Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Lavin Large

Kirk Baird

What: CineVegas Film Festival.

When: Friday through June 19.

Where: Brenden Theatres Las Vegas 14.

Information: 992-7979 or www.cinevegas.com.

T.J. Lavin may be too good to be true: a world-champion athlete who doesn't smoke, drink or take drugs. In fact, the 27-year-old Las Vegas native is polite, modest, hangs out with his fans, and even acknowledges that he is a role model.

Too bad more Las Vegans haven't heard of him.

But that's generally the rule when you're an X Games participant, even if you happen to be a national champion, such as Lavin.

Which is all the more reason to make a documentary film.

"A Film about TJ Lavin" is a half-hour look at Lavin throughout his life - from growing up on the south side of Las Vegas (where he jumped his bike over homemade dirt mounds as a teenager) to his gravity-defying acrobatic feats that won him two gold medals at the X Games and made him a legend in his sport.

Lavin's infallibility is also documented in the film with a montage of painful crashes when his landings didn't go as planned.

"A Film About TJ Lavin" is making its theatrical debut at noon June 15 at Brenden Theatres Las Vegas 14 as part of the CineVegas Film Festival, which runs Friday through June 19.

But there's more to Lavin's documentary than his high-flying aerobatics and on-the-ground disasters.

"It's a pretty candid documentary on him," said Trevor Groth, CineVegas director of programming. "There's plenty of amazing footage of him riding the bike, but the film also gives his story, which is pretty inspirational and introduces him to the audience as a person."

Before watching the documentary, Groth said he was aware of Lavin "only as an athlete ... and was blown away by the things he can do on a bike.

"(Then) I saw this short documentary on him, which introduced him to me as a person."

"A Film About TJ Lavin" is the work of director Steve Olpin, a friend of Lavin's who had filmed the champion dirt jumper for more than five years before putting the documentary together.

While Lavin is excited that the documentary is having its world premiere in his home city, he's more excited by the impact the film may have on other young Las Vegans.

"I know they'll want to go ride when they see it. So, if it gets them off Nintendo and TV for one day, I did my job," he said. "That's my goal: to get more people into the sport and riding."

Jump-start

Born Thomas Joseph Lavin on Pearl Harbor Day in 1976, it's no surprise to learn that Lavin was attracted to bikes at an early age.

"I've always been a desert rat. I built jumps from the time I was 7," he said.

At that time, dirt jumping was just a way to pass the time when he wasn't playing Little League baseball. (In an interview in the documentary, Lavin's dad informs us his son "was a terrible player.")

But by age 13 Lavin said he began taking riding more seriously, so by the time he got into high school, first at Clark and later Durango, Lavin was riding 50 miles a day.

After a chance meeting with Las Vegan Nick Herda, owner of Herda's Discount Appliance Warehouse chain, Lavin helped form a local BMX racing team, Herda's Hot Shots.

Still, as the documentary points out, Lavin's heart wasn't into racing. He wanted to jump.

Trouble was, there was no one around to show him the ropes.

"There was nothing really to compare it to, nobody to shoot for in Las Vegas," he said.

So he decided to go it alone.

In 1995 Lavin entered his first pro contest, the prestigious King of Dirt competition, as an unknown. He won.

Two years later and he took gold for dirt jumping at the X Games. And again in 1999.

Lavin has since been the Gravity Games Champion, DK Dirt Circuit Champion and a CFB Champion, while becoming one of the most innovative dirt jumpers in the sport.

At his age he should still have several years of jumping left in his body. But even Lavin knows he's not going to be able to do this forever. (At the time of the interview Lavin was still nursing two injuries, whiplash and two separated collarbones, which he suffered in the same crash, and wasn't riding.)

"So far, there hasn't been a bar set," he said. "My best friend, (Tim) 'Fuzzy' Hall, is 33 and still going strong. Other guys are 35 and still going crazy. It gives me hope that it won't be a problem for me.

"Maybe I won't be able to compete at this level forever, but I'll still be able to ride and have fun."

Role model

With a fleet of cars and trucks -- some vintage, some fresh off the showroom floor -- and a spacious house, Lavin is finding that his childhood hobby is paying dividends.

Besides a line of bikes from Schwinn, Lavin also has his own video game for the PlayStation 2: "T.J. Lavin's Ultimate BMX."

An avid fitness buff, Lavin treats his health seriously and tries to lead a clean life, although he is prone to occasionally use salty language.

But unlike many other famous athletes, he accepts the fact that he is a role model.

"When you influence the behavior of a little kid, you're a role model, whether you like it or not," he said. "I think people who don't accept that are pretty close minded and selfish."

Lavin even encourages parents who think that extreme sports are all about tattoos, drinking and drugs to watch his film and see the something else: a nice kid from a good home who found a way to use his talent to entertain.

"He's a terrific guy and has given so much back to the community," Groth said. "He's so supportive of his young fans ... he's such a terrific figure in the sports world."

Lavin is also an accomplished piano player, having played since 14, and scored most of the soundtrack to the documentary.

Still, despite his wholesome ways, Lavin insists he's not a square.

He rides his four-wheeler around the neighborhood and has been known to drive his golf cart on streets without a permit.

Crazy, sure.

Then again, nothing is as crazy as launching off of the two-story ramp in his back yard.

The ramp is part of the acre jump course Lavin built himself. Featuring a collection of hills -- all smoothed out by countless rides and jumps -- the trail rivals anything on the BMX circuit.

Curious passers-by sometimes knock at his door asking about the tower and the course in the back yard.

Sometimes they'll even pull over in the cars as they drive by and watch Lavin and his friends take flight off the ramp as they practice.

Neighborhood boys with BMX aspirations also stop by, wondering if they can ride Lavin's course.

"Who am I to try and stop a kid from riding?" Lavin asks. "But I always make them get their mom to sign a permission slip."

Even those kids who do get the permission slip signed quickly realize Lavin's course is out of their league.

"Ninety-nine percent of them see it and say, 'Aw, that's OK,' " he said.

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