10 Questions – Teach McNeil

King-Cold.com is excited to actually have had a chance to sit down with one of biggest names in the Stunt World. Chris “Teach” McNeil is definitely an industry veteran, but more than that he’s a great guy who’s a threat in the parking lot as well as the classroom. For those of you haven’t heard the deal on good ol’ Teach- he’s a Latin teacher by day, and world class stunt rider by night. On top of all that, he’s one of the most decent people you’ll ever have the pleasure to meet.

Teach was kind enough to sit down with us at King-Cold.com and answer our 10 Questions. So if you still don’t know who he is you can check out TeachTrix.net and read these 10 Answers from Teach himself!

We took Latin in high school and college. If you had a dollar for every girl you picked up with your Latin skills, what would you do with those zero dollars?
C’mon now man, you know I’ve got more skills than that! And besides, girls like a guy who is educated and speaks more than one language…but ya, I’ll probably invest those zero dollars into an IRA or something.

So you won a bunch of XDL’s, how do you think that bolsters your status as one of the best in the world?
Well, I won the East Coast XDL and am gunning for the National Championship in April. I think it definately helps my image and name in the international scene, but more importantly, I think it secures my spot in the U.S. as one of the handful of guys to beat. I’m bringing my ‘A’ game to every event and I hate losing!

How were you able to keep a teaching job with all the time demanding responsibilities of stunting?
Teaching and riding at the same time has always posed a bit of a problem, I use my ’sick days’ and then some every year. My school administration has been very understanding and even encouraging in my own pursuit of my dreams, so without their blessing, I would not have been able to pull it off as long as I have. This is my final year teaching while I pursue riding full time. I’ll eventually find my way back to the classroom though, I absolutely love kids.

Describe your ascension to the top of the riding game. I guess that’s not really a question, but begin!
I began riding for a group DTE (Driving To Endanger) way back in 2000 and it was pretty much downhill from there. I’ve competed at every XSBA event since the beginning and had a significant role in bringing sportbike freestyle to Live Nation events around the country. I’ve travelled to a few different countries doing shows and comps but always came up just a bit short. In 2006, I got rid of all the distractions and really dedicated myself to riding my motorcycle as best I could, and the results speak for themselves – I had four major wins last year and that has put a target on my back, but also served to motivate me even more.

Everyone’s got that trick it took them an abnormal amount of time to complete, what was yours?
I’ve been riding so long that I’m always just in front of the learning curve, so there isn’t really any one trick that I HAVE to learn to be at the top. I take baby steps because I’m getting older and I don’t like being hurt. However, that being said, the circle wheelie has taken me literally years to master…not to learn, that didn’t take long; but to master the circle – I’m not even sure I can claim that now, but I sure am close!

2006 was apparently a good year for Teach, what does 2007 hold?
2006 was a tremendous year for me professionally. There were a lot of challenges and distractions, but in the end all of my hard work paid off. 2007 will see much of the same. Now that I have that winning taste in my mouth, I do not want to relinquish it. I have stops all over the world and my image continues to grow in a positive manner. I have made the leap to full time rider this year and am giving that a go, so hopefully my successes will snowball and I’ll legitimately ‘pop clutches’ for a living…at least for a few years.

If you could go mano y mano against any rider in a sickest trick competition, who would you call out?
Sickest trick has never been my forte. Rarely do I have the single best trick of anyone out there, but I usually have the best 3-8 minutes of anyone out there and my ability to link it all together and entertain are what really set me apart. I wouldn’t mind battling Darius right now though. We have similar mastery of the bike, with differing styles that would make for a good battle…and I’ve already called him out at XDL!!

What is the most aggravating question that people ask you all the time?
I don’t really know that there is one. I’m pretty easy going and annoying stuff rolls off my back (or I wouldn’t be a middle school Latin teacher!). I guess questions like ‘what bike is the best for stunting’ drive me up the wall because the bike has little to do with it. Bikes don’t do tricks, people do tricks!

Who influenced you the most to ride a motorcycle beyond its intended purpose in front of thousands of screaming fans at a time?
The Starboyz were the first group I ever saw wheelying a bike, so they get the credit for that. Otherwise, I just generally enjoy entertaining and it comes very naturally to me. I’m a firm believer in the theory that ‘you either can or you can’t’. It applies to teaching and it applies to riding. Either you can entertain or you can’t, it is not something that is easily learned. Some of the best technical riders are the worst show riders because they are boring. I love pushing limites and love to make people smile…that’s why I nearly crash everytime I ride!

We feel like a dork when we tell people our “foreign language” was Latin, do you think stuntriding has vindicated you- or are you a nerd like us?
I’m a man who wears many hats and can flow easily amongst varying circles of people. I was a 3 sport Varsity athlete in HS, as well as a member of the National Honor Society. I love kids, I love bikes. I’m definately a geek in some senses of the word, but I was cool before riding and I’ll be cool after I’m done…but, I think stuntriding has vindicated other Latin ’scholars’! (ahem, Jason).