Watertown, MA's Jim Cavanaugh has been part of the New England flatland scene since ... well, the beginning. I first met Jim in the mid-80's when he was part of the Chris Lashua/Glenn Gollrad riding brigade, doing long hangglider boomerangs. Fifteen-plus years later, he's still at it (riding, not boomerangs). If you've seen a riding video from New England — Moronics in Action, Low Fat, or any Wire video — you've seen a good amount of Jimmy.
Interviews with this Ford Probe lover, although rare, are somewhat bizarre. The interview I did with him for my `zine in 1989 is all over the map — you can see it here (194K GIF); good luck making sense out of it. For this interview, instead of asking the usual "How long have you been riding" type of questions, I emailed a bunch of people who know Jim and asked them to send me questions to ask. Needless to say, I got some weird ones; I didn't know what some of these questions meant ... and I think the same can be said for Jim.
eWire: Can you state your full name, please?
Jim: James Peter Cavanaugh.
Was it hard getting into the mob with a last name like Cavanaugh?
(laughs) Nah, I've got some pull.
Do they give you a lot of crap about your name?
No, I can use it as a disguise, being a mob member. It's not a typical mob name, so they don't suspect me.
Have you ever eaten spaghetti sauce from a can or a jar?
You mean like Ragu? Nope. Nah, that's stuff's taboo.
Does pimping get in the way of riding?
Not really.
Who is the strangest bird to pop out the New England scene?
You mean a rider? Let me think. (thinks) Strangest in a good way or strangest in a mysterious way?
Either one. Strangest in general.
(laughs) I'd say Hobson.
What was your take of California when you visited there?
Laid back.
Did Jared take you surfing?
Nah, I went surfing on my own. Jared doesn't like the beach.
You know your car is scraping the ground?
Yeah.
What's your best trick?
Best trick ... (thinks) Double Hicks (laughter). I don't know ... the dragon.
Do you prefer bass or treble?
(laughs) Mid-bass.
What in the world happened that made your dad lock your bike up in the basement? The world has been waiting long enough for an answer.
(laughs) War.
How would you amuse yourself if you suddenly couldn't ride anymore?
Blackout.
Is PE still in the house?
No. They got evicted (laughter).
What are some cool things and lame things about freestyle today?
Cool things ... I'm still riding and it's still fun. Lame things? (thinks) Finger bikes.
What is your favorite riding video of all time?
All the Dorkin's.
What is your favorite non-Plywood Hoods video of all time?
Ah man, I don't know. All time? (thinks) Oh, can I have multiples? It's a toss-up between your Wire videos and Mark [Florek]'s video [Moronics in Action].
What side of the family does the hairy chest come from?
(laughs) Mom.
Describe the following people in no more than two words: Rich Upjohn.
Lanky.
Keith McElhinney.
Bloody.
Mike Miranda.
Mike Miranda? (laughs) Fuckin' Super BMX.
David Muggleston.
Um, bitter. Naw, that's mean, you can't do that. (thinks) Stanky kneepads.
Last question is: did your mom yell at you, or did you not tell her?
(laughs) About what?
I have no idea; I don't understand half these questions myself.
Just put a big question mark; I don't know what the hell that means.
Home :: Winter 2000 :: Jim Cavanaugh
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