Who are you and what do you do?
My name is Randy Grube and I run the XDL U.S. Stunt Riding Championship.
How long have you owned XDL and what is it?
XDL is the only national championship for stunt riding. I did the first XDL event in 2005 and got the series off the ground in 2006.
How long do you think the stunt-bike scene will be popular?
Stunting combines street culture and riding and that is where the growth in the bike industry lies. I think at some point stunting is just going to become part of the traditional bike scene like motocross and superbike racing.
Has it reached its peak?
No. I think we are still five years away from the peak. When we have a true international championship and we watch stunting on TV like we do AMA racing today, then I think we can say it has peaked.
What do you think the next trend in stunt bikes is going to be?
I,'m not in the scene on a daily basis so I don,'t keep up with bike trends. If I had to guess I,'d say non-Japanese sportbikes and supermoto bikes will get ridden more.
Run us through a typical day for you.
My brain works best in the mornings, so after I drop my kid off at school I usually work on proposals, new ideas, that kind of stuff. I don,'t answer my phone nor do I check e-mail during that time. In the afternoons I work on day-to-day stuff and typically go for a walk to Starbucks. I end the day in the office about 6 p.m. and then head home for family time. Most days I get back to work in my home office from 9 to 11 p.m. or midnight, so it,'s a pretty full day. If I have meetings then I,'m usually stuck in traffic half the day. The two weeks before an XDL event things get super busy and I work almost around the clock.
What is the best trick you ever performed in a rental car?
Front-wheel drifting in a minivan at Motegi, Japan.
What is the best $40 you ever spent?
Last eight trips to Pinkberry,--a Korean frozen yogurt chain I got hooked on. I think they lace their stuff with cocaine or something.
What,'s the fastest you,'ve been on two wheels, and what bike was it on?
Track day at California Speedway on the AMA track,--maybe 125mph. My SV just wouldn,'t go any faster.
What are you riding presently?
SV650 with so many modifications I question my sanity.Stock/240/300/360,--what,'s your favorite size and why? Stock, because a team of engineers put years of their life into figuring out how to make the stock size go fast.
What would you do with the last gallon of gas on Earth?
Burn a forest to stay warm.
Person you most admire?
My wife, because she can do all the things I can,'t.
What,'s the achievement you,'re most proud of?
Raising our son.
What would have been your alternate career?
Recycling. I,'m totally serious. When I graduated college I was close to getting into the trash business.
Have you ever skinned a rabbit for food?
No, just a goat. We were in Jamaica with friends (locals) and there was no good meat in the market. So we went to a farm, picked out a goat,--you know the rest. Come to think of it, I helped slaughter a couple pigs too back in high school.
You,'ve got the choice of three magic powers: fly like a bird, read peoples,' minds, or invisibility. What would you choose and why?
If it means not dealing with airlines and security checkpoints then I,'d fly like a bird.
Who's your favorite rider and why?
Ruben Xaus because he is easy to learn from. But of course you were asking about stunters, right? Aaron Colton has mad technical skills and he is really smart, Javon Stevens thrills me with his drifting, A.C. is super fluid and Pfeiffer is probably the most dynamic out there. Jason Pullen is unique because he rides a Harley. I think the best stunt run I ever saw was Teach during the East Coast Eliminator last year. To be honest, I don,'t get to see as many runs as I,'d like to because I always have to work while everyone is riding.
Hard alcohol, beer, shots or wine?
Rum and Coke, Hefeweizen, Pinot Grigio and Port are my favorites, so I guess the answer is, a little of everything.