2NR: When were your first X Games?
Dave: Its first year, back when it was just Extreme Games in 1995. I think they only had a vert contest for skateboard, inline and BMX . . .
Travis: . . . They had extreme bungee jumping . . .
2NR: Word?
Dave: [laughs] That was in '96.
Travis: 1999 was my first. It was the first year X Games introduced motocross racing.
2NR: How many X Games medals do each of you hold?
Dave: I think I have a total of . . . nine more than Travis. [laughter]
Travis: I only count the Golds! [more laughter]
Dave: OK--the Golds, I have six more than Travis. [laughter] No, it's actually five.
Travis: Come on, don't undersell me, man! [laughs] I have 14 Golds, but Dave's the all-time gold medalist.
2NR: How many do you have, Dave?
Dave: 23 total. 14 gold . . . it should've been 15 but I got robbed. [laughter]
Travis: I know I only have nine Golds, but these two [pointing to Dave and Ken] are splitting bronze medals in Rally. They're just handing them out, now. [laughter]
2NR: Prior to rally, what's the one feat you're each most proud of?
Travis: Winning the Outdoor National Championship and Motocross of Nations when I was 16. At the time, I was the youngest person to win the Outdoor National Championship and to represent Team U.S.A.
Ken: The accomplishment of building a brand like DC. I'm very lucky, but I worked really hard and it's something I'm really proud of.
Dave: . . . And now he has the option to wreck as many cars as he wants to. [laughter] For me, it goes back to my youth. I grew up in a really small town in upstate New York, and looking back, it's crazy that I was able to pursue something that wasn't considered a sport or a future. Teachers, students and people in general are so afraid of thinking outside of the box that they will knock you down for trying something different. I had a Sixth grade teacher make fun of me in class, saying things like, "Does your bike have streamers or a horn?" They ended up interviewing that teacher years ago and he remembered the whole thing. So to be able to become successful in BMX, despite of all those factors, is something I'm proud of.
2NR: Why the transition to rally racing?
Travis: Rally racing is like motocross with a roll cage. I had a tendency to crash a lot on two wheels, and every time I was hurt, I would drive go-karts and cars, which sort of lead to rally racing. I love motocross, and the sliding and jumping while racing, and rally was the closest form of motorsports I could relate to. I have ADHD and I get bored real quick, so I had a hard time with circuit racing. I loved the racing aspect, but when it came to actually driving the courses, I wasn't precise enough. In rally, you're constantly coming over a crest, full drift, launching off jumps, not knowing what's on the other side. You're on snow or mud, and the conditions are constantly changing--all of which I find challenging.
Ken: I've always been into motorsports and cars. I've tried karting and circuit racing, and there isn't anything like rally. Like Travis, it goes back to my love for motocross--being on the dirt, sliding and jumping. I've been getting into time attack and I really enjoy driving the course, but I get bored after a while. Playing with the fine line of traction on the same corner over and over . . . there're only so many times I can do it. In a rally course, I love the unknown. Even if you drive a stage a few times, there are hundreds of corners and you don't see one enough to hit it perfect, and that's what makes it fun. When you're going flat-out and battling for tenths of a second over ten-mile stages, it's pretty scary. And if you're not scared, that means you're not going fast enough.
Dave: The transition has been completely different. BMX is physical, while rally is mental. But at the end of a day of both, I'm exhausted. While I'm not quite at the level in rally that I was in BMX, it's been awesome.