DAN BANKS
STORY WRITTEN BY DAN BANKS
My life before bmx was pretty sick! I have lived in many different parts of the UK due to my parents work. My family was Christian, so I grew up in a Christian home, with a father who was a missionary and my mother who was a fully qualified pharmacist. For several years as a child I lived life in Tanzania, Africa. My mother homeschooled me and my younger brother. She was only young, so the memories aren't as strong as they could be, but I feel like seeing that side of life was very influential on my little brain. I had the freedom to tour the local area with my brother and local family friends. I have been able to see some amazing wildlife and experience some of the great culture that the Masai tribe has to offer, a tribe of strong herding and hunting warriors, it was great to grow up witnessing such an amazing culture. Upon my return to the UK, I became more aware of how much of a difference growing up in other countries looks and feels. I guess I couldn't fully understand the intricacies of it all because I was only 5 or 6 years old, but I remember my mother recently telling me that my behavior as a child changed. I think the culture shock affected me, it made me more aware and freed me from racial prejudices.
As I grew older, I had a number of different dreams and ideas. I think a dream I had was to be homeless. This was less of a dream and certainly an ill-informed view of the world around me. I was a little kid though, once I was around 8 or 9 years old, I got pretty into my football and I thought maybe one day I could be a footballer. I fell in love with that sport after a few years after watching bmx and skateboarding on TV. I was doing soccer and bmx at the same time, but I liked the idea of being in full control of my skills. Soccer is a team game and you have to work as a team for each other's strengths and weaknesses. I think I got too tired trying to figure everything out. There are also many rules in soccer. Bmx offered a space to do whatever you wanted anywhere, which for an 11 year old was appealing. Once I started riding bmx, I always thought it would be crazy to be a professional bmx rider. I guess that became my dream from then on.
Once I put all my energy into bmx, the main motivation to keep doing it was the friends I had around me and the guys I saw in the skatepark who were better than me. Obviously, there were the magazines, the web editions and the DVDs that helped show me what it could be like to live in BMX. Sometimes these things feel untouchable because you don't have that reality in your town or city. Being in the park with you guys and trying to push yourself was something I always appreciated. I think that's what kept me so into it in the early years. We watched videos together. Bike to school together and ride bikes before school. We lived our version of what we saw in magazines and videos. I was so sick. As I got older, some of my friends gave up bmxing when their interests changed. I moved to a different place to study at university and was able to meet other cyclists who became good friends of mine. Bmx was always going to be there for me. And the motivation has always been and always will be the same for me. I love bmx because it allows me to be free and have fun with my friends. As long as I can continue to enjoy riding the bike, that will be enough for me. If I am sponsored or not.
Life off the bike for me consists of working part time and pursuing my other interests in art. As I grew through the school system I found art. He shared similar values that drew me to bmx. The freedom to express yourself and not be tied to the rules that other subjects bring. I went on to study Sculpture in Leeds. During my studies I spent a lot of time filming a horseback riding and exploring my artistic interests. Since graduating I have been riding a lot more, but the joy of creativity outside of bmx still plays a big part. Whether it's making sculptures, drawing, taking pictures, making collages, sewing and painting. These different mediums allow me to explore creativity off the bike. For me, bmx is, in a way, an art form. It makes me be creative with the world around me. Having an art practice outside of bmx allows me to keep these juices flowing. I feel like it improves the driving experience.
Many people know me from stuff they see online. There's also plenty of people that know me in real life too. Big up to those people for real. The internet isn’t real life and I've experienced my fair share of low moments. From losing loved ones and the divource of my parents. These moments help shape you as a person and no matter who you are who will have similar experiences to these. Growing up in a christian household allowed me to think about things a little differently. I don't agree with a lot of stuff that the christian church does or has done. However the morals and skills it gave me to think about the perspective of situations I found myself in. With these concepts of a bigger picture and a higher power combined with the space and freedom that bmx gives you allowed me to process all the crazy things that life threw at me. That's why I love bmx. It has allowed me to get out of those head spaces and just ride. The community in bmx has many great things to offer. Having people old and young that can talk and share about the good and bad is something people outside of bmx won't see. We’re not what they think or how they like to portray us. The riders, friends, colleges and family that have helped to round me as a person. I'm grateful to them for that.
If I was to look back at younger versions of me now I would probably tell them to just keep going. There is not a lot I would change about my childhood. Even the lower moments in my life have made me who I am. I would maybe tell my younger self to pick up a bmx sooner than I did but apart from that then there's not much more to say to the little guy. Be yourself and have fun. To those out there that haven’t found bmx yet. Head down to the local skatepark and have a shot of someone's bike. See what happens. It has helped me find lifelong friends and given me the ability to deal with some of the hard moments in my life. Bmx is sick!
