Proto Week: Andrew Broussard Interview

Proto week has officially kicked off, and there's no better way to get it going than with an in depth interview with the owner Andrew Broussard. Andrew fills everyone in on issues from the past that have plagued Proto, what's going on now and what's being fixed, and what to expect in the future. And don't forget to check the completely re-vamped Proto site at www.protoscooters.com


 We haven't seen much come out from Proto since Catalyst 2010 came out over a year ago. What's been going on since then?
Andrew Broussard:  A few months after Catalyst 2010 was released I went on tour with Nitro Circus Live again down to New Zealand and Australia which was an incredible experience and opportunity to promote my industry but my absence for nearly 2 months at the beginning of 2011 took a heavy toll on the business which was much smaller at the time.  Since then I have been restructuring and restaffing the entire company to stay competitive in what has now become a rapidly expanding industry.  The day after I got back from those tours I rented the industrial space next door to our old shop and doubled our square footage which only lasted us about 9 months.  In January of this year (2012) I signed a lease on our new warehouse which is about triple the size of last years expansion complete with offices, loading docks, toilets and a retail store front; non of which we had before.  The new facility has allowed us to massively increase production, inventory and distribution capabilities under our newly formed umbrella company TGE Distribution to make sure our shops and our loyal customers are able to get the brands and products they want when they need them.  We did fall behind on reviewing warranty claims with all the other changes that have been going on during the moving/upgrading process which is a problem when you boast the most comprehensive warranty in the sport (which it is) but we were simply swamped and had no one to check that stuff.  Fortunately we have a new PROTO website which should be live while you are reading this with a totally new automated warranty submission system that will allow us to track and update all warranty claims.  For those of you who submitted older warranty claims that never got responses or a conclusive answer, we still have all your information on file but you will have to resubmit through the new system to get those going again.  Sorry for the delays or confusion!  On a personal note, the last show I rode with Nitro was on June 4, 2011 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for their 3D movie coming out this year and we got to set up the PROTO tent right inside the venue with Catalyst looping on a TV which was awesome.  Unfortunately that was the last time I have really ridden "competitively" or in top form because of the amount of time I have been dedicating to the business but we are also in the middle of filming for the next PROTO DVD entitled "Armageddon 2012" right now with a slightly different rider lineup than you will remember from Catalyst 2010.  I started to film for the new video but broke my hand on April 1 on something really really stupid, no joke, and am just now getting back on a scooter.  All work and no play makes Andrew a rusty boy... but it's worth it knowing that PROTO is holding down the "rider owned" scene and continuously showing the sport how the best products in the industry are made!




Speaking of products, what new parts are in the works? Can we expect more signature products from different riders?
Definitely you will see more signature products this year but let me break it down by category on our regular releases: 
BARS:  reTro and slaYers are classics and will not be going anywhere.  reTros are now 20" wide and slaYers are now 22" wide, both are 24" tall all heat treated 4130 chromoly.  We will also be bringing BUFF bars out of retirement with an all new redesigned stem and we have plans for one more style of one-piece bars 24" wide with backsweep called "Boomerang" Bars!
FORKS:  Strikers and SenioRs (110mm & 125mm) are classics and will not be going anywhere they will however be offered with integrated crown races, integrated star nuts (threaded inserts) and will be heat treated 4130 chromoly along side the classic standard steel models.  All forks will start to come with a half inch shorter steerer tube to accommodate 3" (Baby) SCS builds with less modification!
WHEELS:  More colors, signatures and 125mm!
CLAMPS:  More colors!  Design will remain the same classic Knuckle!
DECKS:  New sizes of the Orion will be available and will be available in silver and black.  4"Wx20"L, 4.5"Wx21"L & 5"Wx22"L.  ALL decks will be peg compatible!  Signature decks with special dimensions and colors will be available as well!  All decks will still be 125mm compatible.
NECKS:  TDI Necks will be available standard and integrated, 81.5* and 83* and all neck geometry will allow for proper peg usage.  Necks will be available in Silver and Black.
BRAKES:  Dubb Step flex fenders will be made out of thinner guage stainless steel to allow for an easier flex and use larger 4mm hardware.  "Tri-Force" UBS brake mounts using 4mm hardware and "Press On" brake levers will be available for more compatible and customized braking setups.  125mm brakes will be available in all configurations.
PEGS:  "Slug" pegs will be available for use with all PROTO forks and decks.  Compatiblity with other brands will vary.
COMPLETES:  PROTO Complete Scooters available Winter 2012.
PACKAGING: We have been developing some pretty extensive packaging for all of our products to make distribution easier to control without damaging products on their way to you.  It also looks cool which has got to be a worlds first for scooter packaging.
We also have tons of small accessories and apparel in the works right now some of which may be released in 2012 some may wait til 2013: Wax, bar ends, bearings, headsets, grips, grip tape, socks, hats, beanies, hoodies, more stickers, more shirts, keychains, buttons and probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting.  You know, just everything you need to rep PROTO to the fullest!

Rumor has it of an additional wheel brand coming out, care to shed light on that?
That is correct.  We have another wheel brand "by PROTO scooters" coming out under TGE Distribution this year.  We decided that since the PROTO wheel was the first freestyle scooter specific wheel and is still regarded by most to be the best wheel in the industry there is absolutely no reason to change it.  I do, however, want to experiment more with different cores and compounds so we are forming a new brand to see if we can't take wheel technology to an even higher level without effecting the classic PROTO wheels.  It also allows us to bring on a new team of riders who are already on board to start a new signature wheel series.  The brand is called River Wheels and the goal is to keep you flowing... get it?  More info on this topic when it's not a PROTO interview.



What's up with the Proto team? It's slimmed down quite a bit and how do you feel about the newest addition Jackson Manzie?
Yea, we lost a few riders to various circumstances whether it be deciding other sponsors were a better fit, switching sports or simply not riding/filming anymore like they used to (which includes me).  Either way there is no bad blood and I'm still psyched they were part of PROTO.  I think it's just a natural evolution of life, business and sports... no team can stay the same forever or it gets boring.  The current team consists of:  Brandon Kilbury, Dylan Kasson, Elmer Ferrieras, Alex Steadman, Chema Cardenas and Jackson Manzie.  I am really hyped on the dudes who are still on the team though.  They are killing it harder than ever.  Jackson is currently the only Pro rider to get picked up since Catalyst and I couldn't be more amped to have him on the team.  He's one of the most stylish riders ever and he's connected with some of the best street dudes in Australia so I fully support him and their cause to bring street awareness down under!  He is currently working through a back injury and we have the clock ticking on the next video premiere already but I'm pretty confident if he takes care of himself and gets in front of that camera (Sony VX to be specific) you will not be disappointed with what you see.


Chema was living with you for 6 months helping in the warehouse and filming for his next part, how'd all that go?
Soooooo good.  I love Chema.  He is like a needle in a hay stack and PROTO was like a giant magnet that pulled him out without looking.  If you don't follow what I am saying, I mean there is no one else like him and he found US because he was drawn to what PROTO was doing and PROTO alone.  The relationship has been perfect.  It was a nightmare arranging his travel Visa to come to the United States because Mexico and the US don't exactly have the best relationship but it was completely worth it.  He was a great help at the shop, an amazing rider and a totally awesome dude to chill with at the end of the day.  He quickly became one of my best friends because we share the same passion and dedication.  His footage for the next video is definitely going to blow minds.  I personally am rooting for him to have last part in the next movie but last part in a video has to be earned and we have a few people really putting in work so it's anyones game right now.






How's Armageddon 2012 looking?  Any trips planned or a release date?
Everything I've seen so far is getting me extremely hyped to release the next video.  Basically the entire team is going to be in Southern California this summer finishing the DVD.  Dylan is in Australia right now with Jackson then both of them are flying to San Diego next month for two more months then Chema will be coming up from Mexico late June then were gonna get Elmer out here around the same time.  BK will be living out here in Los Angeles all summer anyways building rocket ships for some company because he is literally a rocket scientist in real life and Steadman lives close enough to drive from Arizona to be here whenever we get some filming trips going... which we will have a lot of this summer between San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City.  Some people have more footage than others so certain people are going to be on a pretty strict filming regimen this summer to complete their parts.  Regardless we will be renting out the Avo Theatre in downtown Vista, California on Friday, November 2, 2012 in the PROTO hometown for the premiere so mark your calendars because you will not want to miss it!

Is there any significance to the title?
I decided that if the world really did end in 2012 (armageddon, as "predicted" by the Mayan Indian's calander thousands of years ago) that I really wanted the PROTO series to be a trilogy because everyone knows all great films come in 3 parts.  Catalyst 2010 (the beginning), Intermission 2011 (the middle) and Armageddon 2012 (the end).  Intermission 2011 obviously did not happen due to circumstances with the business and the team last year but since it was intended to be more of an experimental film project based around scooters rather than a "traditional" riding video and they just discovered more Mayan calendars so it looks like the PROTO series will become a trilogy sooner than later, just a little out of order, before we move on to the next real video... if anyone wants to try to guess that name!


Proto started small and out of your pocket and is still ran that way basically, how hard is business not having a financial backer, especially when you see how large some of these other companies are?
It can be tough at times but I would never sacrifice the freedom and control I have with the company and the products by having partners or investors dictating what I should or shouldn't be doing.  That is what has allowed me to develop an entire line of products so extensively and branch out into distribution and other brands through TGE.  I focus on quality over quantity even if that means not making as much money as I could if I did certain things differently.  There are a lot of seriously awesome things I could be doing with products, designs, distribution, etc if I had more financial backing but I figure if I don't have the money to do it then I'm not ready to take that on until I figure out how to make the money with what I have established now to finance the next projects on my own.

Anything else you'd like to close with? Work Hard.  Ride Hard.  Chill Hard.  Press On.