Polecat! The rebirth of X Games Step Up Legend Tommy Clowers

CORONA,
Calif., (July 28, 2011) – You
gotta hand it to the X Games – they’ve tried some pretty crazy
stuff over the years. From modified shovel racing to sky surfing,
they haven’t been afraid to throw stuff up against the wall and see
what sticks.
 

Tommy
Clowers

More
than a decade ago, back in 2000, somebody came up with the idea to,
more or less, high
jump
on motorcycles. A vertical dirt take-off ramp was carved into the
face of a massive dirt pile landing area and makeshift upright tower
structures were arranged on either side of the take-off – with a
bar set across the top, spanning the entire width of the jump and
able to be raised to some impressive heights. X Games would call the
then new event “Step Up” after the MX and FMX-style jump on
tracks or, more accurately, occurring in natural MX freeriding
settings at places like Ocotillo Wells (Calif.), Beaumont (Texas) and
Cainville (Utah).
 
During that first year a former pro
motocrosser-turned-FMXer, Tommy
“Tom Cat” Clowers,
stood out amongst the rest of the field in Step Up’s inaugural run
at the X Games. The San Diegan would ‘step up’ and dominate the
sport for the next four years, winning three consecutive times from
2000 to ’02 and again in ’05. Compact in stature and explosive as
a grenade, Clowers parlayed his formidable pro motocross skills into
volatile starts off the line and styled whips at the peak of his
flight – the result of which in that first year in 2000 was a jump
of 35 feet, straight up, a record that still stands to this
day.
 
Approaching his 39^th
birthday and admittedly well beyond his productive racing years,
Clowers formed TNT Action Sports with fellow MX/FMXer Jeff “Full
Tilt” Tilton a decade ago and have been producing and starring in
freestyle shows, the most recent running for a month at the
California State Fairgrounds in Sacramento.
 
Clowers
recently got the itch to see if you could still sail a dirt bike some
40 feet off an arena floor, again – straight up – in a comeback
of sorts at X Games 17. Clowers contacted Monster Energy and the dirt
bike-friendly beverage company was quick to come on board with
Clowers’ Step Up program for X17. Check it out.
 
Monster
Energy:Yeah,
Tommy. Great to see your name back associated with the X Games. Get
the Monster Army caught up on what you’ve been up to
lately.
 
Tommy
Clowers:I’ve
been doing some ramp-to-ramp shows for, shoot, like nine years now.
We’re at the California State Fair right now in Sacramento, 18 days
long and three shows a day – 3, 5 and 7 p.m. It’s one of the
biggest fairs going so it’s pretty cool.
 
Monster
Energy:Tilton
still got the best whip in the business?
 
Tommy
Clowers:Ah,
he’s not riding anymore. Just on the other side of things I guess –
the business side.
 
Monster
Energy:Right
on. What else have you been doing? We stalked you on your Facebook
page and it looks like you’ve got a wife and kids and all
that.
 
Tommy
Clowers:I
got married in 2005 to my wife Melissa and we’ve got two kids, our
daughter Avery who’s four-years old and a son, Cole, who’s
two-years old.
 
Monster
Energy:You
been riding much MX anymore … have to get a real job or
anything?
 
Tommy
Clowers:Not
yet (laughing about the ‘real job’ comment). Still riding and
running the shows. We’ve been doing a lot of stuff with the
military, this safety project called Semper
Ride.
Kind of a cool little safety movie we put together. Doing some
schools and ride days with the Marines, stuff like that. Spread the
word of safety a bit for the guys that just came back and bought
bikes. Doing some local motocross training, place where I’m at
riding a bunch – Barona Oaks (Calif.).
 

Tommy
Clowers

Monster
Energy:So
what motivated you to get back into the X Games?
 
Tommy
Clowers:I
guess when you haven’t been in it for a couple years … I just got
the itch to come back and see what I could do. And it’s a good
opportunity to keep yourself relevant. So, yeah, it’s a big deal to
get back in it nowadays. Before there was just a handful of riders
and we kind of did everything. Now there’s so many riders that a
lot don’t even get invited.
 
Monster
Energy:People
think of Step Up and they think of Tommy Clowers. That said, and
given that you’ve been out of it for several years now, what’s
different with the event since you first won in 2000 than what fans
are going to see this Thursday night?
 
Tommy
Clowers:There’s
not a whole lot different, really. I think the heights are similar.
But people do take it a lot more serious now than we did when it
first started. Guys are gearing their bikes for Step Up, where before
we’d get done with Freestyle and would be like ‘OK, let’s go do
Step Up’ – and not do a thing to our bikes. But we were still
getting the same heights, so I don’t know if all that mechanical
set up is even working (laughter). I guess the biggest change is the
advent of the 450s. They come off the line so strong – everybody
this year will be on a 450.
 
Monster
Energy:How
is that for a two-stroke guy such as yourself?
 
Tommy
Clowers:For
me it’s a little tough, as well as for the guys that ride
two-strokes all the time for ramp-to-ramp. I’m not that comfortable
jumping on a 450 for Step Up, but I think you’ve got to be on one
to compete.
 
Monster
Energy:You
still ride a two-stroke for motocross?
 
Tommy
Clowers:Yeah,
I do. That’s what I’m on most of the time and, to be honest, I
like two-strokes a lot. You have to ride ‘em and you get a good
workout on them. Four-strokes you can get a bit lazy on them. They’re
fun to ride, and they’re definitely better on tracks where you can
go faster, but I mean anymore I’m out there to get a workout and
I’m not trying to set the fastest times anymore.
 
Monster
Energy:What
do you think it was, Tommy, that made you so untouchable in the sport
from 2000 to 2005?
 
Tommy
Clowers:I
honestly think it was my motocross background more than anything.
There were a few guys that had some pro level motocross experience,
but most of the guys didn’t. So just coming off the line and being
able to come off smooth – on a two-stroke – that’s what it was
all about. A 450 coming off the line is not nearly as difficult as a
two-stroke – you just crack it and ride away. Not getting wheel
spin, getting a good drive and being able to control the bike – and
land from 30 feet in the air on a two-stroke was key. My days of
riding motocross, and riding spots like Palm Avenue (famous SoCal
cliff jumping spot) – places like that where I rode for fun as a
kid growing up is similar to what you’d do on the X Games Step
Up.
 
Monster
Energy:Have
you done anything to prepare for this Thursday at the Staples Center
… carved out a step up jump anywhere, started doing push-ups,
things like that?
 
Tommy
Clowers:Pala
(Raceway, Calif.) had one built and I hit that a bit, see how the 450
felt. But I’ve been up here (Sacramento) for the last three weeks
and haven’t been able practice step up at all.
Obligations!
 
Monster
Energy:Yeah,
buddy. Gotta make the doughnuts.
 
Tommy
Clowers:Yeah,
for sure. It’s kind of a bummer that everything falls on the same
month, but that’s just how it is and I’ll do the best I can with
it.
 
Monster
Energy:Mat
Buyten broke up your lock on the X Games gold in 2004, then you came
back and won again in 2005 – with 2008 being the last year you
competed. Buyten and Renner have been the guys to beat more recently.
Do you feel those two are the guys you’re going to have to go
through in order to snare a medal?
 
Tommy
Clowers:Definitely.
They’re both really good at it. Also, don’t overlook Myles
Richmond. He’s got the potential to be in there as well, along with
Todd Potter and (Brian) Deegan – both of those guys are
hit-or-miss. Bottom line is I think everyone in there has the
potential to win and that’s what’s cool about it. It’s
definitely not one of those events where you know the outcome before
the event starts.
 
Monster
Energy:What
height do you think will put you in the medals?
 
Tommy
Clowers:I’m
hoping we can get over 35 feet – the record I set in 2000. I know
we can for sure jump higher than that, I mean we saw that with
(Ricky) Carmichael. But even getting to that height you’ve still
got to get over that pole. So it’s not a matter of getting the
height sometimes as much as it is just finessing it over that pole,
and how the lip forms. A good lip that packs in hard and doesn’t
deteriorate will make for a good contest.
 
Monster
Energy:As
an athlete you’ve got a bitchin’ go anywhere, do anything –
watch anything X Games credential. Outside Step Up what other sports
do you like to check out at X?
 
Tommy
Clowers:All
the moto stuff, obviously. I also like the BMX Park stuff a lot. To
me that stuff’s amazing how their timing is, how they take off on
the lips – steep take-offs and landings. Very technical what they
pull in the air, and to land so smoothly is pretty amazing.
 
Monster
Energy:Right
on. Good to have you on board with the Monster Army for X 17,
Tommy!
 
Tommy
Clowers:Yeah,
I’m stoked to be able represent Monster at this. They’ve become a
great brand over the years and I’m pumped to be rockin’ the ‘M’
for X Games!