It's been an interesting move to Los Angeles,to say the least. Not only did I leave SSB's direct competition to come quarterback for the winning team, but it was accompanied with plenty of warnings about the harshness of L.A. I'm here to confirm that it's all nonsense, and this is the best place on Earth to live. It certainly beats backwoods Georgia, dirty Detroit or rainy England anyways.
In fact, I've discovered that there's an unspoken code amongst Californians in which they express their distaste for the loathsome state. Terrible traffic, outrageous rent and mortgage prices, and poor air quality seem to be the favorite positions, and I've recently found myself giving outsiders the same grievances. In reality, we're just saying these things to keep the rest of you out...sort of like when Wile E. Coyote pushes Bugs out of the treasure-filled cave. It makes sense now that I'm here, because I've experienced the amazing canyon roads, world-class dirtbike tracks and generally cool motorcycle vibe going on.
The Primedia office is a funny old place, and within its walls is more bike action and enthusiasm than I could have hoped for. There's plenty of support here and everyone has the same goal-bringing you a kickass mag each month. Of course, there was a bit of the typical "bad guy/new guy" thing going on, but that stuff wears off pretty quickly (though I still haven't been invited to any Motorcyclist or Sport Rider parties, come to think of it).
But enough of all that; you're probably wondering what's to become of your beloved SSB... So what's the new plan exactly? Is your mag going to be turned into a pack of pages full of self-proclaimed tuning experts? Maybe a poser lifestyle mag featuring basketball heroes? Or will it morph into a wannabe mainstreamer and keep everything in the neutral gray area? You can absolutely count on none of the above.
We'll call the shots as we see them and will continue to stuff as many performance street killers, maniacal drag bikes, huge wheelies and custom blingers into our pages as we can. There's going to be plenty of new stuff coming your way, too, and a few big surprises that you'll see in the very near future.
SSB has come a long way since those early experimental days way back in 2003, and now that the foundation is firmly set, we look to build you a palace on top of it. It's still going to be your house-just more comparable to the Playboy mansion than Big Bird's nest.
Keep in mind that we're here because of you and always encourage your feedback, ideas and letters-so keep the praise, rants and harassment coming.