| From LA to Jamaica and all points in-between. |
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How Rise Above got to where it is today. Although I built our initial equipment in my mom's driveway in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, our reach has span the country and beyond. This would have never happened without the hard work of my very talented right-had man, Vinny. He has ridden with the team since day one, and I hope he chooses to continue doing so for a very long time. About 1 year into running the team, Vinny and I wanted to change direction. We both lived in the same area of Michigan and didn't feel like our location was affording us much opportunity. We wanted to move somewhere to better our riding, the team, and our lives in general. At this point we had traveled coast to coast performing and riding. We had been to and experienced a lot of places and we had our sights focused on what would become our new home and the new location of Rise Above Entertainment, Camp Woodward. (I encourage you to check out their website @ www.woodwardcamp.com ) Vinny and I had a mutual passion for BMX and we figured what better place to hone our skills and further the team that the world's best skatepark! Since Woodward Camp is a private facility we had to pull some strings, but thankfully all worked out and in October of 2006 we packed our bags and moved to Woodward. Since living there, we have got to ride with the absolute best BMX-ers on the planet nearly every day. Our average session includes guys like Daniel Dhers, Jamie Bestwick, Steve McCann and all the other amazing riders that live close by. This has pushed mine and Vinnie's riding to levels we never thought possible, and in turn, helped us push the Rise Above BMX Team to a level far-beyond any rivals. The professionalism through which we approach business combine with the exceptionally talented athletes we have readily available at camp has given us a sharp edge no competitor can touch and helped our small team grown to a national company. We now have 2 full-fledged performance teams running full time during the busy season. They are managed by any combination of myself, Vinny, and Dan Sieg. Dan is a long-time veteran to our industry and ground breaking rider as well. You can look him up in our rider profiles to find out more about him. Through the hard work and dedication of not only myself, Vinny, and Dan, but also all the athletes that have performed for our team over the years, we have been able to produce and participate in events nationwide and beyond. From a shopping mall in Las Vegas to a concert in Jamaica, we have entertained millions in the last 4 years and I want to personally thank everyone that has ever rode for our team because without them it would have never been possible. |