Shredding Bentonville with the Pros: Inside the Lives of YT Mill's Powerhouse Athletes

Join Nat Ross for an adrenaline-fueled episode as we delve into the worlds of three exceptional athletes sponsored by YT Mill: Brett Tippie, Micayla Gatto, and Steve Caballero. 

In this episode, we'll explore their journeys, challenges, and triumphs, gaining insights into what drives these champions to push boundaries and dominate in their respective disciplines. From the grit and determination of freeride mountain biker Brett Tippie to the fearless spirit of the award winning downhill mountain biker Micayla Gatto, and the iconic legacy of skateboarder Steve Caballero, this episode promises to be one to remember. 

Check out the new YT Mill location in Downtown Bentonville at the grand opening party on Friday, May 24 at 7 pm and keep your eyes peeled for Brett, Micayla, and Steve this weekend at Bentonville Bike Fest. 

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Transcript

Nat Ross: 0:10

All right, welcome to the new American town podcast, proudly presented by visit Bentonville. I'm Nat Ross, coming to you from the Haxton Road Studios, and we have so much talent. We are in downtown Bentonville, right off the square. This Haxton has never had this type of talent sitting at this table. So this is going to be a baller episode. So what I'd like to do is start with Micayla, and we're going to go around and introduce ourselves and then fire away from there. So quick introductions, putting you on the spot, but that's what this weekend's all about. So go on, michaela, here we go.

Micayla Gatto: 0:47

Okay, my name is Micayla Gatto and I'm a professional freeride and adventure mountain biker. I'm also apprenticing as a tattoo artist and I play guitar way worse than Steve.

Brett Tippie: 1:03

She's also the six-time Canadian downhill champion and the top 10 World Cup racer and one of the fastest Canadians we've ever had. And now she is a freerider and she does gnarly crazy steep lines. She's badass, yes.

Micayla Gatto: 1:15

Thanks, brett, awesome yes.

Steve Caballero: 1:17

Hello, I'm Steve Caballero, a professional skateboarder, also a musician and artist, and I'm here representing YT Industries.

Nat Ross: 1:28

Oh, we're going to go there soon, so legend.

Micayla Gatto: 1:30

I was like damn Steve with the plug. Already I forgot.

Brett Tippie: 1:33

He's so humble. Yeah, how do you say I'm an icon?

Nat Ross: 1:40

I was all fanboying this morning when I met Steve.

Brett Tippie: 1:42

I'm like hi, I'm Tippi, Hi, Steve, uh-huh, hello, tippy, so cool. I'm Brett Tippy. I'm from BC, canada. I'm one of the pioneers of freeride mountain biking. I had the world record jumping the biggest cliffs on mountain bikes back in the day and I'm in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. And I'm an announcer, a coach, a guide, whatever I can do to pay the bills and keep myself in the business of mountain biking.

Micayla Gatto: 2:05

Professional joke teller and ex-professional snowboarder as well. I'm going to pump your tires up a little bit. Oh, okay, yeah.

Brett Tippie: 2:11

Yeah, I was top 10 World Cup snowboard racer, canadian champ snowboard cross racer and a couple bronze third place finishers at the Mount Baker Bank Salon, which is probably my proudest thing I've done in sports.

Nat Ross: 2:24

We are going to go there, we're going to go to snow, we're going to go experience the audio, the art side of things, and, honestly so, brett, everyone's here, humble including Brett, but there are kind of three.

Micayla Gatto: 2:34

Hall of Famers. I'm humble and I'm proud of it. That's true. There are three Hall of Famers at this table.

Nat Ross: 2:49

One more Hall of Fame coming here, but the mountain bike hall of fame for us doesn't even eclipse what the skateboard world or the action sports in general. So just to start off, Steve, I think a little bit for your experience in life in general. So skateboarding when you started and what it's meant to you your whole life, because you've taken this and you're an ultimate icon and hero for just all of us following your trajectory.

Steve Caballero: 3:05

Awesome, thank you. Skateboarding started for me in 1976. Got really excited about it because skateboard parks were being opened all over California and these are things that I just would read in magazines and then they were actually becoming reality and so I started going to skateboard parks and started falling in love with it and fell in love with competition. Competition taught me how to strive for something. It taught me discipline. It taught me how to put work in and succeed from that, and so I did that every day and that was my focus and my heart and passion were in it. And I got sponsored in 1979 by Pal Peralta, who is still my sponsor today, and turned pro in 1980.

Steve Caballero: 3:56

So what I've gotten out of skateboarding, what it's taught me it's taught me how to fail to succeed and meaning like you, don't just get it. It's very difficult, very difficult sport it's, it's dangerous, and so I've learned to put myself out there. It helped bring me out of my shell of like a shy little boy that didn't really want to speak, but more action, you know, and so becoming, you know, very popular in the, and so becoming, you know, very popular in the sport and becoming well-known. It's definitely brought attention to me and it's also taught me how to be more myself around people you know, and so now I talk way too much. There's tons of stories.

Nat Ross: 4:41

Well, Bittenville, we're really lucky to have Steve Cavallaro in the house. I would like to say that in the YT mill there are, I think, vans. The vans collaboration is probably partly in behalf of your relations and the fact that you've had the Bones Brigade, the Pro Model Skateboard, for all those years partners, but even in the bike world. So you carry over, you have like a pro tech, you're head to toe protection wise and I think the role model that you have provided for safety and then just the progression of the sport in general is really carrying over to mountain biking or to cycling in general, and I think that's a big piece of what the YT mill may do some storytelling this week, but you in general. So I think Bentonville is going to be hearing a lot from you.

Steve Caballero: 5:25

Well, I think a lot of people don't realize that I come from the biking background. I rode bikes in the 70s before I even picked up a skateboard. It's something that I really enjoyed and Evel Knievel was a huge icon and hero and we tried to emulate jumping cars on our bikes and actually trying to make our bikes look like motorcycles and sound like them, with the cards and the spokes and you name it all that. So my background is riding a bike, but skateboarding became a passion of mine and it was something that I was able to progress and make a name for myself in an industry that really wasn't anything in the early 80s and through the ups and downs of the sport.

Steve Caballero: 6:13

It's in the Olympics now and it's just amazing where, where skateboarding's come from, and not only just skateboarding, but where female skateboarding has come from, because I've seen it start, you know, from the early 70s, and how it's grown all over in the countries that are involved and the little kids now that it's so impressive like they're getting younger and younger and better and better because of the exposure of the sport, the positivity of it. It's family-oriented and the fact that these cities and communities back it, you know, is huge for families, and so I see here, just arriving here in Bentonville, their love for biking and mountain biking and what they're putting into the sport, which will it'll make waves to other states and you know, this will be the hub where it started the excitement of mountain biking and how the communities are getting are backing it, and it's so rad to be a part of a company YT that they've taken notice of Bentonville and formed a relationship.

Nat Ross: 7:27

Well, I think Brett can help us out with that YT culture just a little bit, because you've been with the brand for so long and as a professional cyclist, you've had the ability to pick and choose the right places, the places to go, the platforms to compete on and you've carried your career. So we want to learn a little bit more about the beginning of your career and then where YT started with you. And then, before we get to that, let's go with what YT is. For those folks that have seen the building, there is something special going on in Bentonville. The YT Mill is building number four for YT, but a lot of folks don't know anything about YT. So let's start there and then dive into how you ended up with the brand.

Brett Tippie: 8:08

First of all, yt is the coolest bike brand in the world. I can pretty much ride for anybody I want, I think, and I've tried a few different sponsors, but they are the best bikes I've ever ridden, straight up, honest, and I feel good for owning something that I truly, truly believe in.

Micayla Gatto: 8:22

Agreed, yeah, Like they're unreal and they look sexy.

Brett Tippie: 8:25

I go down to my bike room. I just look at my bike sometimes and I go and then I put it on the headlamp and I go night riding and I'm like this is awesome. I love these bikes, so I really, really believe in them. The people are awesome there.

Brett Tippie: 8:35

Yt was founded by Marcus Flossman in 2008 to give riders everywhere direct access to high performance bikes with exceptional value. The brand's name stands for Young Talent and they originally made hardtails for a very, very good price that people gravitated to, and then, when they started making full suspension bikes, they won awards everywhere in the magazines and whatnot and they really put themselves on the map. Their approach reflects everything that they do, no matter your age or skill level. It's never too late. To feel younger is one of their taglines. Thank god, ride better and to live uncaged is one of their their lines.

Brett Tippie: 9:11

Today, yt is the leading direct consumer mountain bike brand that offer a wide range of quality products from downhill to enduro to trail to gravel and everything in between, so you can dominate everywhere, from the red bull rampage to a trail near you. Very official sounding, that's exciting. Yeah, they're a very cool brand. Um, their bikes do win tests and they're honestly the best feeling bikes I've ever ridden um. You know, other brands are broke. I have broken like one to three bikes every year and I haven't broken any YTs. And I'm kind of fat, I'm big, I'm big.

Micayla Gatto: 9:47

It's just your head, right, yeah, exactly.

Brett Tippie: 9:49

I'm not overweight, I'm under short. But yeah, they're a great brand. They're very cool, They've got their finger on their pulse and they've got their fingers in some racing and some free riding and they get it and they're fun to hang out with.

Nat Ross: 10:04

Well, I think the best part about the YT experience is the mill launched today. You guys literally were there with the founder and with Jeff and the entire crew that has built the mill. It is happening. So, Micayla, I want to hear a little bit about your journey in cycling, because I know there's a lot bit about your journey in cycling, cause I know there's a lot of things to talk about here. We're also going to dive into the art cause, cause you're an artist and some pieces there. But, um, you were there for the special moment, um, today, where the YT mill opened up in Bentonville, um, and then tonight is a big festivity um grand opening bingo.

Nat Ross: 10:39

So um Brett did mention and you were racing the World Cup, so you traveled that circuit and for sure that is extremely difficult. But why YT for you now on the mob and the family element, and how does it keep you motivated?

Micayla Gatto: 10:54

Good questions. The YT mob has always been something that I have looked at from afar, even before I was on the team. Today not today, this year is my second year on the team and I could not be happier. The origin story of that I've always thought YT had the best artwork, the branding, the vibe they're just cool, they're just cool. The vibe, they're just cool, they're just cool. And then the fact that they're making the price points accessible to a wider audience and the direct to consumer uh element of it is just getting bikes in more people's hands and I couldn't be more for that because I think the more people on bikes, the happier the world. So, um, yeah, they've always been on my radar.

Micayla Gatto: 11:39

Uh, and the the funny story I actually had a YT before I was on the team because my sponsor before didn't make a downhill bike and they saw me going to formation and they saw me. You know, I come from racing downhill, so me not having a downhill bike was kind of an issue for me. And they were nice enough to be like okay, listen, you can pick whatever downhill bike you want and we will buy it for you. And then you just have to cover the logos and just kind of be discreet about it. And I was like, okay, cool. And they're like, what downhill bike do you want? And I was like a YT. So they bought me a YT and I was on a YT the year before and that's just kind of how we segued into becoming a mob member. And, um, I'm not going to lie, I thought maybe I wasn't cool enough for the mob and YT because it's, for in my eyes it's just such a cool brand, you're cool.

Micayla Gatto: 12:33

And I was well, I was scared of like it being a bit of a cool guy environment. As a woman in mountain biking and growing up in the scene it was very there's. There's a lot of. Even even today sometimes I walk into a bike shop and I'll feel like I don't belong or I'll feel like I'm treated as just like someone's girlfriend or something and I was a little scared because YT is just so fricking cool and like everything is just kind of like uncaged, raw, raw and I'm like I want to be a part of that. But also I'm scared and I remember going to the San Clemente Mill, kind of walking in and meeting Jimmy Asselford, my boss, and he's like yo, what's up, man, Like nice to meet you and like he just took me around the office.

Micayla Gatto: 13:18

Everyone was so incredibly inviting, the entire just took me around the office. Everyone was so incredibly inviting. The entire atmosphere at yt is just like of acceptance and inclusion and I could not be happier and prouder to represent them because even though they have this cool guy vibe, it's like it's cool to be kind and they are the kindest, most generous, accepting, inviting team I have ever been a part of and I always say they're not only supporting who I am. They're celebrating it. So they actually hooked me up with my tattoo apprenticeship. They got me into some bands. I'm here with Steve and Brett and everyone like they've. They've created so much opportunity in my own life outside of mountain biking in the last year and a half that I think I will forever be in their debt, whether I'm a mob member or not and uh, yeah, that's, I'm just like. I love them so much.

Steve Caballero: 14:12

It really feels like a family.

Micayla Gatto: 14:14

No, seriously, it really feels like a family and last year when I when I became part of the mob, it was like Brett Aggie, ace Hayden, it was all these guys that I have ridden with and looked up to my entire life since I was a little girl and I suddenly was one of them. So, uh, it was a huge moment in my career and, uh, as someone who's been around for a while, it felt like a uh, it breathed new life into my motivation to keep going.

Brett Tippie: 14:42

Did you feel like you came home?

Micayla Gatto: 14:43

I did it, did it did I know, and I'm just like it's so natural, like I never own any other team. We've just had an ongoing group chat where we're like yo, what are you doing today? What's up? Like we're just homies. We're with my boss, like we are homies and it's beautiful, it's awesome, and we want everyone in Bentonville to feel the same way.

Nat Ross: 15:04

The vibe is already here. So one thing you skipped over, which is a lot of folks follow the Red Bull Rampage in that piece, but you were part of formation. Yes, and I think that was a expression for females, just in general, the mountain biking platform that you were part of. Can you just give us a brief overview of what that felt like, and to be part of Formation and that?

Micayla Gatto: 15:26

experience. Yeah, yeah, can you tell I don't really like talking about myself. I just like moved it over to how great YT is. Yeah, so I was one of the original six women invited to Red Bull Formation, which is essentially the female rampage. But it wasn't a competition, it was a progress progression camp. So the format is similar to rampage, where you have diggers and you're out in the Utah desert at one of the old rampage sites.

Micayla Gatto: 15:52

So we were at the 2015 site and six girls get to pick six lines and we just look at the hill and create what we want out of it, which I think is the true essence of free ride, and we are. It was all women. So we were like digging and well, there was some men. There was some men the first year actually, um, and they, they helped us out a ton and were super supportive, which was awesome. But, yeah, dig our own lines and then at the end of the weekend, you're standing at the top and we've got the Red Bull dropping. What's the Red Bull? What's his name? The guy who's like three, two, one.

Brett Tippie: 16:28

Oh, he's been there forever, forever.

Micayla Gatto: 16:32

No one knows his name, but everyone knows his voice. I had like the DVD box sets of every single rampage and I'm sitting at the top of my line and I hear the voice and it was just like this huge coming home, this huge like women can do, I'm like going to get emotional. Um, it was the first time women have been given the opportunity to do that and like as a kid, um, circling back a little bit, it was like I started wanting to be a free rider. I saw Brett and Wade Simmons and all these guys and I'm from the North shore and I was riding skinnies and I was learning tricks and I was told that that was never going to be an option.

Micayla Gatto: 17:10

So I moved to racing and I'm like tearing up, but so then, when formation came around, it was like, suddenly, that's an option, and it was, it was, it was, it was amazing. And from that day, you saw, and you just you've seen an absolute explosion of women in freeride and slope style, and now women's slope style is at crankworks world tour and just all of these huge, huge milestones are just being checked off like one after the other, after the other, and I think it all has to do with just like we're just going to bring these women together and see what they can do and I think if given someone an opportunity, um, they're going to, they're going to take it and run with it.

Nat Ross: 17:54

Amazing and, brett, you're going to be a big part of that, like between the commentary, the interviewing, just just all the experience. So you guys set the stage and and Steve like the, the sessioning and the componentry of the mountain bike camaraderie piece, the action sports world. You guys created that and and mountain biking is is relatively new sport, 40 some years old. So for us to be able to, um, for you to pass that experience from the action sports element of all of the experiences, the competitions, it's morphed itself into so many opportunities, like Michaela just got to talk about. And one other thing too is, um, I was turned on to some of your art this winter, um, up on a trip that I had made. You had made a uh, a piece that, uh, this is at Micah, oh, you.

Micayla Gatto: 18:39

You went to Micah Heli.

Nat Ross: 18:40

Amazing. So I got to see some of your artwork and I think part of being a cyclist is these other elements that you have. You can't just skate, you can't just ride your bike, you can't just go down this trajectory. You have to have the passions. And we have two artists here, between Steve and Michaela.

Brett Tippie: 18:57

I'm an artist too.

Micayla Gatto: 18:58

Yeah, you are.

Brett Tippie: 18:59

I painted 1,700 one-of-a-kind airbrush t-shirts when I was trying to go pro to support myself, and I'd travel around the world with a bag of blank t-shirts and I would custom paint them $5 each, and then I would sell them for $35 or $40. And that's how I actually got to go pro, besides planting trees.

Nat Ross: 19:15

And you're an entrepreneur.

Brett Tippie: 19:20

Yes, Well, you guys just hit Brett. Do you know why you should never date an artist? Because they're sketchy.

Nat Ross: 19:25

You have two big pieces here the trees you guys are going to experience a lot of trees, trees are very special to the Bentonville area and the art and the music. So, Steve, I know that music is a big piece of your expression and also just what you do for a side hobby and stuff. So can you tell us a little bit about how that impacts your motivation, like what music does for you to keep the stoke, and how it relates to biking or even skateboarding?

Steve Caballero: 19:52

Well, music and art definitely go with skating. It's always has been, it's definitely it. It's the self-expression, it's how we express ourselves, and we're always trying to find new ways to express ourselves. Um, and it's, it's, it's actually an art, an art form that doesn't really you. You can just do it by yourself whenever you want. You know, it's something that that, when you're in your alone time and that's when you flourish is when you have this time yourself to focus on something, and then, after you practice and practice and practice, then you can expose it to people and then they can enjoy what you do.

Steve Caballero: 20:33

But a lot of people think that these artists, musicians, are naturally talented, and I don't believe in that. I believe in the fact that the work that you put in is what you get out, and most people don't want to go there. They don't want to put the effort in, so they'll. They'll use the excuse of like, well, I'm just not naturally talented and you know, um, it's really important to believe in yourself, and there's like two different types of people and there's a person that will go to an art show and see an art piece on the wall and they'll be like oh man, I could never paint anything like that, that's amazing. But I'm the type of person that goes like, wow, that's amazing, I want to paint something like that someday, and that's who I am, and that's why I've been able to flourish in these other elements than skateboarding.

Steve Caballero: 21:26

And so I just wanted to go back to YT and say that I love the brand because it has a very skateboard type of mentality behind it and the way they promote and the way that they are very family oriented and grassroots and, you know, inviting. It's like Michaela said, you know, and she feels like it's a home for her and so, um, I feel like they're they're, they're the type of brand that that that is very attractive, you know, not very corporate, you know, but something that's willing to be open-minded and to expand and try new things and not be afraid, you know, and they are definitely not afraid of who they are are people going to get a taste of that at the grand opening well, they sure hope so, and I think I think the creativity uh, I think it all comes back to the creativity of it all, and I think skateboarding is extremely creative.

Micayla Gatto: 22:23

Freeride is extremely creative, as I was saying, like you look at a mountain and you're just going to paint a line down it and having a vision, I think is also huge for sport and art. And I think art and creativity transcends, like all sports, and I know for me personally, like you were saying before my art career and stuff like that, I started by taking old skate decks. Even though I do not skate, I've always been very, very inspired by the skate industry and I would go to skate shops and ask them for their old skate decks and I would take a cabinet scraper and scrape them down and paint them because I didn't have money for canvases, skate decks and I would take a cabinet scraper and scrape them down and paint them because I didn't have money for canvases. So you see a lot of interrelations here within different extreme sports and with art and with creativity. And I think YT just beautifully packages that up and ties a bow on it and calls it home.

Nat Ross: 23:13

Well, we are excited to have all three of you rock stars in. Bentonville. This week we are going to the Bittenville Bike Fest so folks can meet you there. But the main thing at the YT Mill is the grand opening, so anybody in the community can walk through the doors and experience this and any more questions they have.

Brett Tippie: 23:30

And they can get a free demo bike. Take it out for $0. For two hours. For two hours and you get a beer. Come back and you get a beer or coffee. Or For two hours, for two hours and you get a beer.

Micayla Gatto: 23:39

You come back and you get a beer or coffee or water or coffee. Whatever floats your boat.

Brett Tippie: 23:42

Yeah, that's really cool.

Micayla Gatto: 23:43

And don't be afraid, the windows are a little tinted but we are open. Walk on in. It is not the scary bike shop, vibe. Everyone is so incredibly friendly. We're all nerds because we're all mountain bikers, and let's, let's face it, mountain bikers are nerds Definitely going to be blown away.

Steve Caballero: 23:58

I was blown away of how big the building is and what they've done with just the visuals and everything. It's very exciting to have this. And then we did the ribbon opening earlier.

Micayla Gatto: 24:12

The chain cut opening In true uncaged fashion.

Steve Caballero: 24:21

And the mayor was there and she was super impressed with what YT has brought to Bentonville, and fast too.

Brett Tippie: 24:23

I was here a year ago and we looked at that lot and it was like flat.

Micayla Gatto: 24:26

She said it was like gravel parking lot, so the building wasn't even there Boom. There's this massive building. No, nothing was there.

Steve Caballero: 24:33

Wow, I thought they took an existing building and just kind of.

Brett Tippie: 24:36

No, it was. They built that building Wow From the ground up.

Nat Ross: 24:39

Yeah, totally Amazing.

Brett Tippie: 24:40

Pretty cool Stereo.

Nat Ross: 24:42

Well, we want to invite everybody to the YT Mill and especially to the Bentonville Bike Fest to meet you guys or do some riding. So these guys are riding their YTs throughout the weekend at Bentonville Bike Fest. Again, I'd like to thank McKay Legato. Again I'd like to thank Micayla Gatto, Steve Caballero and Brett Tippie. So thank you so much, guys, for joining us today for A New American Town and sharing about your crazy experiences and all this cultural and history and clashes between art, music and mountain bike. But anyways, we got the in Bentonville welcome Bentonville for you and we're excited about this weekend and everything else. So thank you for YT for opening up the mill so you can check out all of these rock stars on social media, and we'll see you in Bentonville as we go down. See you on the trails.