Keith King, 41 Team Owner, Pro Flatland

King, the leader & spokesman for the team, grew up in Chapel Hill, NC & currently resides just seven minutes from his childhood home in Durham. He participates in a discipline of BMX known as “flatland,” where all of his tricks stay on the ground. It’s actually the most difficult discipline of the sport, & he’s been doing it for 27 years. Keith owns the King BMX Stunt Show, a company in its 15th year of business, and travels all around the country with his team of ramp riders performing at festivals & fairs.

Graduating from Campbell University in 1993, King worked full-time in the construction rentals industry for 12 years while slowly building his stunt show on the side. In 2005, he was able to step away from his job and pursue his passion full time.

Keith was married in 2010 to wife Dani and has a dog (Truffle) & cat (Leo) at home. Dani works full-time for Keith in the business. He & Dani also run a festival in the Fall- BMX Fest.

Interesting Facts:

• Keith King competed multiple times in the XGames, judged for the Gravity Games, & now runs his own contest series called Trans Jam (www.transjambmx.com)
• Keith is a talented sketch artist.
• He owns an exact replica of the General Lee ’69 Dodge Charger.
• He attends one of the fastest growing churches in the country, newhope church (www.newhopenc.org).
• Keith proposed to his wife using a helicopter, airplane, & 5 vehicles pulling 5 trailers. (Search “Proposal Keith Dani” on YouTube)

Mike Laird, 36 Welder, Gamer, Pro Park

Laird has been in the BMX industry for decades–competing in a dozen XGames and years on the Gravity Games/Dew Tour circuit. He’s even a character in the Dave Mirra video game. Incurring multiple injuries from the sport, Laird has lacerated his kidney & broken both of his hands at the same time, amongst other injuries.

Growing up in Virginia Beach, VA, Mike moved to Greenville, NC when his BMX career began to kick off. Greenville is known to house more BMX Pros than any place in the world.

Mike went to school for metal fabrication, and, in addition to traveling to contests and riding for King BMX, he co-founded East Carolina Metal. He is responsible for building nearly all if the ramps in the King BMX & American BMX arsenal.

Laird has been married over a decade to Lisa and they have a beautiful 4-year old daughter, Helena, at home, in addition to their dogs and cats.

Jared Ward, 22 The Style-Cat, Pro Park

Jared Ward gave up a promising career in baseball to ride his BMX. He began riding in shows as a teen and has recently began sweeping local contests up and down the East Coast. Jared boasts the biggest four-arms on the team, and is oftentimes called a “Style-Cat” for his smooth & textbook technique when he rides. He rides his bike for a living, performing in shows across the United States.

In May 2011, Jared was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes after experiencing a handful of symptoms while on the road performing in shows. As he was trying to get a hold of his disease, there were times that his sugar spiked so high that a normal person would’ve gone into a Diabetic Coma, but Jared’s bike riding kept him in such great shape that his body was able to combat it until he found the right combination of insulin. Now, Jared maintain stellar control of his disease with a healthy diet, insulin shots, and, of course, bike riding.

Jared was raised in Ohio and currently resides in Charlotte, NC.

Interesting Facts:

• Jared’s name is often prefaced with “the fast and the furious” because he enjoys driving race cars, and owns one himself.
• His family are huge supporters of his BMX career & push him to keep going.
• He still struggles everyday to get his blood sugar levels in check.
• Sponsored by Airtype Clothing

Austin Hardee, 21 Construction, Pro Park

Austin grew up in Greenville, NC around some of the biggest names in BMX and is currently the youngest rider on the American BMX Stunt Team. He learned how to ride a bike without training wheels at age 3, and when he started riding BMX at the age of 9 there was no turning back.

At 10 years old, Austin had only been riding ramps for just a year when he was asked by Dave Mirra to be in the Dave Mirra Trick Tips video. The friendships that he’s forged and the opportunity to ride with top professionals in the sport has helped Austin reach the level of skill that he possesses today.

Now, at age 21, Austin has competed in several Dew Tour stops, and enjoys traveling the country doing shows for King BMX. When he is home, Austin also works for his father’s construction company (Hardee Construction) after going to school for two years studying architecture.

Interesting Facts:

• Austin’s favorite band is old school Metallica. He recently started listening to dubstep and electronic music, but admits that he can’t dance.
• His biggest support has been from his little sister. Since she was born, BMX is all she has ever known.
• Austin had the opportunity to see the Twin Towers days before the 9/11 attacks, and he always wears a 9/11 Memorial bracelet in honor.
• Other than BMX, Austin’s family, two yellow labradors, and his yellow Camaro are very important to him.
• He is sponsored by Airtype Clothing

Jared Grob, 30 XGames Gold, Pro Inline Skater

Jaren Grob grew up in Orem, UT and currently resides in Dallas, TX. He began inline skating at a young age and soon was competing in the XGames year after year, and is an XGames Gold Medalist, Global XGames Gold Medalist & had his own video game named for him.

Jaren Grob skates full time for a living, performing in shows all around the country. Jaren has a one year old son, Jett, the apple of his eye!

Interesting Facts:

• Jaren’s favorite band is Slayer.
• For someone whose entire life involves traveling, Jaren actually enjoys to travel.
• Under that helmet of his, he actually has hair down to his shoulders.

James Foster, 27 Nitro Circus, Pro Park/Dirt

Coming soon.

Isaiah Jordan, 25 UPS Worker, Pro Flatland

Isaiah was born and raised in East Orange, NC and cirrently resides in Greensboro, NC. He is a flatland BMXer and one of the most fun riders to watch. He has traveled the country competing in flatland competitions and performing for the King BMX Stunt Show, but supports his family by working at UPS and riding on the side. He was won several Trans Jam BMX Contest Series stops and placed high in others.

The most important people in Isaiah’s life are his three girls: girlfriend Samantha and his two little daughters Dynasia & Aaliyah. His dream is to be able to support his family through his passion for BMX.

Interesting Facts:

• Isaiah could eat Subway everyday
• His favorite color changes every year
• He went through a phase where EVERYTHING had to have urban camo on it
• He is nicknamed “Zook-A-Zilla” (and still doesn’t know why)

Nick Digeroloma, 23 World Traveler, Pro Park

Born and raised in Medina, OH, Nick recently moved to Greenville, NC to pursue his dream of a BMX career. When he was 12 years old, he watched the X-trials on television with his neighbors. After seeing BMX for the first time, he wanted to be able to perform those tricks himself.  He and his neigbors went out and purchased “trick” bikes from Walmart just after, and the rest is history!

Since then, BMX has made Nick’s life very interesting. It has taken him to the Middle East, India, and even NFL halftime shows. He has traveled to many places riding, performing and competing in all parts of the world…all thanks to his bicycle.

Nick feels very strongly that he wouldn’t be where he is, or even who he is, today without his parents. They have been the biggest supporters of his riding since he started–  from buying his first bike for him to driving him and his friends to the skatepark every week.

Interesting Facts:

• Nick has rode and made finals in major contests such as the Dew Tour, Toronto BMX jam, and DK bicycle contests.
• Sponsored by Eastern Bikes, Alienation, and Misled Clothing.

Josh Perry, 23 Fisherman, Pro Park

Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Josh developed a passion for riding at the local skateparks.  He made a name for himself by placing top 10 in a web video contest in 2007.  Later that year, he made his first Dew Tour competition.  In Salt Lake City, Josh was the first rider to ever do a bunnyhop double tailwhip off a wallride. He made the move to Greenville, NC, “Pro Town USA,”  in 2008 where he has become known for filming numerous videos, inventing tricks, scoring invites to major contests, being the first to do tricks in and out of competition, and keeping a smooth consistent style.  In 2009, he made my first X-Games invite appearance, placed 7th at his first international contest, rode the invitational-only Nike HB contest, and placed 7th at Dave Mirra`s personal invitational competition at his private training facility.

In April of 2010 Josh was diagnosed with a brain tumor.  (See video 1) This was the most major set back due to injury that he had ever had.  It was successfully removed not long after diagnosis and in his return to riding, in June 2010, he placed top 10 in his first contest back at Nass in Somerset, UK.  He was then offered a wildcard to the final two stops of Dew Tour, and at the Las Vegas stop he made my first final, shocking the entire BMX community by his outrageously quick recovery. (See Interview 1) Since then, he has placed well at contests, filmed heaps of videos, taken many photos for magazines, and been to Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Dubai to perform demos for the troops and Pepsi Co.

Interesting Facts:

• Sponsored by Eastern Bikes, Vans Shoes, Bern Helmets, Novik Gloves and Armoudillo belts.
• Outside of BMX, Josh likes to fish, disk golf, bowl, camp/hike, work on the yard, and pretty much anything outside.

A quote from ESPN:

“A member of the massive front of talented young riders bringing the heat in 2009, Josh Perry made a name for himself in April ’09 by winning Missouri’s JoMoPro contest, beating out riders like two-time X Games Park gold medalist Daniel Dhers. Perry combines tech moves like footjam variations and 360 whip drop-ins with mega-bangers like the barspin-to-barpsin to late tailwhip 360 that won him the Best Trick award at JoMoPro”.

Don Wigent, 43 Mad Scientist, Scooter Don

Don Wigent, or “Scooter Don,” is the mad scientist of the team. Don designed the  unique 26lb BMX motor scooter he rides in shows. An easy favorite of the team, Don has traveled the country in his spare time to ride. When he’s not riding, Don puts his materials science engineering degree to use engineering composites for wind turbines, airbags, a lunar habitat for NASA, building bikes for his son, & working to start a ramp riders foundation in the BMX mecca of Greenville, NC where he resides.

Don is married to wife Lynne and has an amazing 5-year old boy named Jake.

Interesting Facts:

• Don designed the world’s thickest fabric (3.6 inches thick, with carbon fibers)
• He paid his way through college by tuning pianos.
• He still has his 1st car,  a 1964 Pontiac GTO, which has been restored over many years.
• Don worked as crew on a wooden sailing ship, just miles from Blackbeards home.
• Mike Laird’s hand crafted metal work made Don’s scooter designs into real steel.
• Don’s son Jake learned to ride a bike when just 2yrs old.
• He once wove a fabric from glass fibers and foamy pool noodles, it turned out to be so strong that there are now 1000s of HMMWVs built with it.

Steven Tubiolo, 26 Computer Tech/DJ, Flatland

Steven is the least experienced rider of the team, having only picked up the sport of flatland BMX a few years back after seeing the King BMX Stunt Show at the 2009 N.C. State Fair and had a craving to learn the tricks that he was seeing.  Not long after, he met up with Keith King, who began teaching Steven, and he hasn’t looked back.

In addition to BMX, Tubiolo likes to compose new music and is a wiz at fixing electronics and cars. He works as an Independent Contracted Computer Tech, hosts Karaoke and DJ’s while using light shows. He eventually hopes to make a full time career out of BMX, skateboarding and music, and he would really like to create a skate/bike park in Hillsborough to give the youth a place to go and to teach more people about BMX.

Steven was born and raised in Hillsborough, NC and currently resides in Efland, NC.

Interesting Facts:

• Steven is nicknamed “Deejay Oldsoul”, or, as he has become known as, “Oldie.”
• Oldie enjoys long leisurely strolls on the beach, while reading novels about Zombie Romance.
• He’s wanted to do “Daredevil stunts” since he was 13.
• He came up with his signature trick the “Flatland Coffin” only after 3 months of riding.