I'm going to hazard a guess and say that a good proportion of the Breaks readership probably haven't heard of Mike Ardelean. He is however one of my biggest influences growing up, not just in terms of his BMX style and ability, but also his clothing company Lavar, and the tastes and lifestyle that he advocated through Defgrip. For 10 years he was one of the most respected and original BMX pros in the game, and recently he's turned his hand to a whole host of other projects, like being team manager for Quintin and iPath BMX, and continuing to run his brand Lavar with his friend Juse. It's been a long time coming, but I finally got chance to fire some questions over to Mike and see where he's at these days.
I have a lot to ask, where do I start? Firstly, who is Mike Ardelean?
I like baseball, movies, good clothes, fast cars, and whiskey. What else you need to know?
Just kidding, that's a movie quote. But a good one.
When and how did Lavar come about?
It came about in 2004. My buddy Juse and I thought we could do something a little different from what was out at the time. It's like everything when you're young with A.D.D…. 80% talking and procrastinating and 20% actually doing work. Things turn out to be so much easier than you thought, once you start.
How come there's been no activity in the Lavar camp recently? And can we expect a return to form soon?
Juse got busy with Nike design projects, and having a baby, revamping his house in Holland. And I got busy with having jobs and just living a total 180 from where I was in '06. Working hard was a novelty to me back then… I idolized guys who did it, but I didn't know how to do it. Eventually I learned. I took every opportunity that was given to me and I ran with it. Doing work put all my fears to rest. It feels good.
Have you got a new team sorted?
Actually, we have the same team hanging tough. Andrew Jackson, Raul Ruiz, Dan Closser, Ricky Feather, Jim Bauer.
Where do you see Lavar sitting in the market place? As I think it has a much broader appeal than just the style savvy BMXer.
It's not for everyone. You can't be for everyone. True though, Lavar is not just for BMXers.
I gather you're a busy man these days, if I'm correct you hold down a full time job for Quiksilver, team manage both the Quintin and iPath BMX teams, and ride for Verde? Anything I'm missing?
I left Quik about a year ago, to take on another thing. I still have good friends there. I put the IPath and Quintin teams together, and manage them. The Verde guys are my lifelong friends and Steve Buddendeck is a mentor; the first guy to give me opportunities in BMX. I ride a Verde bike but just for fun. No more pro bike riding.
How did you end up working with Quintin and iPath?
I met the Quintin guys because their first shop was a block away from me in my old hood, Venice. With IPath, I was hired by a longtime friend who no longer works there. Tim Swart — he used to run Clive backpacks when I rode for them in 2001. Now he owns www.univ-shop.com.
Are you enjoying working a lot now? Because I imagine it's quite a different lifestyle to that of the pro-BMXer that you used to enjoy?
When I rode bikes for money, I did well for someone who was terrible at contests. It was a great experience that I wouldn't trade. But I didn't finish college and I had a debilitating confidence problem. There was always a nagging feeling that other things were being accomplished by guys that were smarter and less lazy. People like McGoo and Sam Arellano gave me responsibilities and helped me dig out of that hole.
Describe an average day for you?
Up at 5:45, get on the train for an hour because I refuse to live in Orange County, do my thing, train home, calls, riding, running, cooking, some more work.
What does the rest of 2011 hold for you?
Getting married in August to my dream girl. Maybe getting some clips in the Verde video, releasing a hat with Ludwig/Quintin, Mexico, the beach and the desert, moving, learning better tabletops, new Lavar stuff, making up for lost time!
