Hey everyone! Action sports has grown so much over the last 10 years, but there are still your old stick-and-ball diehards that feel what we do as action sport athletes is "not a sport." I definitely take that personal. I recently just had my 30th surgery, and in October had my 30th concussion that knocked me unconscious. You can't tell me, I don't work hard.

This is an interview I did with Lonie Paxton, 30, long snapper for the New England Patriots, to get his perspective on how action sports compares with professional football.


K-Rob: Being an NFL player, what draws you to action sports?
Paxton: I grew up in Southern California during the ‘80s and early ‘90s when action sports were starting to get exposure. Corona, Calif., was where I grew up and was the hot bed of BMX racing, dirt jump tracks and freestyle motocross. Skate boarding and surfing were big, but the dirt sports really took of where I lived. I raced BMX bikes for a few years prior to high school and all of my friends continued thru my college years and even until this day. Most of them progressed to dirt jumping and moto-cross, freestyle competitions and video production. I went on to college to play football and then the pros. We still keep in touch and follow each others careers.

You are a huge supporter of BMX. What are some of the things that are similar to the mainstream sports? 
To me, BMX is similar to mainstream sports because it instills dedication, accountability in ones actions, and a competitive spirit into anyone who gets on a bike. There is an inner drive on a rider to rider basis that needs no coaching and no rules. Each individual is different on how they prepare and celebrate, some humble, some "rockstarish", but all grateful for the blessings they've been given.

Is there anything in the action sports world that you wish you could bring to the NFL world?   
I would bring an industry wide insurance system and 401k programs to give these riders something they can fall back on if ever injured in their specific sport. You see riders and performers injuring themselves every contest because of the pressure of their sponsors and their inner drive to be innovative and progressive. Although when an injury occurs, where do the sponsors go? Where are the contest organizers? It has gotten a little better with the spinal paralysis injury to BMX rider Stephen Murray, but is nowhere near what the NFL is blessed with. It would also be nice to have no training camps, just show up and rock and roll like you guys...hahah

You have developed a unique bicycle, let’s talk about it and why?
My roommate, action sports athlete, and president of my foundation Brook Duquesnel and myself decided 6 years ago that we wanted to design and manufacture adaptive sports equipment. After Brook's accident, he was interested in a bike that had 4 wheels and was used in competitions in Canada and Japan. It was the early edition of our state of the art model 4-cross downhill mountain bike. (Check out the photo of Lonie on the bike below.) We have a foundation called www.activeforcefoundation.org.  We have used fund-raising and grants to manufacture these state of the art bikes and implement them into adaptive sports camps, donate pieces of equipment to numerous injured children, and create opportunities for injured soldiers returning from the Middle East. Our goal is to raise awareness of the injuries sustained in these sports, or life-changing events and have these people or kids return to a normal, active lifestyle through our bikes and other adaptive equipment.


Do you think a union would be beneficial to the action sports world?
A union would be the best thing action sports could do for themselves right now. There needs to be a standard upheld throughout your competitions, demos, tours and production shoots. The better the athlete is taken care of in case of injury, the better the industry does. Remember, there's no action sports, if there are no athletes.

As an outside professional athlete looking in, What would you like to see changed about action sports?
I would like to see more live exposure of more events than the X-Games and Dew Tours...I love both those events, but we need more...that will lead to more exposure for these kids who are putting their bodies on the line and hopefully lead to a union with benefits, paid for by the networks and sponsors.

What's your favorite event to watch at Winter X? Any one favorite athlete?
Although I grew up snowboarding and think Shaun White is like a super hero and rides like he's on Playstation 3, my favorite event to watch this weekend was the skier best trick. those guys fly higher and further than anyone and lay down the gnarliest tricks...sick....my favorite athlete has to be Kevin Robinson, the greatest vert BMX rider of all time...and a Patriots fan....you're welcome K-Rob.