# Dave Mirra... why the haters?



## GotMojo? (Mar 25, 2004)

I've seen a few threads on here where people were hatin on Dave Mirra. Just curious, why the hate? 

I've been watching a few movies with this guy and he's definitely good, especially for an old guy (I think he's 32). From what I can see, he's the Jeremy McGrath of BMX....probably the best ever (although I think Cramner will surpass him). Was watching that Sentenced To Life video and he is the only rider that wears a helmet in all his riding, and a full face one !!. When it comes to that, I think he's the only one being smart about that part of riding.

So, why the hate?


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## Merkyworks (Jun 11, 2006)

a pro rider will always be liked and hated by the masses. because they dont like his style or this and that. some people like technical riding and some like big air. 

i think that he is a great rider


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## Avent_Flyer (Oct 27, 2006)

I think Mirra rules. I've followed his career pre Haro days and the man kills it time after time. Maybe one of the hardest working BMX freestyle riders to date... hopefully his new company will not distract him.


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

every pro that has as much popularity as Mirra has will be both loved and hated by the masses. hes insanely good obviously....he mite be coming to a local indoor skatepark in my area within the next few months..


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## Cru Jones (Aug 10, 2006)

Yeah, there is some hate for Dave. I think a lot of it has to do with his attitude. If you've seen some of the interviews with the guy, he just doesn't come off as the nicest person in the world. BikeSATORI had a good post about that. I think a better comparison would be to call him the Kobe Bryant of BMX freestyle. Just like Kobe, skill wise he is one of, if not the, best, but a lot of people hate on him because of his attitude and actions. Although, another argument could be made that he is the Michael Jordan of BMX freestyle... nobody has won more big comps than Dave and he probably is the best ever. I think a lot of the reason that he does come off as a jerk sometimes is because he is so competitive. He might not be who he is today if he didn't have that edge. 

Haha and 32 isn't that old. I'd say he's probably just coming out of his peak, physically. I bet he could still be one of the best for another 10 years.

I've been following him since I was a kid, so he'll always be one of my favorites. But, I understand the hate. What we need are the LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of BMX... extremely likeable people with crazy skills. Oh, I know, someone like Cru Jones (No, not me, kids. Watch the movie Rad)...

Edit: Oh, I saw an interview with him where they were asking him about the helmet. He says now that it is just more of a superstition thing on why he wears the full face. You have to realize that he's been rocking that style of helmet since waaaaay before kids started wearing skate style helmets.


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## GotMojo? (Mar 25, 2004)

Interesting comments so far. One thing I noticed about Mirra is that he's kind of older and wiser. In this Sentenced to Life video he is not only wearing a full face helmet, but also full pads (elbow and knee) in almost all his riding. I think he's taken enuf nasty falls to realize that while helmets and pads might not be "cool", they are the smart way to go. Cranmer wears a helmet in parts of the video, but most of the guys (like in all BMX videos) do not wear helmets. Crazy. I'm surprised you don't see more bad head injuries in this sport.


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## dhallilama (Oct 10, 2006)

32, old? look at professional athletes in contact sports, out there... 32 isnt exactly over the hill (just on the way there, and surely taking a bit of time to get out of bed in the mornin')...


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## GotMojo? (Mar 25, 2004)

dhallilama said:


> 32, old? look at professional athletes in contact sports, out there... 32 isnt exactly over the hill (just on the way there, and surely taking a bit of time to get out of bed in the mornin')...


I'd venture to guess that 32 is pretty old for an elite level BMX'er, just like in any sport. Look at McGrath in motocross, he's no longer really competetive. Plus, the older you get, the less risks you are willing to take, and probably the biggest thing, the longer it takes to recover from injuries.:madman:


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## Ojai Bicyclist (Nov 4, 2005)

I don't like him because of his style. He's a contest banger. Yeah, he's good at it, but watch him roll around and he looks clunky until he does some crazy trick. I like watching people that can hit anything and make it look incredible.


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## Tracerboy (Oct 13, 2002)

a few good and interesting posts on this topic. honestly i have been out of the loop when it comes to the BMX world since i left it, but i try to keep up with whats going on still. like i said in my other post, Mirra is an insanely good rider...but hes definitely not my favorite...and not even close to the most talented in my opinion. the interviews i have scene with him in the past i always remember him seeming nice, but honestly it was so long ago i dont remember.


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## MPauB1386 (Jun 16, 2005)

In middle school and high school I got really into skateboarding and it kind of became my life. We all had our favorite skaters but we all had one thing in common and that is we hated Tony Hawk. No matter how good he was we just couldnt see past all the commercial crap he did. Looking back on it now Tony Hawk is probably the most or one of the most talented Vert skaters to every grace the sport. That being said vert sucks and is very boring.
Anyway this relates becuase Mirra is the same way. He is out there in the spotlight and alot of people hate that. It is lonely at the top!!!


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## dhallilama (Oct 10, 2006)

GotMojo? said:


> I'd venture to guess that 32 is pretty old for an elite level BMX'er, just like in any sport. Look at McGrath in motocross, he's no longer really competetive. Plus, the older you get, the less risks you are willing to take, and probably the biggest thing, the longer it takes to recover from injuries.:madman:


eh... i recover from injuries just as fast as i did 15 years ago...
it just hurts a lot more, now 

i was thinking more along the lines of pro football (US football) players, who keep going until they break real good. 32 isnt too bad....
but yeah, come to think of it, as far as BMX goes... guess 32 is getting old


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## Dave Moore (Apr 15, 2004)

dhallilama said:


> eh... i recover from injuries just as fast as i did 15 years ago...
> it just hurts a lot more, now
> 
> i was thinking more along the lines of pro football (US football) players, who keep going until they break real good. 32 isnt too bad....
> but yeah, come to think of it, as far as BMX goes... guess 32 is getting old


hmmm...kinda makes you wonder why 32 is/would be considered old when compared to pro football players in their 40's still hitting hard.

I'm 34 myself and don't consider myself old at all. In fact I'm one of those guys who are in better shape now than when in the early 20's...and I was in pretty good shape then to

When you think you're too old then you are. 
Story: I was helping work one of the Xterra triathlons and there were 2 guys I noticed in particular who completed the whole thing...They were both in their early 70's. .5 mile swim, 12 mile MTB, 4 mile run

...so 32 ain't old:nono:


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## defconfour (Sep 30, 2004)

Sorta interesting post by Crandall on FBM's site: http://www.fbmbmx.com/news.php?newsid=64 FBM seems pretty 'core and they don't look to be hating Mirra. Maybe if more riders presented themselves a little more like him they could be making some more $$$ like skaters, snowboarders, skiiers, surfers, & moto guys.

32 being old? Years ago, in BMX, yeah, that was really old. It seemed guys were hitting peak at 18 or 20 back in the late 80's. But during the 90's kids kept at it, some got back into that type of riding (i.e. me). At 35 I would say, I'm a better rider than when I was 18. If I had as much time to ride as I did then I'd be a lot better.

McCoy, Kelly Baker, Moliterno, & Scott Towne (mentioned on the post link above) are either 40 or close to it. Taj, Joe Rich, B Foster, Hoffman are in their early-mids 30's. Rueben too (enough said!) Jimmy Levan that did that huge gap some months ago that would leave a LOT of people crappin' their drawers - in his 30's. Matt Berringer - 29.

Are the younger guys going to rule it someday - I hope so. But you have to understand where everyone started. I lot of these guys learned in backyards or crappy parks. You see Skatelite surfaces and foam pits a lot noadays. And also remember how long someone like Mirra has dominated. And riding vert too - vert is probably the nuttiest segment of BMX riding.


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## aggiebiker (Apr 18, 2006)

daves very good but i wouldnt say hes the "best bmxer ever" theres too many styles and disaplines to own em all

i have to say that morgan wade can kill a park too


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## GorillaTactics (Nov 12, 2006)

MPauB1386 said:


> In middle school and high school I got really into skateboarding and it kind of became my life. We all had our favorite skaters but we all had one thing in common and that is we hated Tony Hawk. No matter how good he was we just couldnt see past all the commercial crap he did. Looking back on it now Tony Hawk is probably the most or one of the most talented Vert skaters to every grace the sport. That being said vert sucks and is very boring.
> Anyway this relates becuase Mirra is the same way. He is out there in the spotlight and alot of people hate that. It is lonely at the top!!!


Cash Rules Everything Around Me.

You would make commercials and video game series if somebody approached you with a number that was 7 or 8 digits long, I guarantee it. Kids now hate on Hawk because vert isn't "cool"...it's all about the tre flip to nose manual to shove out on your 40 mm wheels. What people forget is that Hawk is a better street skater than their entire crew put together...I still work in the skate/snow industry and it blows my mind the way the kids hate on people who's video parts they've never even really watched.

I think Mirra is the same way in the BMX scene-dominated contest after contest and has had great commercial success. Because of that, people will call him a 'sell out' or whatever. The fact is, we should be stoked that people from our sports are succeeding on the same level as athletes from other mainstream sports. Who would you rather see on TV endorsing something-some jackass (alleged) rapist Lakers player or somebody who got famous by being excessively good at something that we all enjoy?


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## seis.seis (Mar 12, 2006)

*32 Old????????????*

32 now is what 25 was ten years ago. I know this is different but look at the crop of freeriders that are still going strong past 32. I always get a kick when 20 something kids come out and ride with me and my buddies, In the start of a ride or session they say "boy you guys are old" but by the end of the day they don't talk about it anymore. The greatest age equalizer is the bike, if you have mad skillz it doesn't matter how old you are, you still can rock it!


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