Extension, extension, extension—that's what can be said of Beau Bamburg's freestyle motocross style. He'll hold tricks longer and with more extension than most of the field, and has the backflip variations to land himself near the top of the charts at any contest. Bamburg is one of those guys who can do anything he puts his mind to. Known as “the Basher” to his fans, Bamburg throws down an explosive riding style that can be likened to a mix between the best elements of an NFL linebacker and a Blue Angels stunt plane. As a consistent performer with a bag of big tricks, Bamburg's superior bike skills and ability to stall out tricks have made him a favorite with fellow riders. As one of the better freestylers, his trademark consistency and superior bike skills have enabled him to live the dream as one of the top FMX professionals in the world.

When did you first become interested in guitar? As far back as I can remember, I was blown away by the imagery of rock stars onstage. My cousin had up a poster of Eddie Van Halen hanging up, from one of those teenie mags, and I remember thinking how cool he looked. The very first album I ever got was 1984, and I was all about guitar ever since.

When did you start playing? I started playing in the eighth grade. My school offered a guitar class and I was eager to get my hands on one. I took the class and messed around a little at home with a borrowed parlor guitar, but really didn't take it seriously until I turned 16. My dad knew how bad I wanted an electric and bought me a Stratocaster® copy and a little Squier® amp for my birthday. The next day I bought a Van Halen II tab book and never looked back.

How often do you get to play? It's really hard to keep my chops up when I'm on the road riding shows and contests, but I always have my Fender travel acoustic with me. A couple years ago I actually talked the promoters of the IFMA series and the AST Dew tour into letting me play the national anthem before the events I ride. It's a really cool feeling to live out my rock star fantasies for about two minutes a weekend, and I get to do soundchecks through the house system at a bunch of major arenas throughout the country. The funny thing is that I've actually got some other anthem gigs at different sporting events that I'm not even part of.

Who are your musical influences? Eddie Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Zakk Wylde, Don Felder, Steve Vai, Jimmy Page and my friend Anthony Ferretti (who you've probably never heard of, but you will !) I actually owe a lot to Anthony for keeping me inspired to learn by teaching me when I was starting out.

What do you listen to before you ride? Anything with tasty guitar licks. You know, I actually listen to "The Duel" from the movie Crossroads (Ralph Macchio, not Brittany Spears) before I ride. I have it on my iPod and any guitar player will tell you that it gets you pumped. I also always crank "Eruption" as loud as I can before battle.

What gear are you playing? Right now I play an Aged Cherry Burst American Deluxe Telecaster® and a Custom Shop Stratocaster, usually through a Deluxe 900. I also travel with a Fender acoustic.