Jan/Feb - Florida Ride or Die Magazine Issue #16

Donovan McLean was born on September 19, 1993 in Kingston, Jamaica. At the age of six, he moved to Miami, Florida with his family. Having a love for dirt bikes and motorcycles, he began his dangerous and rewarding career as a stunt performer. His “stage name” is Marly Wizz.

“I’ve been riding since I was 13 years old on and off. My first bike was a Katana 600. I fell plenty of times but my goal of becoming a professional stunt rider is something I accomplished and I am proud of. I have appeared in movies, traveled to numerous islands and actually been to Paris. I’ve met many important people and a question they always ask is why do I ride? My answer is when I’m riding I feel free with no problems and no stress. Nothing bothers me as the only thing I am thinking about is the motorcycle. It keeps me out of trouble! My advice to new riders is do it because you actually love riding … not just because you want to impress girls or get a

lot of social media followers. This can be very dangerous as I personally have injuries that will never fully heal”, he said.

Along with riding his CBR 600 bike, Marly Wizz has appeared in many major music videos and has worked with countless underground artists and well known stars like DJ Khalid and Kingston’s own Vybz Kartel. He appeared on Steve-O’s “Bucket List Tour” and can also be seen riding in Rick Ross’ “Buy The Block Back” documentary.

Marley often returns to his island roots and rides in bike shows throughout the Caribbean including Saint Lucia, Saint Martin and the Cayman Islands. To learn more about this amazing man check out his social media and YouTube platforms: @marlywizz.

LIONS AND SHEEP

The Brian Bill Foundation

It has become quite evident to me there are two kinds of people out there; sheep and lions. Sheep are sheep and we all know what happens if they are left on their own or worse, leading others from their “safe space” mentality being the prey they are. In the case of lions, I don’t think I need to describe how badass and critically important they are to the survival of their tribe. These beasts are not to be messed with by forces outside of their tribes. They will shred the enemy mercilessly at any cost to protect and preserve. Thing is, like sheep, even lions have their weak days and need to be tended to. Our Special Forces and military service men and women

are very much the lions that protect us all (their tribe). When they come back home to us, the tribe (we) should surround them with care and tend to their wounds.

The Special Operations Forces community of active duty and veterans has and continues to make significant personal sacrifices above and beyond the call of duty to protect our freedom. Our tribe. These warriors are left with invisible wounds of war; post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain and desperately need our assistance in their recovery. Roughly 22 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide according to the *Department of Veterans Affairs.

Special Operations Forces play a significant role in U.S. military operations and, in recent years, have been given greater responsibility for planning and conducting worldwide counterterrorism operations. U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has about 80,000 Active Duty, National Guard, and reserve personnel from all four services and Department

of Defense civilians assigned to it’s headquarters.

The USSOCOM Care Coalition’s mission is to provide Special Operations Warriors and their families a model advocacy program in order to enhance their quality of life and increase special operations readiness. The Brian Bill Foundation (brianbillfoundation. org) is a therapeutic nonprofit that works closely with the Care Coalition and Naval Special Warfare.

The Brian Bill Foundation’s Warrior Healing Program begins with individual four-day therapeutic retreats for Special Operations Forces active duty, veterans and their spouses who have been deployed since 911 and as a result have mild traumatic brain injuries, combat post-traumatic stress and chronic pain. Their Warrior Healing Program includes the opportunity to learn about and try cutting edge therapeutic modalities such as Equine Assisted Learning, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, yoga, meditation, breathing techniques, iRest and nutrition. The retreats are for eight warriors or six couples focused on a team-centric approach, made up of those who share common backgrounds and experiences. These factors are key

to the Warrior Healing Program’s success, as is the fact that participation is confidential.

The Brian Bill Foundation pays for all of the expenses of the program for each participant, including airfare, room, meals, treatment and therapies. The foundation provides therapeutic support to Special Operations Forces active duty, veterans and their spouses through 5 day, all-inclusive and fully funded retreats. The Foundation was established to honor the memory of Navy SEAL Brian R. Bill, a member of Naval Special Warfare Development Group and all of his fellow Special Operations Warriors who have died in service to their nation since the onset of hostilities after 9/11/2001. With Christmas behind us all now being I believe one of the most emotional time of the year for many, I cannot think of a better time to write about an organization truly geared to tend to provide healing and hope for our lions, our warriors.

In speaking with Brian’s dad (Scott Bill), he spoke as only a proud and loving father would. Brian loved motorcycling and was an exceptional man – A Navy SEAL, Special Operations Warrior, loving son and brother. He died fighting to protect our freedom. Brian’s helicopter was blown to pieces in Afghanistan shot by the enemy’s RPG. All aboard lost their lives. Leading

to that, Scott noticed Brian having nightmares, pain, fear and all sorts of emotional indicators revealing PTSD. That’s when he started the foundation.

General Dave Scott, one of the several reputable board members of the foundation and retired from the military, is the owner of Bad Monkey (www. badmonkeyybor.com) in Ybor/ Tampa Florida. The place is very military and motorcycle orientated/themed. There is a life-sized painting of Brian on the wall before you go up the stairs. Bad Monkey Bar is dedicated to those who serve their country and/or community. You will know you are at the right place when you see 6 full sized 105 mm howitzer shells sitting on the bar with craft beer taps sticking out of them, as well as a full-sized “Flying Tigers” P-40 Warhawk crashing through the wall overhead. I highly recommend you pay a visit and most importantly, pay your respect with gratitude

for sacrifices made by our lion warriors.

When all is said and done I can’t help but to reflect. Have I been a lion or a sheep lately? Do I want to be a lion or a sheep? Do I want to retreat in a “safe space” or do I want to be dangerous to the enemy for the sake of my children’s future? How do I do that? Have I honored our military in some way? Have I paid my respect? I have said thank you in any way shape or form to them? Well I am doing part of it right here and right now.

My charge to my one or two readers out there is; what about you? Do you know someone with or related to someone with PTSD from special forces? Let them know they can live life fully and that there is help. Thing that got my attention in part about the foundation is the possibilities for couples retreat. Although it is only for military special forces, I can definitely

see this type of retreat being massively beneficial for civilian couples as well to help them see their problems are minuscule compared to the problems of others! I would love to observe the interaction between a Special Ops couple and a civilian couple sharing their testimonials with each other. I bet the civilians would leave quite humbled!

On this note I want to wish every single one of you a year 2023 with health, peace, lower gas prices, lower inflation, secured borders, honored appreciated and healing veterans as well as a resolved renewed sense national unity and of individual worth. Your reading my words means the world to me. I do hope some of these words help in some small way to inspire a few good lions and a few good sheep to become lions.

Photos: Brian Bill Foundation

Hello, I’m Nicole, I am 28 years old, originally from Puerto Rico and now currently living in Florida. I ride a Benelli 2022 and named her La Baby. I have been riding for less than a year and my first bike was my dirt bike from my cousin when I was like 10 years old. My dream bike is the KTM Duke!

When my husband passed away I needed something to help me free my mind and enjoy life! Riding just makes me feel free, sexy and it helps me relax. So when I have those horrible frustrating days, you know what I do! Plus riding with a community helps you connect and create relationship with other Amazing people. (Thank God I have never fallen from a bike!)

I say, Enjoy the ride! And when you have a dream just make it happen, no matter what! Keep your head up and don’t let nobody take you down! Just be happy and do what you love.

follow me! Insta: nickyleopardo15 Facebook: Nicole.perez.7927

VIP All Around Services is a family inspired company. The Perez family has dedicated over 40 years to the construction industry. These skills have been passed down from generation to generation. Our family company has made a name for its self in several city’s including Jacksonville Fl, Rochester NY and Puerto Rico.

My name is Reginald Carney, I’m 22 years old and I am from New Orleans, Louisiana. I’ve been riding since the summer of 2020 and I got interested in riding after watching the older dudes ride! It looked like fun and I decided that was what I wanted to do. My first bike was a 07’ Honda CR85. My dream bike is a TRX450er and a 23’ Monster YZ450. My bike is named Kandy and it is sweet!

I ride for the rush and to clear my mind. Yes, I’ve fallen plenty of times but I never give up!

One of my goals is to ride across the world and get paid for doing it. I have a custom graphic kit that was created by my sponsor @

wrappedoutgrhyx. My bike features a Full Dasa Racing Exhaust, low profile tires, deadlock rims and custom powder coat by @powder_labz.

Some advice and words of encouragement I would give other riders is to never give up … no matter how challenging things may be. You are your biggest critic so never let your mind discourage you … you can do it! You can find me on Instagram @4fif_reg.

Photo credit by /SIG

COVER STORY

Ten-year old Julio Santana III is known all over the world as YouTube and Instagram sensation BabyDBlocks with over 1 million followers and growing. He lives with his family in upstate New York.

His love to ride began at the age of two when he begged his father to take the training wheels off his bicycle. As soon as the training wheels came off, he began to ride. At the age of three, he started watching YouTube videos of New York City’s infamous cyclist RR DBlocks. He began working hard to try to copy his bike tricks and started doing wheelies. With the blessing of RR DBlocks he soon took on the name BabyDBlocks. He would love getting

on his dad’s big motorcycle and dirt bikes so he got his first motor bike, a 2000 Honda CRF50 with training wheels, at the age of three. Immediately he showed great balance so the training wheels came off.

Over the past six years, his dad has built his Instagram page to document his bike skills and his journey. Many can’t believe that he can actually wheelie such big bikes. Every video of him riding and wheeling huge bikes has gone viral.

He was the first nineyear old to wheelie a Harley Davidson (thanks to his dad and uncle Shane). He now has his own Harley, dyno-tuned and all set up for him at 72 pounds to put on one wheel. When some of his sponsors and supporters saw the video of him on the Harley, they were so blown away that they had a customized Harley Davidson built just for him. The bike includes parts from Bassani, Legends Suspension, Lucky Daves, Hulten Speed Sports, and a few big local shops like Capitol Customs, Ronnie’s Motorsports, and Quinn’s Custom Coatings.

In 2022, his video

riding a kx250 on one wheel was featured on MTV’s Ridiculousness and he’s been featured on World Star. He is currently preparing and practicing for a Guinness world record.

The first time falling off a bike was around the age of three. The throttle stuck and he ran into a parked car. Since then, he has only fallen a few times. Last year was the only time he broke a bone. He was trying to hop off a big bike, slipped on gravel and landed on his ankle. Two days later, he was making videos riding wheelies with a cast on.

His entire family rides, including his parents, brother and four sisters. Besides his family, his biggest supporters and teachers are his uncles, Shane and Markee.

BabyDBlocks has his own

brand name, “Start Em Young”, because his journey began at a young age. His merchandise includes t-shirts, hoodies, stickers, keychains and posters, designed by Nabi Syed.

He has a very busy travel schedule, receiving several invitations a year to appear as a special guest for events all around the country. He also loves surprising his fans at birthday parties and other special events. When he travels, other young riders in the community are often invited to join him. This gives them the opportunity to go outside of their local area and meet others, young and old, who share their love of riding.

This is the reason that BabyDBlocks now has his own bus. His dad purchased a mini school bus and thanks to Jesse, Capital Customs, the bus is custom built inside with bench seating, 40-inch TV, custom stereo system, back up camera, a train horn and room for several bikes. His dad, who is an airbrush artist and custom painter, took care of the outside with the help of his uncle Markee and Gonzalez Auto Repair.

BabyDBlocks rides a 2005 Harley Davidson, 2022 Honda 150RB, a 2017 KX65, a 2019 KTM 125, Surron Light Bee Ebike and his new dream bike gifted by his mom, a 2023 YZ125. All of his dirt bikes have custom graphics and are one-of-a-kind designed for him by one of his sponsors, The Wrap Junkies.

He’s been taught to always stay humble and let your talent and hard work

speak for you. Always be willing to speak to your fans and the ones that look up to you. He’s learned from personal experience to never push a person away that may be excited to meet you because it hurts.

He works hard and loves the feeling of just being on one wheel. He knows to never give up on your dreams no matter who tells you that riding a bike won’t amount to anything.

He has multiple sponsors both local and nationwide who believe in his dream to ride: Gonzalez Auto Repair, Ronnies, Capitol Customs (Jesse), Icon, Lucky Daves, Hulten Speed Sports, Dirt Bike Kidz Clothing , GBNY, Bikestrike, Absolute Airbrush Designs, The Wrap Junkies, Collective Bikes, Built eBikes of Florida, Kareless, NLB MX Racing and Sin City Lids.

My Harley Quinn © For Valentine

She is no bougie diva but she can sure master playing the part. She laughs at meaningless peddlers of flesh, silicone and bo-tox. Her class and elegance are her most lethal weapons. We are each other’s lifeline of inspiration. She is part of my soul. The part that tells my ego to shut up and choke. If she needed my blood I would slice my wrist for her survival. She would do the same for me. I am her clumsy beast. She is my beauty. My Harley Quinn.

She seizes my imagination. I breath again just looking at her. I see her. She is my symphony. She is my “Moonlight Sonata”. I hear her. She is the one that

gives me the strength to let her go peacefully even if she was to not love me back. It’s ok. She is connected to the living Creator. We hear Him through each other. Rain or shine, we can dance. We are as close to heaven, angels and God Himself when we are next to each other. 10,000 dates don’t come close to being with her. Time and space are insignificant to our bond. We are each other’s madness and each other’s wisdom. She is my fire. She is my water. She is the oxygen in my air. She is ruthless. She is fierce. She is also the sweetest heart. What else about her brings life to the alpha protector in me? Her virtues, her self-respect, her self-control, manners, listening skills, kindness, confidence, and solid healthy boundaries to name a few. She has no need to advertise herself. We feel purpose protecting and guarding our bond. I am safe with her. She is safe with me.

master. Demons fear her. They whisper to me “surely she will abandon you and crush your heart”. They know even if she was to abandon me, I would still thrive. I am my own and she knows it. She is her own and I know it. I “cleaned my room” as Dr. Peterson would prescribe and I keep it clean! We put our worth in the depth of our awareness. Not in the visible.

By: Florida Night Train

www.facebook.com/floridanighttrain IG: florida_night_train 323 Photography Studio courtesy of Icicles.Com

I have silently called her for a lifetime. I looked for her through a maze of souls. I thought they were her only to find they were all part of my journey towards her. I bless these souls for what they shared with me leading me to her. She is my tower to climb. She is my mountain to conquer. She is my “Daenerys Stormborn” and dragon

She is my muse. I am her warrior. She kicks my ass when I need it. I have her back and she trusts that when I call her BS it is because I love her. We answer to one King. We are not superior or inferior to each other or to anyone else. We are by each other’s side. We are not in competition. We conquer together. We build each other up. We lift each other up. Her beauty so blinding my soul feels the fingerprints of divinity within her. My inspiration for her fuels my heart with purpose. She is my mountain. She is my tower. She is my crazy. She is my peace. She is my kryptonite. She is happy with a wedding band. Not a diamond in the world and not a castle is her concern. She wants the diamonds of my heart. The rough, the impure and the clearest ones all together. She fearlessly smiles at my scars. She points towards wars I won rather than

Photos: 323 Photography Studio courtesy of Florida Night Train Models: Krista Grotte Saxon on Youtube: “polestuntinwithkrista” and Florida Night Train

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reminding me of battles I lost getting here. She makes me want to bear all her wounds. We are resilient. We create life and pleasures of life for those around us by serving each other and others. We forgive and we inspire to forgive. We do not judge. All are safe with her. She is self-aware. Together we are far less toxic than the multitude of self-proclaimed saints. We seek knowledge together. We relentlessly pursue growth. We see beauty where most fail to. We don’t need to numb our pain. We embrace what it wants to teach us. Hurricane? No problem. I will stand by her side and cover her. I will take her through the highest winds and storms to see her smile so angels can hear her laughter. I fear not her weakest moments. I stand by her shielding her from demonic arrows of the most evil ones. We don’t listen to “respond” to each other. We patiently

listen to “understand” each other. We own our mistakes, we deal with it and we leave it in the past. We make no excuses. She is the one I call in my darkest hours. I am the one she calls in her most vulnerable times.

So who is your Harley Quinn you will say? Well, that’s a good question. I don’t know. Not sure. I wonder. Maybe I’m looking at her and I can’t see her.

Maybe she is next to me and she does not yet see me. Maybe she does and is waiting for me to see her? Maybe I met her and lost her? Maybe I met her and she lost me? Maybe we’re just both in different countries or space and about to cross paths? Either way I’m good with whatever. If she however happens to read this, know dear one that I am here standing by and I wish you the most amazing valentine. I am thankful for you and how you have inspired my dreams. I’m fine with or without you, you are fine with or without me and that is beautiful! Bottom-line here is, hurry up so we can freaking ride this life without ever looking back!

Hi, I’m Rebekah Nuñez. I’m 42 years old, from Puerto Rico and currently living in Jacksonville, FL. I ride a 2006Harley Davidson Sportster 883. I been riding a year. What called my attention is women in general they look badass. I also love the noise and adrenaline. So, I gave it a shot and it worked. I was hooked.

My first bike is my 883. My dream bike will be a street bob or hayabusa Why do I ride? First because is the best therapy ever once you feel that wind everything feels different you feel free you feel amazing your soul is happy, also my son I have a 18 year old autistic son. His name is Melvin. He loves seeing his mom ride he said he is proud of me. Thanks to him I did the first

autism run in April 2022 he was in it because he said he wanted to ride. He wanted to be in it and wanted me riding beside him. So I did and ever since then, riding a bike is another world and my passion.

My piece of advise for fellow riders, ladies and gentlemen 2 wheel riding is a wind therapy always respect your machine and do what you love and very important Get home safe .

Follow me on Facebook at Rebekah N Garcia

Julien Gasca was born July 2003 in sunny San Diego, CA. He was raised in a military family, both mom and dad were serving in the Navy. Dad served 15 yrs. and Mom recently retired after 22 yrs. in the Navy. Julien has a brother, Joaquin, who also helps him with giving back to the homeless. Julien has lived pretty much everywhere from Florida, California, Rhode Island, Texas, and Japan due to his parents’ service. He now calls Florida home (at least for now). Julien has always had a giving heart and since the age of 10 yrs. old, he collected his birthday and Christmas money and buy food for the local homeless people in the city. At that same age, that’s where Julien discovered his love for drawing as well as collecting shoes. One day while we were living in Rhode Island, his dad mentioned to him “you should draw on your backpack, whatever you want to practice your drawing skills”. And he did just that. He drew over a plain white backpack and his love grew from there. During quarantine in 2020, his dad came up to him and said “juju, you should combine your drawing skills and your love for shoes and come up w something different”. So, he did, and he drew a rainbow bright shoe, the cute 1980s cartoon on a Walmart shoe. From there, his ideas and drawings came together and before you knew it, he sold his first pair of customized shoes “Lil Uzi Vert” in 20 minutes after posting it on Instagram. To date, Julien has sold over 200 pairs of customized shoes AND has also donated over $3,000 of his profits to the less fortunate. With each purchase of a customized shoe, a portion goes to purchasing items for the less fortune; items you and I take for granted because it’s available to us, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, everyday necessities along with a pair of shoes, t-shirt, and depending on the weather, Beenie or blanket. Julien has also given customized shoes to 12 students in 2 different schools in El Paso, Texas. He recently finished and donated 4 pairs of customized shoes to the Children’s Hospital and one pair to a little girl with brain cancer. His dream is to one day, give the whole school and hospital a pair of customized shoes and to spread the word of giving back to those less fortunate. Julien said “my mission is to bring awareness to our youth that you are never too young or too old to giving back to those in need and to inspire those to use their talents to give back.” Julien currently runs his shoe customizing and apparel business; Custom Kicks by King while attending college full time.

Hi, my name is Rick Danford. I’m a Writer/Director out of New Port Richey, Florida and I’m here to tell you a little about where I’ve come from and where I’m going. So, sit back, pour yourself a cold one and enjoy.

I was born in Flushing, New York before my family loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly…I mean Florida. I had a crazy youth, as have many before me. But, at the end of the day, the one thing I’ve always had is the love and support of my family.

My earliest thoughts of what I wanted to become when I got older were of me wanting to be a stuntman. I remember seeing Burt Reynolds in the movie Hooper and next thing I knew I was throwing myself off the couch. But that was short lived as I could see myself as an actor. I loved performing in front of the TV and I did the occasional school play. I went to High school at Thomas Jefferson High in Tampa and on the weekends my friends and I would always go to see the midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at University Square Mall. We would sit in the front row and stand up in our seats and turn to the audience to act out certain parts. Eventually we started bringing others with us and they let us stand in front of the screen and this became our thing every Friday and Saturday night for a while.

As I got older, I found the love of writing. I started with stories about almost anything and I then progressed to

screenwriting. My very first screenplay was for a film called, The Web of Darkness. I worked with a couple of guys who told me they would handle everything behind the camera so I can just work with the actors to get my vision across as I had never made a film before, so I had no idea what I was doing. Well, as it turned out, neither did they. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did…TWICE! I managed to bring in Legendary FX Master, Tom Savini and Legendary Scream Queen Brinke Stevens for the film. We suffered every set back you could think of and then some but managed to finish the movie somehow. That experience was a true, ‘Film School in a Bottle’ so to speak.

Since then, I have gone on to write several Award-Winning Short Films in multiple genres, animated episodes, stories and even comics. I created a Horror Radio Show called, No Sleep Tonight when Covid hit, and everyone was in lockdown. After the restrictions lifted, we got right back on set.

I have recently revived a DVD Horror Anthology series I created back in 2001 called The Nightmare Collection. I recruited the amazingly talented model and actress, Krista GrotteSaxon to star as our undead hostess, Necro Nancy and she has now slipped seamlessly back into the role after 22 years for The Nightmare Collection Volume II. The wrap around segment we shot with Krista and Brinke Stevens just premiered at the Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival and took down the BEST HORROR FILM Award!

2023 is shaping up to be my biggest year ever as I have two sequels to a very popular Halloween Fan Film we recently did called, Halloween: Death Walks

Among Us, a Child’s Play Fan Film called, Legion of Chucky and then a paranormal horror feature film called, The Clock I am very excited about! So look out Hollywood! Here I come!

Here are some photos of me and my family, my two kids; Brandon and Jessica and one of Krista filming NCII.

2 RIDENOW ® LOCATIONS IN JACKSONVILLE FIND ONE NEAR YOU

SCANTOFIND ALOCATION

Side-by-Side (SxS) models are recommended for use only by operators 16 years and older with a valid driver’s license. Always wear your seat belt, helmet, eye protection and protective clothing. Yamaha recommends that all Side-by-Side riders take an approved training course. For Side-by-Side safety and training information, see your dealer or call the ROHVA at 1-866-267-2751. Read the Owner’s Manual and the product warning labels before operation. Avoid excessive speeds and never engage in stunt riding. Always avoid paved surfaces and never ride on public roads. And be particularly careful on difficult terrain. Never ride under the influence of alcohol or other drugs; it is illegal and dangerous.

My name is Julissa. I am a 31-year-old breast cancer survivor. I am originally from Yabucoa, Puerto Rico. I currently reside in Jacksonville, FL. I ride ATV’s, off road bikes and street legal bikes. I now own a Hayabusa and a DRZ400. My Hayabusa is stretched. New chain installed, after market extensions and has been lowered 1.5 inches. It has gone through many upgrades, and I plan to expand on those as time goes on. My DRZ400 will arrive next year with its customization. I have been riding since I was 11 years old. I finally ventured on to open highways and city streets about 2 years ago. Growing up my father always had motorcycles, which is where my interest in bikes originated from. I had a street scooter 150 cc when I was 11 years old, and it all started from there. Starting in my twenties I grew up to admire other women on Hayabusa’s or sports motorcycles and I knew I would own one day. Although it came with pain and sacrifice having these two bikes are my dream come true. I inherited my Hayabusa from my father when he passed away. So, it’s a bittersweet feeling. I thank God that I have never fallen. Every time I ride, I pray that my fellow riders arrive home safely as well. I love to ride because in my opinion riding on 2 wheels is a special unique sensation. Riding is truly an amazing thing to experience in life. I would

advise other riders to always be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to other drivers. As motorcyclists we are often in the blind spot of other vehicles. If we can prevent any accidents caused by this; it would provide us with a safer life to enjoy the passion of riding motorcycles.

Instagram: jul_issa_90 Facebook: Eiiluj Bruno

In memory of my Dad Juan B Bruno Morales

Everybody used to call him Bruno

Amber D “Dynamite” Stemple - Yes, my middle initial does start with a D :))) I am 34! The older sister of three kids, I have two younger brothers, my forever ride or dies. I have 3 kids as well, 12, 9, and 6. Wife to the damn best man I could ever hope to share my life with, and they are all my WHY. For as long as I’ve known I’ve had someone looking up to me.

I am from the 305! Born in the county of Dade ha-ha, but yes originally Miami, and slowly migrated up throughout Florida. I grew up in Melbourne, FL, and in my Junior year of HS at Eau Gallie High, joined the ARMY, did my Basic training to become a soldier before I graduated HS and found my current home in Jacksonville, before deploying to Iraq in 07-08. I’ve been a soldier, mom and wife since.

I ride a 2019 Indian Scout Bobber, AKA Betty White, my freedom horse haha. No customizations as of yet, I have a few upgrades on my Christmas wish! I’ve been riding for just over a year now! I’ve worked around motorcycles for a few years now and my husband rode when I met him 10 years ago. I had always wanted to ride just never took the leap to get on twos until really, I started being in the motorcycle community more. I had sat on bikes over the past 3 years while working at RideNow Jacksonville and When I saw Betty White come in as a trade, I instantly knew I had to have her. I had always wanted to ride, riding was never a priority, when I was going to ride, I worked full time and had to drive 3 kids daily to school. Why spend thousands on something that I was going to be able to spend minimal time on. It seemed selfish. But the more I was around riders, the freedom they all talked about was like a dream, too good to be true. It seemed like fate, as I just hosted one of my first events as marketing manager, for Fallen Riders, and heard stories of riders riding for those who

anymore. Riders riding after seeing a loved one taken right before their eyes. I felt a calling I hadn’t since my years in the military to push past fear and excuses and ride for more than just myself, ride for them.

I have not wrecked but I have dropped ole betty a time or two. I know its apart of the riding journey. It is a big fear of mine wrecking, whether due to my own lack of experience or the fact that there are so many vehicles on the road not paying attention. But the more I ride the more in control I feel, and the more I find that freedom they talk about and I feel confident in myself on twos. Riding a motorcycle has also made me a better driver and citizen. I pay more attention to what’s going on around me, which in turn means I can prevent something from happening. I am constantly on alert while driving and I think that’s the problem with distracted drivers. You are actively creating the opportunity for an accident to happen. In the majority of car/ motorcycle accidents, you hear the car driver say,

I didn’t see them. I looked down for a second. That’s all it takes. So when we say Look Twice Save A Life We mean it. You can literally save a life, a mother’s, father’s, son’s, daughter’s, life by being less distracted while driving.

When I think about goals, it’s kind of intimidating. I feel like I wear so many hats, it makes for a lot to think about when it comes to goals. I’ve got to balance life as a full time working mom of 3, that always comes first. But I am also one of the many women that lost myself in some way to being a mother and what I am supposed to look like in that role. I can say in my career after the military, which molded me before motherhood, I found a passion to ride in a male dominated career field that I am now thriving amongst daily struggles because I have been given the opportunity to make a difference in our community. I don’t take that lightly. In a disconnected world, we tend to forget we as humans have a basic need of feeling connected, but when you’re in a group of bad ass biker guys and gals and you hear heartfelt stories of struggles and trials, loss... Heartache, and triumph, you can see how much we need this. I want more of that. I ride for myself, It’s the only time I truly feel disconnected from the world. I mean you have to be paying attention to stay alive. I ride for those who are afraid to ride, I want to be seen on my motorcycle enjoying the fuck out of life and focused on ourself for more than just a moment. I hope to encourage more women to ride. Ride a motorcycle, ride a jet ski, ride an ATV or a dirt-bike. Lastly, I ride for those who will never ride again. I may not have been riding for long but I can say I am pushed to ride more and spread awareness to the fact that motorcycles are not respected as they should be on the roadways today and it is costing lives.

I could try to convince you about how to gain sponsorships… or I could just tell you my story. I am a regular guy with a regular life but I saw value in my abilities so I took a humble approach to create a platform. My platform, Why Not Ride, was created to educate and entertain, not to uplift myself. It was not created so people could live vicariously through me but to learn from me so my audience, too, can pursue happiness and success on a motorcycle. What better way to learn than from an anecdote from a normal dude like me?

I remember when I was sitting in my living room trying to think of a name for my platform– I would tell

THE EVOLUTION How Do You Get Sponsors

and you are good to go. After that video I realized that if I am going to fly blind and trudge this moto-world alone, I don’t want anyone to have to do this alone ever again. And so it began, I started posting videos on everything I was learning. Brand reviews, install videos, riding techniques, etc.. And to this day, 297 posts

later, I have not changed one bit. So I know you’re wondering, “Well… How did you get sponsors?” Unlike most people, I know my worth, and when you have 36 followers you don’t have much to offer. So I did what any logical person would do. I would buy products and review them on my page. I

you how that happened but that’s a story for another day–immediately when I created Why Not Ride I had to make a choice, what was the theme of my page? What did I want to accomplish? From my humble beginnings I didn’t know much about motorcycles.

I couldn’t do a wheelie, I couldn’t drag my knee, I couldn’t even change my oil. Sitting on those thoughts made me realize something… Most riders come from my EXACT perspective. They don’t know anything about motorcycles but they love them and want to learn. So what better way to learn than to bring my followers along for the ride, no pun intended.

The very first video I posted was an install video of Puig Bar Ends. A simple bolt swap

spent THOUSANDS of dollars doing this before I got my first sponsorship.

Enter NBT Clothing. Nick Urso is a visionary, an avid moto-head and the owner of NBT Clothing (nbtclothing. com). When I had about 750 followers Nick saw something in me that no one else saw. He saw a rising star and he wanted to help me. He sent me a pair of aramid lined riding pants with knee pads. I reviewed the pants and the video was a smash! NBT Clothing has exploded into one of the top casual riding apparel brands in the country, featured by RideClutch and Harley Davidson stores alike. Between NBT Clothing and the other brands I work with now, they all started from a small idea and that idea only works if you stick to your plan and stay the course.

The sponsorship lifeline goes like this: You buy the products and review them, you are sent products and review them, you are sent products and paid to review them and finally you are

representing the company as a spokesperson for their brand. I urge you, do not be arrogant enough to believe that you are above this lifeline. If you want to get sponsors you must provide value to the organization. After hundreds of posts and reviews I have created a niche for myself that allows me to review products and educate my audience on buy guides, fitting guides, install instructions/videos, etc.. My audience trusts me because I have never and will never uplift a brand because I am paid to do so. I do not care about the money, I only care about the truth. When you work hard enough and long enough you even get to write articles for magazines to tell people your story… Ironic isn’t it?

ZACK

If you want a chance at getting companies to send you products and represent their brand you need to remember some rules and regulations:

1) Know your worth (be realistic) 2) Avoid profanity and illegal activity posted on social media 3) Provide value to the organizations 4) Be consistent in both quality and quantity 5) Uphold integrity and post only truth, regardless of the dollar amount tied to it

Zack is a motorcycle rider with a dream but he’s more publicly known by his social media alias @whynot_ride. At age 26 he has collected 8 years of street riding experience on sport bikes ranging from 300cc-1000cc. His social media presence really took off collecting 55k followers on instagram and 275k on tiktok in less than 18 months. His 4k quality videos coupled with a combination of viral dances, educational videos and brand reviews quickly drew the attention of a variety of lifestyle and motorcycle brands alike.

Currently Whynot_ride is working with Vortex Racing, Cardo Systems, NBT Clothing, Attack Performance, New Rage Cycles, Quadlock, JW Coatings, Monster Fairings, Motivation USA, SC Project, Born Primitive, Flow and many others in the works.

For more information please see the links and handles below. Like, subscribe and follow!

IG @whynot_ride

TikTok @whynot_ride

Youtube: Why Not Ride Clothing: wickedsquidclothing.com

My name is Alexis, most know me as REDD, I am 22 years and currently living in Bradenton with my 3 beautiful children. I own a 2005 GSXR 600cc, her name is BLOSSUM. She is all white with powder coated pink rims and teal decals. I also ride a 2014 GSXR 1000cc, I named him AKUMA. He is matte black with carbon fiber decals and a hint of red... a bad mamajamma!!! I LOVE riding the 1000cc, but I 100% prefer the 600.

4 years ago, my close friends CHINO

the decision to start riding Joker was the one that taught me to ride. 6 months after learning to ride I was ready to purchase my first bike I was talking to Chino on the phone about the bike that I was thinking about buying. 30 minutes after speaking to Chino I received the worst news.

He was in a motorcycle accident. Before Chino had passed, I promised him that I was going to buy the bike in honor of him. The very next day I bought the bike and named her Blossum.

Blossom and I have been through

back roads with Joker and got better and better each time. We would go out east and practice my stop and go on the bike because I was afraid to stop and stall because of me not knowing my clutch that well.

In August 2019 I created SOLOGIRLZ an all-girls group. We enjoy the fact that we can be ourselves without the guys. I love to ride with my queens! It feels good to see all our sexy ladies on their own two wheels instead of always being backpacks. The goal of our group is to teach other female riders the key to safety and how to be the queens we are while doing it. We have a lot of big plans in store for our

ladies soon. To say the least we enjoy our dirt days, cookouts, random adventures, and much much more.

Advice to others:

~Ride your own pace!

~Never ride out of your comfort zone!

~Ride like nobody sees you!

~If they can’t see you, make them hear you!

Social Media:

~Facebook: Alexis Sumey

~Instagram: sgredd26

~TikTok: sgredd26