Derek Garland is by far one of the most laid back professional FMX riders in the game. Though he reps for the Metal Mulisha, Derek's friendly demeanor and chill attitude make you question where he got enough street cred to be down with the toughest gang in FMX. But, never judge a book by its cover... deep down, Garland is a raging beast that will kick your ass if you drive too slow and tell stories about how cool you are.
ESPN contributor Cliff Talley put together this awesome ride sesh of Garland and though it stands alone as a kick-ass piece, I thought it would be cool to get to know him on a more personal level. So, watch the video and then meet the one and only, Derek Garland. Be sure to click the "Read More" link to read the entire dealyo.
Hello my name is...
Derek Garland
A.K.A.
Gnarland, DG, G nar, G land
The reason that you're reading about me is...
I'm a Metal Mulisha team rider and I backflip my dirtbike at freestyle demos all over the world. I also compete in the Dew Tour and international X Games events. I qualified 5th at the final Dew Tour stop in Orlando last year, 4th place at the Masters of Dirt event in Austria, and took 5th in the Brazilian X Games Best Trick contest. I also rode the Rockstar Mayhem festival, which featured bands like Slipknot and Disturbed (6 week US tour).
Right now I'm working on...
I'm at the final stop of the Journeys Backyard BBQ Tour in Chicago. I'm in the rig trying keep dry from the rain.
But I'd rather be...
Outside skating the mini ramp
My most prized possessions are...
My friends, family, dirt bike and guitar
But I'd give it all away for...
I would never give up my friends, family or dirt bike. But I have smashed a few of my guitars for a drunken thrill...
The first thing I do in the morning is...
Go pee, slice up a banana and put it in Honey Nut Cheerios, hopefully remember to brush my teeth, put on deodorant, and then go ride at Deegan's... I love riding in the morning.
The last thing I do at night is...
Go pee and make sure it doesn't burn.
My momma always said...
Be careful and put your helmet on!
The worst job I ever had was...
Working at Ralph's bagging groceries and pushing shopping carts... it wasn't too bad — it could always be worse!
I love it when people...
Say "good job". Whether it's at an event or just mowin' the lawn.
I can't stand when people...
Act cool or tell stories about how cool they are.
The most beautiful thing I've ever seen is...
A lighting storm from the airplane window when I was flying to Orlando a few weeks ago.
The ugliest thing I've ever seen is...
Shane Trittler naked on the Mayhem Tour.
I am what I drive, which is...
A white van with no windows... I think there's a name for that.
My iPod is filled with...
Neil Young to Slayer and everything in between.
My favorite place in the world is...
Riviera pipeline in San Clemente, California.
The last time I swore I'd never drink was after a night of...
It's a weekly occurrence on the Mayhem Tour. But, one time that comes to mind is when I went to an ACDC concert with some friends — I got so hammered I don't even remember seeing them play. I was bummed because they're one of my favorite bands.
I get agro when...
People drive slow — I get road rage!
My future goals and plans are...
To keep riding and improving, get better contest results and have fun.
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Contributors
Ryan Leyba
Leyba is a bitter, retired FMX rider who likes to sit in his cubicle and call the professionals of the sport wussies for not pulling 360s and double backflips. He claims he quit riding FMX before flips were even invented ... yeah, right.
Cliff Talley
Making FMX videos exciting is easy. Making them look good is not. Cliff Talley does both of these well and still manages to find enough time to piss off his neighbors with his Travis Barker-esque drum skills.
Chris Tedesco
You've seen his photos on the covers of Transworld, Racer X and more. You've also seen his tequila shooting skills at your local dive bar. Ladies, Chris is single and looking to mingle.
Grant "Goba" O'Brien
FMX in Australia wouldn't exist if it weren't for Goba. Well, maybe it would, but it wouldn't be nearly as cool. I don't know why, but we can't quit calling him gobalobadingdong — it just rolls off the tongue.
Tes Sewell
Tes is the dude who's always involved in everything that's going on in FMX. How he does it, we don't know, but that's the reason we hired him to share his plethora of FMX wisdom in the form of a monthly column.
