. It didn’t matter. We were stoked on BMX no matter what. He and I found most everything we ride in Milwaukee together, and often by riding up and down every single street. Definitely some of the best days of my life. He and I fed off of each other and learned a lot together but, though we have very similar tastes and styles, our riding always seemed to compliment each other's style. For example, I often took the risk and hucked something that I was not too sure about, while Mung had the ability to dial shit in so perfect and put me to shame. It was always a good time. When he graduated high school a year after me, he left for college an hour away and since then, he has been continually in a different city. I still see him a bunch and meet up to shred, but it’s been a while since we used to explore the city on hot summer days or drive across the country aimlessly in the t-bird!

7.So who do you ride with now? I heard it’s hard to gather up the folks to ride? Isn't the scene pretty large in Milwaukee?

As of late it's been real hard to gather up anyone to ride. Its been a long winter and many people are burnt out on riding indoors and would rather not ride at all than spend money to ride the park again. On the other hand, occasionally the weather hits mid thirties and if I am lucky I will be able to wrassle up 1 or 2 people to hit some sort of street spot or one of our few ok and boring dry winter spots. Typically, in the warmer months you can always find someone to ride with but it seems to be a changing of generations this year more than ever as many of the people I ride with are getting pulled into the "real world" and having to leave bmx by the wayside. There is a whole new generation of bike riders coming up around here, but unfortunately as I get older 10-12 years of age difference becomes difficult to bridge even when riding bikes. The scene will go on as it always does, but I sense lots of change in the "crews" this year. Many of the events I try to put together are designed to unify the new crews as well as motivate the older ones to get back on their bikes.

8. What are the "events" that you put on?

Events. Well, I try to put on all sorts of BMX riding events that get people, and myself, stoked on the best part of riding. So no matter what the event is, I try to keep it chill, informal, stress free, and laid back. I don't like putting on legit contests but sometimes those arise out of some of the things I do. For the past 4 years I have put on "ghetto-ER street jam" which is a basic jam at a local spot by my house. Everyone gets together and we have little mini contests that result in most people having a super good time. Usually we have high bunny hop, slowest manual, longest flat ground 180, foot down, longest high speed feeble, etc. The whole thing is usually hilarious and nothing real crazy. I also put on a sports and music fest every year for the last 4 years. It is still evolving and is presently called "breakdowns and back flips." It has more of a real contest feel but I am trying to pull away from that. Also, I have been doing random street jams in the city as well as scavenger hunts, but they are becoming more difficult to put on as the police are catching on and more and more people are getting hassled or arrested. All in all, no matter what format my events come in, they are designed to get everyone in the scene together, have a good time, get wild, and ride their bikes. As the years go on, it gets more difficult to put a creative spin on things, but I try and I hope that the scene here will continue to give its awesome support so I can keep trying to give it fun times.

9.This time of year I hear you talking about Camp Owen...what's your position there?

Ah, Lake Owen Camp. I love it. I am presently BMX Director up at our northern Wisconsin BMX retreat! Its great. I basically get to hire and Manage the BMX staff up at camp for the 3-4 weeks that BMX is bumping up there. It's an awesome place, more of a summer camp than a training facility that offers both bike riding and lots of cool summer type stuff. I am really happy I have the job I have up there because it enables me to bring up lots of friends and good people that are great to work with and awesome for the campers. It’s really a sweet gig.

10.I heard you hired Jeff Harrington for the summer.

That is the plan. I am lucky enough to get to hire people that I think will do a great job for the kids and I think Jeff will be able to bring, not only bmx skills to the table, but a perspective on bmx that many of today's riders have no recollection of. I think he could positively influence the kids and show them what bike riding is about and has been about in the past. I have high hopes for this summer.

11.To end this out, what are your plans for the rest of the year?

It's kind of early to be talking about that but I guess I am planned out that far. Life certainly seems shorter now than ever before. Anyway, my main focus, as much as a I can't believe I am saying this, is to get a solid job teaching. I hope to have a legit gig next fall so i can get caught up financially and become Indiana Jones....the traveling adventurer/teacher. I travel a lot as it is and to not have summer jobs and be broke would be great for that. Besides that, I hope to stay healthy, keep riding as much as ever, and take the next step into finally becoming an adult...at 26 years old....