THE SECRETS OF THEIR SUCCESS: Jeff Surwall Of No Fear MX

ÿÿ The men behind the logos don’t always get the publicity that their high-paid racers do. These men toil behind the scenes. These men don’t know the meaning of nine-to-five and would never be happy taking a vacation during the racing season. The motocross industry is forged by these men. They have dedicated countless hours, risked their finances, and based their lives on the premise of service to the sport of motocross.

ÿÿ The MXA staff decided to interview some of the mover-and-shakers of the motocross biz in an effort to share some of the wisdom, inspiration and experiences of the men behind the logos.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY?
ÿÿ “By racing. I think that everyone gets into it because it’s a hobby or a sport that you enjoy, and I was lucky enough to do something in the business that kept me involved and able to ride. A couple friends of mine from Chicago and I first started in ’84 with Life’s a Beach. They ran the business while I was still racing in Canada. In ’90, they started No Fear, and I’ve been with those guys since then. Separately from No Fear, I decided I wanted to get into making gear. Jeremy McGrath and I got together and started No Fear MX. It was already a popular name and with McGrath onboard we had some pretty quick success.”

WHERE DID THE NAME NO FEAR COME FROM?
ÿ “In the Life’s a Beach days, No Fear was printed on T-shirts that we gave to the corner workers and guys who worked the races. The shirts were never sold, and they developed sort of a following. I guess people tend to want what they can’t have. There was an understanding of ?No Fear’ in the racing community.”

CAN YOU SINGLE OUT ONE PRODUCT FROM OVER THE YEARS?
ÿÿ “When we came out with pants, we didn’t follow the status quo. We had an adjustable waist, some different bends in the knee, an increased volume in the front of the knee, and a few other things that helped set us apart.”

ARE THERE ANY BUSINESS PEOPLE YOU LOOK UP TO?
ÿÿ “Jim Hale distributed AXO and ran Renthal/Mechanix Wear. He was a friend of mine, and sponsored me when I raced in Canada. I liked how he cared about his products. He made them look even better than they are by putting the time in. Also, he’s just a good guy and a family guy. When I was just getting going, he stopped by and gave me some good advice on who to talk to for product and told me not to go too crazy in certain directions, and I appreciated that and I respect what he has done.”

website: www.nofear.com