I've known Mik a few years now. He's been the confident bloke always up for a session, a bit of banter & loves the camaraderie that flatland provides. I don't see him as your typical flatland stereotype of riding solo for a hundred hours a week in a deserted riding spot - instead you'll find him at the Melbourne Imax spot riding hard with the rest of the crew, supporting the newbies & keeping the older guys in check. Mik is an interesting person: he lives life by his own code & is not afraid to follow his beliefs or dreams in both his riding & personal life.
* Full name & how long have you been involved in flatland?
Michael Dwyer: 5 yrs riding flat but had to take 13 months off due to badly broken arm...
* So what's the story of Mik coming to Melbourne?
I came back down to Melbs to get into flat a lot more as the Sydney scene was dead in the water back then and I also wanted to come back home (Fitzroy born n bred baby!!) to try open my tattoo studio on home turf..
* I understand that you have skated at a very high level in the past...
Yeah I was skateboarding professionally for 5 years (14 yrs total) but broke my back on a 17 stair handrail at Star City Casino next to Darling Harbour during a photo shoot. I was in hospital for almost a year and pretty much had to learn to walk again - it was scary but it was a good way to go out though...ha ha!!
* How did you make the transition from skateboarding to flatland?
It was quite easy when I think about it. I had the balance from skating for so long and I had always been interested in flatland as I traded my first BMX (GT Pro Performer) for a new skateboard and the rest is history..
* How would you compare the two scenes? Similarities? Differences?
The skate scene is very tight and everyone hangs out a lot more whereas the flat scene seems quite distant at times mainly due to distance from spots and there arn't as many of us either. The similarities are when we do get together we push each other to progress and we have a lot of fun doing it!!
* I understand that you're involved a lot with body modification & that you run your own business here - can you tell us a little about this...
I own and run *PURITY TATTOO & BODYPIERCING* and I cant explain the feeling you get when you wake up and you know you are going to do what you love and get paid very well for it!! Not that I haven't worked extremely hard to get where I am mind you. I do tattooing, piercing,
* Full name & how long have you been involved in flatland?
Michael Dwyer: 5 yrs riding flat but had to take 13 months off due to badly broken arm...
* So what's the story of Mik coming to Melbourne?
I came back down to Melbs to get into flat a lot more as the Sydney scene was dead in the water back then and I also wanted to come back home (Fitzroy born n bred baby!!) to try open my tattoo studio on home turf..
* I understand that you have skated at a very high level in the past...
Yeah I was skateboarding professionally for 5 years (14 yrs total) but broke my back on a 17 stair handrail at Star City Casino next to Darling Harbour during a photo shoot. I was in hospital for almost a year and pretty much had to learn to walk again - it was scary but it was a good way to go out though...ha ha!!
* How did you make the transition from skateboarding to flatland?
It was quite easy when I think about it. I had the balance from skating for so long and I had always been interested in flatland as I traded my first BMX (GT Pro Performer) for a new skateboard and the rest is history..
* How would you compare the two scenes? Similarities? Differences?
The skate scene is very tight and everyone hangs out a lot more whereas the flat scene seems quite distant at times mainly due to distance from spots and there arn't as many of us either. The similarities are when we do get together we push each other to progress and we have a lot of fun doing it!!
* I understand that you're involved a lot with body modification & that you run your own business here - can you tell us a little about this...
I own and run *PURITY TATTOO & BODYPIERCING* and I cant explain the feeling you get when you wake up and you know you are going to do what you love and get paid very well for it!! Not that I haven't worked extremely hard to get where I am mind you. I do tattooing, piercing,
* How would you compare the body modification scene to other scenes?
It's a lot more serious as there are so many things that go into it all. Hand and eye coordination is about the only thing I think they would have in common... oh and commitment!!
* You're a part of the infamous Imax family - what's the go?
Yeah it's our little family, we love it even if its quiet now. It's myself, Grant, Ali, Jimmy,
* So where do you see the future of flatland heading in Australia?
Hopefully onwards and upwards but at the moment it seems to have hit a rough spot. There needs to be more hanging out and riding instead of all the sitting and shit talking on the net (forums etc)..
* Final words...
Just get on your little bike, put your iPod on and just enjoy yourself and don't care if you're better than someone or not, just zone out and ride and always be cool and understanding to newcomers as they are the future, not invaders as some people seem to think!! Oh and one more thing,if one more fixy gets in my way at Imax I'm gonna start taking pot shots at em with a sniper rifle from the roof at Imax!!!! ha ha..
* Thanks to...
A big thanks to guys like Grant, Jimmy n Karl who just keep riding and riding and keeping people like myself motivated and talking me into trying stupid things just because they know they can. Also I'd like to say thanks to Ali Finlay as not many people seem to get on with him and give him a bit of a hard time when he isn't around because they either don't get his humour or just think he is arrogant with a negative attitude. I've even had a few disagreements with him but we always get over it and roll on. He does a lot for our sport that I'm sure not many others even know he was responsible for as in organising comps, mc'ing, write ups in mags and who else other than me really misses MFZ??,so thanks little man ;) (he hates when I call him that) and keep doing what you do!! Go the Imax crew!!!!!
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