https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d-w468bUrE
Taka, welcome. How’s it going for you today?
How are you doing, Dana? How are you guys?
Very good. So we’ve been doing podcast now for a few weeks. Glad to have you on here. We have some funny things to talk to you about.
Dana, you want to say something? Bob, you want to chime in before we kind of go into? All I know is I always want to say I love Taco and having them on tour the last whatever it was ten or twelve years. And one thing about Taco, because I like to go eat during the day, every time I go eat somewhere in town, wherever we’re at, Taco always shows up and he just comes in and he grabs a fork and he starts eating what I got. That’s why I always give half for him.
So whatever I have to eat, Taco likes to eat too. That’s not true. I use my chopstick.
Pick away, brother, pick away. Always welcome in my table, brother. Bob, you don’t know how to eat Japanese food.
What have you been up to? Talking Phillips? Nothing. Pretty much lighting every day. Then I start feeling better because weather was cold than before.
My back was hot in so bad. When weather cold, I couldn’t wake up my back. I jumped stretching. So start finally warming up then my body is finally a little bit flexible.
Getting old, Taka. I know, terrible. Hey Taco, where did you grow up? Give us a little background. Yeah, I grow up Osaka, Japan.
Yeah, I’ve been watching Krusty. I was elementary school. Yeah, I used to coming home from school. I watched in Krusty. Then when watching Krusty then go straight to BMX with my neighborhood.
Then we get that bike. So that’s my routine. Like a Monday to Friday as soon as coming home, watching one movie, then I act like riding that bike with bicycle.
Do you learned all the tricks on BMX? No, just like a jumping like I did step down or cliff or just jump over the fence. Just like stuff.
Where did you get the idea that you’re watching these movies? Yeah, if you came over to America, you might have a chance at this freestyle motocross competitions and get in our movies and go on tour. Beginning I was watching I’m not going to freestruse because too crazy. I just watch it. I like it that I want to do, but I don’t think I have a gut to do.
So I just watching then dream about. Then I like to just brought my mind mike Mesca doing Hiroquo or Chandiva double check here. I tried to do with my Yz 80 like a little small tabletop. I did a Hillary and a double check. I’ve been living motorcross for like ten years.
Then I was my age, 18 years old. That practice place, they have a free style set up. But after I hear it was just set up then lady don’t know how much gap, but I just go check that everybody think I’m going to hit. So everybody started coming. Watch me.
Then I was watching Lump. Then, oh my God, looks like I’m going to hit. So I have to hit now because I don’t want to bell.
I just guess because I know the 125. So I just click. Sadly, luckily I brought the bomb. Then second jump. I greece it.
I started doing double jam on the hill. Clicker. Then yeah, that day, like I asked my dad, hey, can I cut my fender racing? Can I do freestyle? Then that say yeah, like a dart bike is a hobby.
I can do whatever you want. I said, Fuck you, I can’t spend that sense. That was like a freestyle rider I never met. So that guy called me, I hear you jump in the set up. It’s crazy because I was halfway built.
It’s not finished. Now I hear somebody hit it’s you. So let’s go. Right, next week. Then he invite me next week.
Then we write together. Then after called me for doing the demo. That 2003 new Year. Yeah, 2002 and 2003 New Year demo. So that’s my fast free study demo for almost 20 years.
20 years now. Oh my God. Crazy. That’s right. My back pain.
We’ve seen you grown from like just getting to the X Games and stuff like that. And then how many medals do you have? You have a few games medals, don’t you? Yeah, I have a five X game, I think. Bestrick bronze faster in 2010.
Then 2012, I win freestyle second best trick. Then after 2013, Brazil XM gold freestyle, Los Angeles, three time in a row. Gold medal ten times. I think ten or twelve times postprice. Well, that’s pretty good, man.
That’s pretty good.
How did you decide that you’re going to come over to California in America? It’s so funny. So I started doing freestyle in Japan. Then my sponsor kind of supposed to pay my bike bill and everything. But he just disappeared one day.
Then I have to pay my bill, everything. Then I don’t have a saving, nothing. So that time, like one of my motorcross friender, I went to Finral. Then I met that guy like ten years. I used to know him, but since ten years I don’t see him.
Then I see him, the funeral. Then. Hey. Long time, Nassi. How are you doing?
I have this company. Then what do you do? I’m looking for sponsor and stuff. Blah, blah, blah. Then he said, oh, you should come to my office.
Then I come next day, in two days. Then he told me what kind of dream you have. Then what do you want to do? I say, I want to write Xg. Then he said, why are you still here?
I said because I don’t speak English at all. Then I’m saying, because English just know, lady. I don’t know no one. But he said, how much you need? Four months I carried for food, gas, everything.
I make a regime. I sent to him. He said it’s too much, too much, too much, too much. So he cut everything super low. So it was $2,000 a month for three months.
So $6,000 cash. So I give you this $6,000 cash if you can go USA now. Awesome. Yeah. I can give you this 6000.
But if you scary, you grab this 6000 and you just stay in Japan. But your life is now separate. So you can go right or left. So you choose now. Then he told me that he asked me one thing.
You have to stop all connection in Japan. Like a car. You have to sell a car, you have to sell bikes, you have to stop insurance, you have to stop everything. I have a freestyle show, but I have to cancel everything. So in Japan, if you shut down everything, then you can go.
But if you leave something in Japan, you’re going to come back. If you give up everything to come to America. If you don’t give up, you’re going to come in back Japan. So you grab this 6000, then you can go America. Or you just cry baby and 6000 and you decide.
Now that I’m thinking that’s an awesome story, dude. I know. Grassroots, man. That’s cool. I wasn’t already I got to go to US.
Then two weeks later I flew into San Diego. I find a car from a Japanese friend of a friend of friends. Then I made the US. Then that time I’ve been writing motorcycle because only public. Then I see Nate Adams.
Then I got close to Nate. Hey, can I get your number? I’ve analyzed Nate adams. Yeah, okay. I’m very English.
Probably Nate was saying what the fuck? Who is that? This is like hey. Hi. Can I get number?
We were on tour in Australia and he didn’t know any English. Chris Foreman would tell you to go up and talk to Chips and say, give me your digits. Whatever else he has, I’m a cool guy. It was the funniest thing, watching you pick up girls and the things you were saying. It was pretty funny, man.
Yeah, so funny. Yeah. So after that in US, so I have to find a freestyle press. But I don’t know no one. So I drive goes through Temetura area around here.
Then I couldn’t find you. Did you go to Temecula because you saw the movies and where the guys lived? Yeah, I hear like a go and guys tell me Temetur is mecha. Just like I tried to search but I couldn’t find. But if I drive all day, I spend so much gas money.
So I curriculum everything. So I don’t have much money. I only have a 6000 cash. I don’t have a credit card. So I tried to ask roommate.
He said, you should look Google Map. Then I start searching Google Map. Like four hour, five hour every day. Then I find something looks like a lamp on the paper. Because at that time I had no iPhone, no smartphone.
So I just ride on direction. Which exit like a second time left, like a line. I drive next morning. Then I made it. Afternoon.
It was paradise. Lunch like Mike Metcald’s place. Oh, yeah. Then I knocked the door. Then Metcal’s assistant or mechanic, somebody opened the door.
Then hello. Then I said I watched dictionary. I’m rooting for Mike Medscard all the way behind. What? Then he coming to me.
Oh my God. Real Metzgod. Oh fuck. What did I do? I said, hey, I’m coming from Japan.
I want to ride the freestyle. He said, yeah, but I didn’t know. America always riding morning and nighttime. So don’t like the between because too windy. So I didn’t know.
So I was like an afternoon. So he said like a student, about maybe 2 hours. So he showed me everything. His house and trophy helmet. But I was too nervous.
I couldn’t speak. Nothing. Just with wolf box you learned the good words. First Jamie Rask show up, then Robbie Meson show up. Metco was supposed to not ride that night.
As soon as he see me, I’m doing backflip. Then he starts. Then he ride with me. Then I get too excited. I do just normal kod.
I knock out his house.
After I wake up, he asked me, do you know where are you coming from? Do you know where you go home today? Yeah, I remember. Okay, cool. That’s my first freestyle.
Yeah, that’s right. That’s the best way to introduce yourself is getting knocked the fuck out. Yeah, that’s crazy. I wake up and kind of oh, my God. Dream of mecha.
Husse. Oh, fuck. You know, man, that’s intriguing taco. Especially like for me, I went my first country I ever went to was Japan. Snowboarding professional.
Yeah. And that was like, I don’t know, 1986 or something. And I wasn’t as intrigued as you were. Like your story here. I was a young pro athlete, had never even been out of the country and went in some competition in Japan and all I ate was frickin McDonald’s.
And now I’m eating all the crazy stuff. But let me ask you a question. From that moment that you met Mesker, how long was that? Until we wound up doing the China bike skit? Because the whole skit, when I got the bike and we thought of the China bike skit going to Deegan’s house.
And it’s kind of like almost just reenacted the story that you told. You know what I mean? Like calling out Deegan and that thing. That was the funniest, kid. That’s so funny.
And what did your dad and your sponsors think about that skit? I have no idea what kind of kill me. You know that time, honestly, like, a pretty dog told me, let’s do China back there. I have no idea what email it was so funny. We were hanging you by wires, you got stuck up there and you’re like, I know.
Freeman’s son, dana I remember. Yeah. Trying to pull you down. Yeah, we were in a warehouse. That was a lot of fun.
Yeah, it was 2010, right? 2009. When did you first go on tour with us for Crusty Tour? 2008. I remember 2008.
So you had been with us a couple of years and then we came up with that skit. Yeah, I think one year later. Yeah.
Then Bob did the loop. Bob tried the loop, yeah, on the loop.
What is the loop? Come back. Pretty gnarly. That was a lot of fun. Yeah.
We’ll get to that here in a little bit. We have that queued up, but why don’t we maestro behind the curtain? Why don’t we go to Crusty 14 and we’ll just kind of do some shots of talk of there probably that first 10 719 right here. 14 at zero 719. Yeah, let’s do it gentle.
So we’re just putting a couple of clips together here. Taka yeah, we can start to stop. We can do whatever.
Nice.
I think you need to go to Zero 719. Yeah, that was I can go back. All right. Maybe talker is coming up in a little bit. Not sure there’s.
Nikki yeah. All right, I’ll turn down the volume and we’ll keep playing. Okay. Dude riding so good. Nick he was.
He was, yeah. I never haven’t talked to him since then. Not texting your Instagram. Yeah, I sent the DM here’s.
There you go. Now you’re on storage.
I remember the parking. Yeah. That’s good, maestro. That goes on to other people. Why don’t you take us to three 6473-643-3643 coming up.
Yeah. These are all little bits taco of what we had in our movies. So I just kind of went through and took out some pieces for you. Nice. Yeah.
There’s Bob. Yeah.
Bob. Are you a crash? Huh? Yeah, I did. He rolled like a barrel.
All right. New world record. That’s Maddow 351ft, which was ridiculous.
Scott Martin. Yeah, you remember him? Yeah. He got worked, like, every night. Yeah, every night.
He got work football pads. Yeah.
Somewhere near Taco. But I think we’re out of sync. But you kind of get the gist for our audience out there. This is what it’s like to be on the tour. Nice.
Yeah. What was it like being in those trains? Taka like one train after the other, after the other, after the other. Yeah. Train is good, but I’m pretty bad.
I’m riding scary like somebody. Not scary, because I can do nothing. If something happens, I just transform the guy.
What if you’re riding behind Mad? Mike Jones? No way. He’ll depend people.
Yeah. Nobody wants to ride behind Mad Mike. Well, you never know what’s going to happen. I never loaded with him, so I don’t know why don’t we can stop there, maestro. Kind of shows us what it looks like on tour.
Yeah, we could go to Crusty 15. Crusty 15 coming up. Yeah, we could go there he is. All right, let’s do it.
There you go. That was the signature move. That was your signature move. We could go back to that by stroke. Could you go back just a little bit?
Just a little bit. That right there. If we could still pause 30, that’s X Game. But go forward a little bit, it’s Degan’s house. Double grab somewhere in there.
Right there. Like double grab. Yeah. He did that before anybody, right? No, Jeremy Rascal did it.
Okay. Like a big one. So after he passed away, I like to do something connect with him. So he didn’t do indie. Double grab indie.
So I tried to run double grab indie. Then that’s the trick. I did it. Then I finished hard. So that’s my first Xgm method.
That’s just six. That’s cool. That’s my shot. Deegans. Yeah.
This is at the beginning. This is a vegan. Vegan I still met. So during that time, you were able to ride with all the American guys, like, over at Deegans? Over at Metzgers.
Fitzpatrick and Jimmy’s. Yeah, Fitzpatrick. We could probably cut the clip there back to us. Yeah, but that’s interesting. When you were riding with Fitzpatrick and with Metzger Degan, were you kind of noticing their their style, how they were getting ready for, like, X Games competition and you’d study and look and go, oh, I want to do maybe something one better?
Yeah.
I don’t believe myself to write in X Game, but I just want to try, so don’t know how to get entered, too. So I’ve been practicing with Jimmy Fitzpatrick after that story. Then one day show up. Twitch and fire. I was old.
I got twitch and fire coming today. I remember I was doing water running, the two car coming in. No way. I ride away sick. So I don’t know what they mean.
Sick. English. I have no idea what they mean. Sick. You have a cough or something?
Yeah, like a sick. He keeps saying he’s sick. Then what is a sick? He asked me phone number. Then I give my phone number, then I go back, I ask my roommate is half Japanese, so he kind of translates for me.
So that means nice. Not a good thing in Japanese. Call me, twitch call me. Then next day, every morning, like, hey, Tucker, come in. Native house.
Ten, 123-4567, 910 every morning. Then sends that lighting with Twitch. Then Twitch, call me every day. Then one day he asked me he pointed my bike sticker. Then, hey, this sponsor pays you.
Then no, this one? No. This one? No. Then he told me, hey, you want to do I give you all my sponsors and you want to ride with me due to then I said, no way.
He’s going to give me all his connection. The Mountain Dew tour. Then I say, yeah, fat, yeah, it’s a dream. Then he gives me Oxta Monster Edna that time, like a whole response. Then, yeah, he gives me opportunity for riding duterte.
Then fast around. Due to her, I got a little scary pushed out. Then I couldn’t do that jumper backflip. So I finished eleven. Then twitch finished twelve.
So me and Twitch didn’t make it. Final round two. I’m thinking, just thinking myself, like, I have to do flip one of a jump. Like a next round. I just flip the biggest jump.
I don’t see an injury. Then lounge two. Due to fuck, there is a massive data jump. The biggest that I try to flip it, so only flip is NATO and the Twitch that time. So I just sent it kamikaze.
Then I made it. I’m overshoot second one chest, then third one I made it. Then during closed chest, I finished second. Name me Twitch. So I beat again.
Twitch. Then competition time. Like, I started rain, got competition got canceled. So cold case on this final. So I finished second.
Then after that X game invite. Oh, cool. Yeah. When did you get called for Crusty Tour? After you were always already in X Games.
Yeah, already in faster 2007 X Game, then Crusty was 2008. Yeah.
And what was your thought when you entered Australia and saw the mayhem and ridiculous on the tour? I know, it’s crazy. Yeah. Australia, I never been that time too. So everything’s new, everything I got rusty.
I go fuck. Yeah. I can say, of course, you’re on our podcast, you can see whatever you want.
Was Twitch on tour with you in Oz? Not that time. He went to 2007. I remember I dropped off Twitch and Susan at Los Angeles Airport. I remember they go in one month, australia.
Then after that year after I got invite in 2008, I did a full stop, I think. Yeah. Who was on tour with you on that particular one? Nixi. Nixi Dangleson.
Then Australian. Maybe cam and was bilko shoe jacko. And maybe Beltie. Yeah, Belt James. Belgian.
That was fun time. Fun time. And then you got invited to go again. Yeah, 2010, I did it. Yeah, I remember.
Cool. Yeah. It’s a good thing.
Yeah. Let’s go to Maestro behind the curtain there. Let’s go to 34 23. And we’re going to go to China Bike. China Bike.
Dana, how did you end up with that bike? A friend of mine gave it to me. He does play that in a minute, but let Dana go. Go ahead. Yeah.
My buddy does the carbon missions. When you import stuff into America and being a piece of shit or whatever, some Chinese motorcycle. There’s only one option. Ghost ride off a cliff like we usually do, or come up with a skit. And it just seemed like a perfect fit for the whole thing.
So that’s kind of how it came about. Yeah. And I said, why don’t we get a Japanese rider? Taka and he could be frustrated. Stupid Chinese bike.
And we’ll get him a Bruce Lee suit.
Johnny has always been into the Bruce Lee thing and all that stuff, but usually when I put up these skits and buffer skits, I’ll be at the junk swap or come across something and just, whatever, get a wild hair. But you kind of played the whole skit. Like I was saying, it kind of like was your story coming to Deegan’s house and hey, Degan, I want to jump. You know what I mean? Like, besides not being a Honda and a Japanese bike.
Chinese piece of junk. Yeah.
So fast. Crusty. I watch a bubble. What is a quad buggy? Then go all the way.
Yeah, I saw it was real because I was an elementary school magic of movies.
Then you became a part of one of the skits. That’s great. That’s cool, man. China Bike. Okay, let’s play China bike.
See what you got. Come on in. You’re challenging Brian Deegan. And strong.
There’s the bike.
See what you’re to see what you got for tricks. You got a lot of gravels here. Everywhere.
Got an electric start. It’s what’s it say on your pants? This is all jumpy.
Like the gay Power Ranger.
I got your bike, too, Bob. Nothing. Yeah, same thing. Your china bike. Yeah, that was a China bike versus China bike.
We’re driving by and I saw you going big. I think I’m going to have to shut you down, son. Hey, Bob, you notice I’ve never got you a helmet that actually fit you doing there loop there’s. The loop? Yeah, over the loop.
That’s about the cheesiest loop anyone’s ever built.
And you’re in. Yeah. There you go, buddy. That was nice. It was a lot of fun, man.
I appreciate doing that with us. When you were filming that, did you even have an idea what it might look like? No. No idea. No idea.
Like a half understanding. Yeah. Do this. All right. It took all day, though.
In a couple of days to do that thing. I drive to the warehouse. Huntington beach. Huntington beach? Yeah.
Do the green screen. We put up the green and then hung you anyway. It’s fun. Good time. Yeah.
What do people do? You get comments from that skit? I don’t remember. It’s been a long time. Yeah, it’s been a while.
Everybody laughing for sure. I didn’t know. Comment probably when that movie came out, everybody goes, what? Yeah. That’s dying for sure.
Did they call you Chike? No.
Have you got a chance to get out in our local hills? You’re out in Temecular right now, right? Yeah. Have you rolled the hills at all? This year?
Yeah. Beginning like a 2007 8910, they have a crisis. Used to twitch. Take me, crazy one.
Have you guys been out this year? Because it’s good. Yeah, good. But we get old and twitch. Don’t jump much.
So most likely I got twelve nights. So good for me. Oh, damn, you guys are slacking. Yeah, we jump a little bit, but it’s not like a crazy creep or crazy not like back then. Yeah, it’s kind of hard bombing and stuff.
Like they have some people doing shabbat all season. Then we just come in for a good time. So I feel bad. I start feeling bad like 2012. Yeah.
Everybody after laying show up, just jump. Don’t feel bad one bit because we’ve been making all the damn jumps for 20 years. I don’t care how many people are claiming them. That’s good. Canyon for 20 something years building that stuff.
Yeah. My biggest thing is I want to know why people don’t hit Kamikaze anymore. You know what kamikazi is? There’s probably houses. Maybe Kamikaze.
Richie Canyon. The big face. Richie Canyon. I do know. He probably doesn’t know.
Yeah, the one that’s a big giant face. I never take you there. I still got a bike. Yeah. I’m not going to hit though.
What if I hit it? Yeah, I feed him.
Awesome, man. Hey, why don’t we take Taco to Crusty 17 and we’re going to go to the 1521. Maestro, we’ll skip this first one, the intro and go to 1521.
Okay. I saw a bit of talker there. That’s 2015.
Yeah. So this is X game. Yes. Now let’s slow couple of these down. Tell us, Taco, where’s the one that you let go?
It’s right before the gold medal. Do like rock solid. Rock solid. I already beginning of run because I got arm pump. Okay.
Yeah, right here. I did it. This truck is a crazy type.
I got eight, but I can’t adjust.
This is a double grab index. So one before, two before it is Tld. So that time. My stereoty is heavy anyway. No, I think I got the rock solid one just before you get the metal.
So maestro, a little. Yeah, this one. Yeah. And I put another one coming up.
That’s the kod. Those are gnarly. There you go. That one. No, not yet.
Last one after the nate. Yeah, that one. You’re back just a little, Maestro.
Yeah, I think I did it pretty bad. Yeah, right there. Yeah, you can’t see. Yeah. It’s pretty sick though, doing in the Free State lines so hard.
No hands. So how did you learn that one, Taka? That one. I did it for double grab Indie. Then I tried to do next year.
So 100 indie to double grab. Then after that, 2012, what should I do? I can connect to something like a double grab for Jeremy Rask. I’m thinking I had somebody tell me Jeremy Rask try to do the hands go off from double grab Flip. Maybe locks are possible, I don’t know.
Then I tried to do pump it. Yeah. Then I just did it. It’s possible, but it’s kind of a little bit late.
Then Twitch told me still good. I used to do the Xg. Then I tried to do like a 75 Fompit. But I don’t have much time for XTM. So I just send it five stars.
I remember.
I only do fomped. It super ticket. I never into the 75 rocks or it grip. I just go straight to that. I did it then since that.
Oh, my God. Now? But every day till the X DM happened. So I don’t want to be injury. I want to be healthy till one month.
But I have to practice, too. I keep doing every day. And I hope no crash. I hope no crash. I made it.
I remember as soon as I made a step presenter after I finished practice, I feel like sweet. Finally I’m here so I can show to people because I try to be quiet. So don’t post anything.
I did it. Compassion. Freestyle. First day was freestyle. I asked you to twitch like, what should I do?
Should I cheat for Roxa? It’s free for best trick day, too. Because if I do the freestyle round, maybe judge is going to get low score for next day best trick. Then Twitch said, Hell, no. You do freestyle and day one.
Then you sure. Then I did it day one, then day two, best trick. Then I did it. Then second. Yeah.
So this clip was 2017. So next year okay. Yeah, it was sick, man. Yeah. Good time, brother.
Maestro just a little bit. And we’ve got Taka coming up for his gold medal. I remember the freestyle night finish. I sleep, wake up for best trick day. I checked my golden metal.
Right. There you are. Yeah. Nate. Awesome.
You got nate. Adam. John. Adam. Okay.
Yeah. It’s crazy because I look up those guys like a superstar and our labor is high. Always. Awesome. Yeah.
What an awesome way. Well, what do you guys think is a pretty good note to leave it on, I think. I think so too, man. Yeah. Good.
Taka Man We got the man. Sorry, Taka. Fun hanging with you, brother. Yeah, pretty good hiding, so yeah, I got to either to the 50 years old you had fun on the last Australia trip. We got to go on the jet skis.
Yeah, three days out of bed.
That was fun, though. I can’t wait. The next one. Yeah. So fun.
Thank you, guys. Thanks for being with us, Taka. All right. Love and respect, brother. Love and me too, guys.
We will hook up again soon. All right? See you. Good night, mate.
Cheers.
Until next time. Did you want to hang on anybody? Right in. We had a few people here. Let me remove the Isaac.
I showed some stuff during. The show. That was a good one, man. That was a lot of fun. That was a lot of fun, indeed.
Yeah. John odded this it’s so good to see you all. Really miss you, john and Dina went home early last tour. Miss you guys heaps. All you all sucks.
You’re all so far away. Right on, John O’message. Awesome. Trusty FAM. And then love you, John.
Love your guts. That’s john o. Two. Yeah. Okay.
The other ones I showed during the show. Right on. Not sure if you saw them or not. Just some emoji. All right, until next week then, my friend.
Absolutely. Take care. Bye bye. I’ll be talking to you soon. Bye.
Sign off and save travels there to Australia. Okay. Thank you. I’ll be chomping into you. Okay.
All right, cool. Looking forward to buddy. Take care, brother. Bye.
