Charles Deschamps from the Taz

I've seen Charles Deschamps around the Eastern scene for quite a few years now. I didn't really get to talk much with him until the Ten Pack Am at Muskoka Woods a few years ago. It was there that I learned that he's a cool guy who shreds on a bike. He's working at the new Taz now so I figured I'd ask him a few questions about the park before we get there with the MacNeil team on Wednesday June 10th. It's amazing that they've been able to build such a big and crazy park. With all they have planned for the future, I'm pretty sure there will be a lot more road trips to Montreal for both Canadian and American riders in the next few years.

Check the video Charles was cool enough to film and edit for the interview.

Charles Deschamps - BMX - TAZ Montreal 2009 from Guillaume Latrompette on Vimeo.

How long has the Taz been in business?
The Taz open 1996 and use to be in downtown Montreal, 55,000 people were riding it in the last year! In 2001, the government was in need of the building so we had to move...We've been working very hard and for very long to finally re-open in March 2009. It was worth the wait. Now Montreal has the biggest indoor park in Canada!

Are all the old Taz people still involved?
Yes it's pretty much the same people who run it and we try to keep it in the same vibe. A safe place to push riding to a new level.

The park looks huge How many square feet is it?
The indoor park is 31,000 feet square, it's perfect to fit in all the best ramps. We have a box jump, street spine, mini spine, bowl, a nice street section, hips and much more stuff!! And it's not ready yet but we do have 75,000 square feet to build some outdoor stuff. I am talking about dirt jump, bike plaza and some surprises!!!

Have any other pro teams been to the park before us?
MacNeil is the first pro team coming to the Taz and everybody has been waiting for it for a long time! Some pros come on a regular basis, we do have a Bike Jam every last Saturday of the month with bike parts for the riders and $100 for the best trick of the night! For the middle of October we are preparing a pretty cool contest, check it out on www.taz.ca

How long have you been riding?
I am 21 and I have been riding for 10 years (1987).