Four Years Down, Many To Go… | Special Anniversary Kickstart

Four Years Down, Many To Go…

It’s hard to believe that four years have already passed since we launched Swapmoto Live in the wake of the disaster that American Media left the entire TransWorld family of magazines in when it purchased The Enthusiast Network in January 2019.

To say that our small team has had a lot of fun and enjoyed growing our new brand would be an understatement; SML truly is the best thing that’s happened for Anton, Chase, Doni, Dommer, and me. On a personal note, I have truly enjoyed my entire career as a moto journalist since I started at Cycle News in 1990. Along the way, I’ve worked for a couple of truly remarkable bosses and alongside some great co-workers who I have learned from and become great friends with. My career has taken me across the country and around the globe, and I am grateful for every experience I’ve had. One thing I don’t miss, though, is the pressure of working for a large company with presidents, VPs, supervisors, etc. I always thought I enjoyed my jobs 100% through and through, and it wasn’t until we launched SML that I realized what an emotional toll that managers’ meetings, performance reviews, and budget planning took on me. In the final years at TransWorld Motocross, every week started off with an editor’s meeting in which we were always asked to cut costs, lean out staff, or participate in some ridiculous licensing program to raise a few bucks. Sure, these days it’s my wife who runs our books and bitches to me when Anton’s expense reports are five months overdue, but all in all: life is good. I get to work with my best friends and am enjoying literally every minute of it. 

With four years in the books and many to go, I thought I’d have the content-creating team (me, Anton, and Chase) share our most memorable posts, highlights, ir people, from our infancy. I’ll go first!

Jeremy, McGrath

Right from the get-go, the King of Supercross had our back. Numb from the shock of being unemployed for the first time in my life, I attended the 2019 San Diego Supercross a few days after being laid off because I literally didn’t know what else to do. MC and I have had our ups and downs through the years but the fact that Jeremy is truly a first-class human being has always shined through. “Buy it back!” he said, about TWMX. “Owning a business isn’t hard; it’s only scary because you haven’t done it yet.” Ultimately, American Media killed TransWorld Motocross completely by rolling its subscribers into Men’s Journal and we switched to Plan B (which should have been Plan A from the get-go!) and launched SML. Again, Jeremy was 100% supportive and opened up his off-road truck race shop in Lake Elsinore for us to work out of, and after that his UTV race shop in Menifee. Sharing a workspace with Jeremy was always a treat (imagine walking outside your office door and seeing McGrath working on a motorcycle or side by side), and we got to do a lot of cool things together. One of my favorite trips with Jeremy was one we took to Utah for a UTV race. While watching him race his Kawasaki Teryx was rad, it was the stop we made in Moab at the Slickrock trail that was the highlight for me. The riding was incredible, and pedaling that trail crossed a line of my bucket list, for sure. Later that night, we recorded what we call as our second Tequila Podcast, in which we took questions from followers as we each broadcast a live feed on our Instagram accounts. Jeremy supplied the tequila, and we took so many shots that I woke up wrapped in a blanket on the hotel balcony, surrounded by a pool of vomit. Things got a little out of hand and we had to take that podcast off YouTube and Spotify, but here’s the first edition we filmed one year prior in Whistler, Canada, during Crankworx! Thanks for being amazing, Jeremy McGrath!

 

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Scrub Daddy

If you’ve paid any attention at all to our content, you know who Brian “Scrub Daddy” Smith is. My first memories of Scrubby are over a decade old, back when Starwest MX Park was still around. I didn’t actually know or like him back then as he would always cut the track, jump on in front of me, and get in the way while he took his feet and hands off over the jumps. Haha! Years later, we finally met at Milestone MX and I took a liking to him because he made me laugh so much. One day, I took a good look at his Suzuki RM-Z450 and noticed how hammered it was. It had hundreds of hours on the hour meter, his fork seals were leaking, and he had some tires on it that I had never even heard of before. Shortly thereafter, I noticed that he was at the track only shooting pictures. When I asked where his bike was he told me that it wasn’t running because it was so old, so I decided to help rebuild it for him. With help from some of our advertisers at TransWorld MX, Scrub’s bike was fully rebuilt and made better than new. Brian was very grateful and it was good to have him riding at the track again and laughing in between motos.

What really got me, though, was something he tried to do in 2019, shortly after the TransWorld Motocross rug was pulled from beneath me. Distraught and – quite frankly – embarrassed, I didn’t answer calls from many of my friends who were concerned. Finally, after trying to get me on the phone a few times with no success, Scrub Daddy sent me a text. “Hey man, I know how much you love to ride and I know how you like your Kawasakis. There’s one I can buy – it’s not brand new, but it’s in good shape – so that you can keep riding with us at the track.” Scrub is good people. I still may not know how he survives and can afford to be at the track seven days a week, but he is one of my very best friends.

I’ve also had him assist with some content production; from helping us with photos at Shootout tests to testing new bikes to playing news anchor in this fun News Break that we put together…

 

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The 2020 Salt Lake City Covid Residency

When the Corona Virus COVID-19 pandemic put the world on lockdown in March 2020, the Monster Energy Supercross Championship, too, came to a screeching halt. I don’t need to go into the opinions I have on the lockdown, but I do know that the efforts that Feld made to complete the seven remaining rounds over three weeks in Salt Lake City were amazing! Anton and I rented an Air BnB and spent three weeks covering races, eating amazing food, and riding mountain bikes! In between races, we set up a makeshift studio in our rental and had guests on what we dubbed the “Salt Lake City Supercross Quarantine Show.” Of the dozens we put together, my favorite goes was James Stewart Sr.

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Injuries

The SLC residency ended a bit tragically for me, as I suffered a violent crash on my mountain bike during my last ride of the stay and fractured one of my vertebrae. To this day, I haven’t seen Anton look as shaken; I guess the sound of my helmet making contact with a rock the size of an ice chest sent shivers down his and Garth Milan’s spines. Good ole’ Anton rode at world-record speed to retrieve my van and get me to the hospital. The nerve pain I suffered in my left arm left me suicidal for 14 weeks, but I ignored the advice I got from the first three surgeons I saw (they wanted to fuse my neck!) and finally met a more optimistic spine specialist that used epidurals to relieve the swelling and subsequent pain and lack of mobility I suffered from. It was a scary time in my life, and it made me appreciate the time I get to spend on two wheels even more!

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Clydesdale Comparisons

With a (then) 300-pound salesman on our staff, it was a no-brainer when we launched the Big and Tall Shootout property in 2020. Dominic Gaytan actually gets around a motocross track at an impressive rate, so we thought it’d be interesting to our larger riders to see how the bikes stacked up for someone of their own stature. The inaugural Clydesdale Shootout was sop well received that in the years since it has grown to a multi-rider comparison. (Pardon the pun.) 

 

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Alex Ray

My earliest memory of Alex Ray was watching him circulate the track in qualifying at a Supercross when he was still number 314, wearing pink JT USA gear and looking pretty fat. “That guy is my hero,” I remember thinking. “He’s gotta be over 200 pounds, and he hauls!” My second oldest memory was at the 2018 Supercross, where he crashed in his heat race and blew a massive hole in his shin. I watched in horror as he exited through the tunnel with blood gushing from his leg. After that, all I can remember of Aray is laughter. We started to pal around a little when I convinced him to come to a TWMX Race at Milestone (and he forgot his helmet in typical Aray style), and when I discovered that he lived in Corona off the same freeway exit as me he became a regular MTB riding partner. 

Through the years, we’ve done a lot of cool stuff together, but I think our trip to Singapore for the Sentosa Beach Race last summer sits at the top of the list.

 
Since launching SML, Alex has become a bigger and bigger part of our content-generating team, starting out as a co-host on the Kickstart Podcast, and now as a host of the SML Show! When he’s done racing professionally and without a manufacturer association, he will most certainly join our test-riding staff, too.

As the 2023 season approached, Alex found himself with several team options but after being financially burned by his previous team, he elected to go the privateer route so that he could build his bike exactly as he pleased. Helping him build his program was a lot of fun, and there was even one afternoon when I was drafted to help wrench on his bike at the track while he tested suspension settings with enzo racing. His season has not gone to plan thus far, but he’s shown plenty of speed and we are all proud of him. Looking forward to a better MX National season!

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Spanish Dream Trip

Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the past couple of years, you should be well aware of Stark Future and its electric motocross bike, the Varg. Though the bikes have yet to be delivered to the 12,000+ consumers who have pre-ordered them, we believe that this is the electric dirt bike that is going to make a real impact on our sport. While the Alta Redshift is the first electric motorcycle that we ever tested, it left us with a bad taste in our mouths as it was heavy, finicky, and equipped with the worst production suspension possible. The Stark, meanwhile, looked to be a completely different animal and when SML was invited to fly to Barcelona, Spain, to take a test ride on the Varg, we jumped at the opportunity! Long-time TransWorld MX and SML test rider Rene Garcia practically quit his job to join me on the adventure, and man did we have fun! In addition to having the time of our lives riding the Varg at Golf MX (one of the coolest tracks I’ve ever ridden), I really enjoyed watching Rene enjoy his first-ever trip outside of the United States. We documented our trip in this Vlog… 

Chase Curtis

Man, these last four years have blown by. As I near my mid-twenties, I’ve become even more appreciative of my career. While friends I’ve grown up with are eager to vent about their frustrations toward their job, I hesitate to discuss my weekly tasks and enhance or further their bitterness. It’s true, we really do live the dream at Swapmoto Live and I’m beyond blessed to do so. 

At times this sought-after career truly is work, as Swapmoto Live is a flourishing media outlet run by the same small group of passionate employees that started it four years ago. That said, the weekly tasks are ever-changing as our viewership and responsibilities continue to grow. I can safely say we all share the same goal at Swapmoto Live and that is to provide the best entertainment to motocross and supercross fans across the globe.

Throughout the past four years, I’ve experienced things I would have never thought possible. I’ve met childhood heroes, worked with the sports best brands, and traveled to some insane places. Although I have many more goals to accomplish in the coming years, below is a list of my ten favorite features with Swapmoto Live. 

 

2020 Arlington Supercross

Back in October 2019, I had an awkward fall while riding at Milestone that resulted in a pretty mangled right leg. I ultimately ended up on crutches for just over seven months after a few surgeries and a bad infection. Despite being on crutches or in a wheelchair, I did my best to film some content and stay sane. I even flew to Arlington, Texas for supercross and completed my normal duties. Although it wasn’t anything spectacular, that trip to Arlington and other shoots in those months really helped me through a dark period.

Andrew Short Interview

Growing up, I was always a big Andrew Short fan; I vividly recall begging my parents for an orange Fly Racing kit Shorty wore at Anaheim for my birthday. Unfortunately, one of the first things I learned in this industry is no matter how cool a guy is on TV, sometimes they’re just dicks to work with. Luckily, Andrew is just as kind and personable off camera as he is on TV. Back when Shorty switched to Yamaha to pursue his Dakar Rally career, I reached out and was on the phone with him in minutes. Even though the conversation and interview probably only lasted twenty-minutes, Andrew greets me every time we run into each other. Yeah, it’s pretty badass when your childhood hero knows your first name, haha! 

 

A Day With Derek Drake

Back in 2020, I had this idea to tag along with racers for a day or two and capture their personality at and away from the track, it’s essentially a vlog in the third-person. So, I tagged along with Derek Drake and went to the supercross track before heading to the lake. I hope to do some more videos like this in the coming years, as I think it holds a unique spot in motocross content. 

 

Malcolm Stewart’s First Day On Star Racing YZ450F

As a member of the media, I do my best to stay unbiased when it comes to racers. Though, Malcolm Stewart has become one of my favorite riders to work with. Much like the rest of the industry, I was stoked for Malcolm when he earned a ride with Star Racing. Thanks to our close relationship with him and his inner circle, I got the call that the was spinning his first laps on the factory machine at Statefair. I actually bailed on another shoot and left Glen Helen to go film Malcolm. Looking back, it was pretty cool to capture the first footage of Malcolm on his factory ride. 

 

FMF Vision Shoot With Osborne

I think if you were to ask motocross and supercross fans around the world what facility they would want to visit, if offered, a majority of them would say the Bakers Factory. Back in late 2020, Donn and I traveled out to the Bakers Factory to shoot Zach Osborne for FMF Vision. Not only was it cool to film at and visit the popular training facility, but traveling there to shoot an unreleased product was definitely memorable. 

 

2021 Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha Team Shoot

Prior to the 2021 Monster Energy Supercross series, I was invited out to Yamaha’s private supercross track to film during the Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha team photoshoot. To this day, the footage I captured there is some of my favorite – the lighting was epic, I was pulling focus with ease, and the guys were just throwing down for the cameras. Preseason photoshoots are easily my favorite days spent behind a camera. 

 

Jeremy McGrath On A 1990 KX125

Spending a day at Flying Iron Horse Ranch should be on everyone’s bucket list. The tracks and surrounding scenery are just ridiculous. While in Salt Lake City Utah for the 2021 supercross residency, we met Jeremy McGrath out at Flying Iron Horse Ranch to film him ride a beautifully restored 1990 KX125. It was honestly a pretty hilarious shoot, as the bike was just so damn slow. Regardless, McGrath made it work and it was pretty rad to watch. 

 

Life On Two Wheels Vlog

Donn’s weekly ‘Life on Two Wheels’ vlog has become quite popular in the last four years. So, rather than missing an upload, I took over the vlog while Donn went on a family vacation. Being responsible for the vlog made me do somewhat entertaining activities daily, because no one wants to watch me sit on a computer editing. Although it wasn’t the most exciting vlog, I sure had a lot of fun that week and would love to take over the feature every so often. 

 

Big James & Sonya Stewart on the SML Show

As of February 2023, Swapmoto Live has a new home. Having input on designing the SML Show set and watching it come to life was so exciting. I’m really proud of the way the shows have turned out this year and actually look forward to the process. Having Big James and Sonya Stewart in for the first show on the new set is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget. If you haven’t already, go watch the episode! 

Scott Insight Video Projects

I love being able to spend time on projects and not having to rush through filming and editing to get the feature out. That said, I’m currently working on a batch of videos for Scott with some of the sports most personable racers. We’ve had a lot of things not go our way with this project, but it looks like the first video will be dropping soon. Stay tuned!

Michael Antonovich

It’s hard to explain about SML without bringing up TWMX. The reason it still comes up is the most obvious: people in motocross knew about it, or for those in the real world, were familiar with one of the other action sports titles under the corporate umbrella. I appreciate every day that I got to spend there, because those years alongside a few dozen very talented people were a daily learning lesson for the media business, the motorcycle industry, and what I wanted for myself. 

But the last year or so wasn’t exactly ideal, and after typical big business tactics like budget cuts, aimless content initiatives, and a lack of perspective on the changes happening digitally versus print, came doubts about any sort of future I or anyone else on the masthead had there. 

One going away how it did was the perfect way for the other to start. We were able to retain an audience with key pieces of content, had advertisers committed to the business model, and pushed forward with little hesitation. The timing, especially with what has happened since, couldn’t have been better.

SML has been an improvement for all of us. What I have in life right wouldn’t have been possible in the previous situation, and I feel that all of us involved would say the same after what we’ve gotten to share.

The past year was especially rewarding, and because of SML, I was able to cover almost every major event, make content that was respected and appreciated, and start the next generation of life on two wheels through our son, Ezra, and near our immediate families in Illinois.

Thanks to everyone that helps make it possible.

Josh & Justin Hill on The SML Show

Sitting in the room for an SML Show filming is always fun, and this one was particularly entertaining. Josh and Justin have been in the guest chair for episodes hosted by Donn or myself, so this time swap decided it’d be best to let the brothers interview each other about their careers, memories in the PNW, and their current setup with Team Tedder. The Hill boy are as close as can be, so each well-worded question and answer was layered with respect for the other’s talents, appreciation that they’ve made it this far together, and love for the sport. 

Jeremy Stenberg | That’s What Dirt Bikes Are About

There are few people as straight-up as Jeremy Stenberg. The dude is known by many for his skills and professional accomplishments, but an easy going personality with friends and fans, unmatched style on/off the bike, and a strong business sense have cemented his status as a living legend. The growth DBK has experienced over the last few years is thanks to all that, and during some Friday downtime at Red Bull Imagination, I got the chance to ask Twitch some things that had been on my mind all summer. 

Although the days of contests, medals, and new tricks have long past, riding remains a driving force in Stenberg’s daily life, and to hear that he still gets the same feelings of excitement and nerves before throwing a leg over a bike made me want to hit a couple of obstacles in the Kansas pasture. 

Ryan Ragland on the History & Future of STACYC

Ryan Ragland has helped future generations of motorcyclists fall in love with riding through STACYC. An engineer whose resume includes time at KTM, Ragland came up with the idea for a battery-powered bike after co-workers at a medical company showed off the electric motors and packs they were using in high-performance RC cars. Hours in the garage making the first prototype for his kids, years of building the business model through word of mouth and dealers, and investment from Harley Davidson have made STACYC a crucial part of the powersports industry.

Hearing the story straight from Ragland was great, but the timing of our talk is what makes it most memorable; just as we started the Zoom, my wife went for one of her final checkups before the birth of our son and the doctors said we might be going into labor later that day (typical Antonovich, he was late instead). Ryan’s stories of his wife and kids, and some advice for what Megan and I were both about to experience, calmed my nerves that day and are helping a year later.

Checking In With Shane McElrath At Unadilla

I’m fortunate to be close in age to most of the guys on the starting line right now. Sure, it was the same 10 years ago, when I and the rest of the entry list were in our early 20s, but the last decade has given all of us a chance to grow as adults, learn more about the people we see each weekend, and develop a bond that goes deeper than the tractor’s till of the race track. 

Shane McElrath and his wife Joy are one of those for me. Last year wasn’t easy for the number 12, as he faced the sudden closure of a team, injuries, mixed results, and time on many different motorcycles, all things we talked about on camera in August, but together they continued on, certain that better times were on the horizon. That came to be in Australia, as he was crowned SX2 champion in the newly formed WSX series, and it was an honor to be one of the first to congratulate him that night in Melbourne.

Alec Gaut’s Life As A Supercross Roadie

No one is working harder or smiling bigger on Saturday night’s than Alec Gaut. A fellow Midwest native with dreams of a getting a credential, Alec spent the past few years establishing his place in the sport by setting up and tearing down every round of AMA SX-MX, developing a rapport with the people in the pits, and taking photos of the action when his bosses allow (this year he earned a black photo vest and gets to click the shutter during the night show, between afternoon shifts as a track worker and late nights on the load-out crew). 

In a time when everyone wants to take the easy way to the top, either through who you know or an inflated social media presence, it’s nice to see a guy like Alec want to put in the work and then, most deservedly, get rewarded for it.

Ken Roczen’s Free Agent Status & Future Plans

Ken Roczen’s decision to forgo a contract with Team Honda HRC in favor of WSX was months in the making, made all the more intense by mixed results, social media posts of failed parts, and rumors about dollars and cents. By mid-September everyone knew that the 94 wouldn’t be on the factory bike in Cardiff, Melbourne, or more importantly, Anaheim. Ken and Honda did a great job of saying their sides of the story through the Bubba’s World podcast and press releases, but almost everything published by others at the time was little more than speculation or hearsay. 

I reached out to Ken’s agent, Steve Astephen of The Familie, to get an interview of our own. The timing was tough, as I was on location in Kansas for Imagination the moment the podcast with James went up, but Steve and I connected at one point over the weekend and I ran to an air conditioned outhouse with my phone and computer to record the conversation. Donn always told me be ready to do the job whenever, wherever…

Foxborough Supercross Pre-Race News Break

Hitting every round of SX-MX is my personal mission every year; it’s where most of my work for SML comes from, it’s where most of my friends are, and the feeling of being by the track when the gate drops has only intensified as I’ve gotten older. But that’s not always possible, and when we got into Megan’s pregnancy last year, it was obvious that going to Massachusetts that late in the game would be a bad idea, especially if she went into labor (no quick flights from Boston to STL, too far of a drive to do in a crunch). 

Donn took over the duties for the weekend, including Friday’s SML News Break of narrated pre-race details and interviews with riders. As the guys on staff know, I have a bad time giving up responsibility and can be difficult when it comes to a few work things, News Break being one of them (interpersonal skills are a work in progress). But Donn did the video just as I would have, if not better in certain ways, and his mention of my absence took me off the ledge and made us feel appreciated. This video, and a few others through last year, showed a lot about myself and the guys I get to experience SML with. Team building. 

Twenty Minutes With Eric Peronnard At The Paris Supercross

It’s no secret that I’m down to go to almost any foreign country. Everyone’s heard/got the jokes about Anton with a scarf on at a coffee shop, and yeah, that’s true to an extent, but those few moments (though stylish) are not the main reason for 24-40 hours of travel. The whole point is to see how the other side of the world enjoys motocross, and motorcycles as a whole, through their spin on events and race formats, the way bikes are shown in daily life, how our guys adapt to the challenge/are received by the locals, how their guys look in action, and maybe a chance to hit the afterparty.

Eric Peronnard has made some of the best trips possible over the years and become a close friend/career guide along the way. Last year’s visit to the Paris Supercross, two nights of racing that saw the Roczen’s ability amid free agency-Tomac’s career-defining supremacy on display, was a memorable weekend that included a pre-race conversation with someone known for managing excellent events, staying on trend, and remaining friends with everyone in the pits.

Mike Emery on the Midweek Podcast

I had a lot of fun being side-by-side with Mike Emery in the TWMX cubicles and on the road, but like most things, it’s taken being a few years removed to see how much I learned from the time. Emery’s work, with its creativity, quality,  and quick turnaround time, was mind blowing to see firsthand and it’s no surprise that he’s now reasonable for a large majority of the images you see each weekend (Align Media’s client list includes Feld, Pro Motocross, Racer X, Fox Racing, Honda, and the KTM Group). 

It’s great to still work alongside Mike at the races, especially now as we go deeper into adulthood with families and home bases back East.

Motocross of Nations Kickstart Recap & Gallery

The 2022 MXON weekend was one of those all-time moments in life, professionally and personally. The excitement for the race of all races, with the return to RedBud after 2018’s mudder and assignment by the AMA to follow the three-man effort of Tomac-Sexton-Cooper, was made all the better by the fact that it was a five-hour family road trip with Megan and Ezra. The weekend with so many of our friends, made possible by the Euro’s break-filled schedule, and the chaos of the crowd, was enough to convince her that seeing one in another country is a must.