Here at Vintagefreestyle.com, we had the rare opportunity to sit down with James Tobin and discuss the whole vintage freestyle scene. As we were escorted into his corner office for a quick interview, we knew it would be an interesting 25 minutes to say the least.

Vintagefreestyle.com: James, thank you for taking the time for this interview. We heard so much about you, your builds, your insight into the hobby and more importantly, your opinions about the hobby.

James: That’s Mr. Tobin, but let’s do this.

VintageFreestyle.com: Um yes, ok what are your roots in freestyle?

James: I was too young to appreciate bmx and when freestyle appeared, I loved it. The style of the bikes, tricks, music association, magazine coverage and what it represented.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Were you a freestyler?

James: Just like any other average child back in the mid ‘80s. Honestly, I was a huge fan of the whole genre.

Vintagefreestyle.com: What was your first real freestyle bike?

James: Pink Skyway Street Styler. Bought it for $310 of my own money and rode the bike every day.

Vintagefreestyle.com: (light laugh) Pink?

James: Yeah, like the pussy you never have. Next question.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Tell us how you became involved in the vintage freestyle scene these days.

James: After my best friend passed away, I was sitting in this spacious corner office we are in now and thought “I always wanted a green ’85 Master”. Brought up Ebay and was just hooked. Nope, not hooked; I found an affordable time machine.

Vintagefreestyle.com: What was your first build?

James: Jogging my memory for parts and what I always wanted, it was a chrome Haro Master with all sorts of parts on it.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Show build?

James: Not even close. This was a time when rechroming a part outweighed the cost of a NOS original in the bag. BMX guys would sell me parts and bikes, but laugh at me at the same time. So, I just kept buying, they kept laughing, and this went on for a few years.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Why did it stop?

James: A few us came together and started churning out cool bikes. Timing is everything in life. New threads every month with great new show bikes, and more members joining up. Those guys start building bikes, we keep improving, more keep joining and after 2-3 years, there’s a whole new market with depth.

Vintagefreestyle.com: I heard multiple times that you changed the vintage freestyle scene, what are your thoughts?

James: Absolutely true.

Vintagefreestyle.com: (perplexed) Really, how so?

James: Guys were building really cool bikes, but the vintage bmx scene was getting all the attention. So I decided to take two years off from building anything but to only build one great bike.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Ok, tell us about it.

James: I was until you interrupted me. So, I decided to build something so far out there, so cool with a style never seen in 20 years. I wanted the bike to be a limited edition frameset built with the best parts available to a pro or top end amateur. It had to be high quality, trick, with a flow of color and contrast to envy top designers. Also, it had to have white tires.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Was this the VDC Freestyler?

James: Yes, that build changed the dynamic of the vintage freestyle hobby forever. It not only brought freestyle out of the dark days of the ‘80s but also showcased the complexity and ingenuity of this long forgotten scene whilst also creating a renewed excitement amongst collectors.

Vintagefreestyle.com: It has been repeatedly stated that you only build with rare expensive parts and never build realistic bikes.

James: I enjoy building show bikes for bike shows. Let me put it this way, would those guys with the backhanded comments want their girlfriends and wives to enter a bikini contest or beauty pageant? Hell no, they know they are not show quality and at the very least, lack excitement and interest. I’m sorry, Tioga parts are the same as a pageant contestant with a pancake ass and 26 x 3.75 spare tire of flab around her waist.

Vintagefreestyle.com: (nervous laughter) Tell me about your other show bikes.

James: We’re running out of time with this, but these are great bikes. After the VDC, I wanted to push the envelope each year with every bike. My Trick Star replica is the only exact Itson replica ever made and one of the most difficult replicas to build. Not only did I build it correct, but I built 95% of it with original finish NOS parts. This was more of a technical build I had to complete. The Trix was created around a top amateur sponsored by small companies.

Vintagefreestyle.com: I’m going to say a word or phrase and tell me your first reaction:
Influence

James: Jay Stark, great builder.

Vintage: Hutch

James: Jessie James. This collector takes the same manufacturer that everyone loves to hate and twists the whole concept into a new show winner year after year. He’s in his own league.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Original finish

James: cry babies. The reason their bikes are overlooked is because 99.99% are not show. An original turd ridden by some freckled face kid back in the day is supposed to win shows? Why don’t we create a category for “bikes with original chainguard and reflectors”? Next

Vintagefreestyle.com: Mountain

James: Mount Rushmore….. Bob Haro, Brian Scura, Kevin Jones, and myself.

Vintagefreestyle.com: What?!

James: I got it, greatest influences of vintage freestyle, next question.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Landscape of the vintage scene.

James: Frankenripper

Vintagefreestyle.com: What we mean is the current land…….

James: (interrupting yet again) Yeah, guy yearning to be my current landscaper, got it. Next question.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Legend

James: Yes, they will one day soon honor me at Rockford for being the greatest builder of all time. Fully expect them to hang one of my perfectly pressed pastel dress shirts from the rafters at Lino’s.

Vintage freestyle.com: Hutch Lake.

James: Created to mock those who wanted to steal money from unsuspecting collectors. Pond scum.

Vintage freestyle: Which leads me to my next question, what is this we hear about you creating replicas of freestyle’s greatest gems.

James: (pointing to his richly stained oak office door) :: grunts ::

Vintagefreestyle.com: No, we’re not saying you are pond scum, just the segway into the next question.

James: I will be doing the hobby a favor by producing a great product with a controlled quantity and price. In doing this, I will be eliminating the West Coast repro dirtbags and yet meet the demand for those collectors unable to afford the originals. Win/win situation.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Will it work.

James. Of course, don’t be short sighted.

Vintagefreestyle.com: How so?

James: Since five years ago vintage freestyle has had a minimum appreciation of over 250% on first gen. products with the most desired rocketing over 550%. The contraction in our economy and the greater shift to wealth will start to "gap up" the most desired products of our hobby in the next 5 years (unless there's a total fall out). This will accelerate the lure of retro/reproduction profits by virtue of demand. Collectors want to be a part of it all, but simply won't be able to afford a ticket to the game. Anyone who has been watching Ebay, classifieds, forums, etc... should have noticed the large decrease in the "gems of our genre's" volume. However, those collectors who keep a pulse on the gems should have also noticed the shift upwards in not only private collections but also price across the board. If there's so much demand and profit, why has the broader arenas/markets decreased in "gem" volume? I believe the last 2 years flushed out the open arenas thus leaving us with "new discoveries" only.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Any sneak pics of your newest venture?

James: Hardly a new venture, just a way to come full circle. Check this out PIC

Vintagefreestyle.com: Wow, that’s perfect! What is it called?

James: This model is named “Anita Hill pull’n Tricks”

Vintagefreestyle.com: Genius.

James: I know.

Vintagefreestyle.com: You always had a dynamic way of looking at this hobby in terms of value, but what about all the people who see it as nostalgia?

James: It’s as simple as me sitting here trading my June ’08 gold contracts. People can still buy gold jewelry and enjoy it, but those who successfully put it all on the line, everyday, will always spot opportunity within the overall picture. We can’t help it, it’s innate.

Vintagefreestyle.com: Innate, unlike cherrypickers for you.

James: Exactly, now get of my office.

Editor’s note: James insisted to read this interview before we posted it. He demanded we change his commentary to begin with “Mr. Tobin and not James”, but this is our house and our rules. Secondly, his attorney arranged a meeting with an Asian manufacturer interested in purchasing this site. Looks like we, as well as James, will be turning over the keys for his project and our site. No wonder he is successful in trading gold.