"Humans produce more energy for their mass than the Sun! We just need to tap into that bio-energy and beating gasoline will be a breeze.  Biking is great. I would argue that in an urban setting biking is just a fast as driving (and you don't have to pay for parking). I'm really stoked to have won, and I hope more people start beating gasoline by biking."

Thanks,
Khiza Mazwi

Khiza Mazwi is the grand prize winner of Nike's Beat Gasoline contest.  Besides receiving his Nike 6.0 package which included a BMX bike, shoes, apparel, and a $1000 Global Gift Giving Card, he continued to share his enthusiasm for beating gasoline(read below).  With a response like that to an email congratulating him as the winner of Nike's Beat Gasoline contest, you know he deserved to win it all.

(Khiza posing with the star of the video)

Alright Khiza, the people want to know about your video and how you beat gasoline, but lets start with the basics.  Where are you from?  What are you doing?

I was born and raised in Zimbabwe, went to school in Botswana and am currently in my 3rd year at USC studying Chemical Engineering and Material Science.

You got a lot on your plate, yet you still had the time to put together a stellar video entry, tell us about the concept of the video.

Living in LA can get pretty hectic, with the traffic, sometimes it can take an hour to get somewhere 10 miles away.  I had originally bought a motorcycle which helped beat traffic but I was still heavily dependent on gasoline so I decided to use a bicycle as my primary mode of transport.  I wanted the video to be focused on the bicycle itself so all the shots are of the bike itself getting around Los Angeles.

It was a really modern type of video.  Almost like a music video, really fast, quick edits, it makes the viewers really feel what its like to pedal through the streets of Los Angeles.  What are some of the benefits of riding a bicycle in a big city?

I actually saw this chart online that compares different vehicles and their overall fuel usage.  The bike is the most efficient besides walking.  For one, a bike is a simple machine that doesn't require any fuel and very little maintenance.  You can get around just as fast as a car, you don't have to sit in traffic.  You don't have to pay for parking and you'll always be able to ride it directly where you're headed, you won't be in a parking lot two blocks away.  Of course, riding a bicycle is good for your health, you feel immediate effects when you start riding a bike everywhere, I feel more fit and I have more money in my pocket.  It's win/win.

And I imagine that you would get to see the nooks and crannies of the City that most people who were driving wouldn't notice.

Oh yeah most definitely, you really get to experience the city, see all the little things that you normally wouldn't pay attention to.

I also liked your track selection, what made you decide to go with The Strokes, it really set up a good vibe in the video.

Thats just the kind of music I'm into.  I thought it would go well, and I'm happy with the result.  I like rock n' roll music and I love bicycles, why not have them all at once.

Well Khiza, thank you again for participating in our Beat Gasoline Campaign and congratulations on winning the grand prize, did you get your new bike yet?

Yes, I received it earlier his week and I'm putting it together.  Thanks YouthNoise Play City and Nike for pimping my ride!  It couldn't have come at a better time, the bike that I used in the video just broke recently.  I just wanted to show something that I feel very strongly about and enjoy.  Thank you for the opportunity.

(Unpacking his brand new prize.)

(Already running into some security with his new ride.)

Thanks to Khiza and to everyone who participated in the Beat Gasoline Contest.  Just because the contest is over doesn't mean that we still can't keep beating gasoline.  Keep riding, walking, skating, hovering anywhere and everywhere to keep the movement alive.

Imagine going to the skate park and getting shown up by a 50 pound kid whose day job is learning cursive and multiplication tables. Meet third-grader Rene Serrano.  He may look small, but this 8-year old shredder from Venice, CA skates with the big boys.  He absolutely kills it at the skate park and recently used his skills to take home the runner-up prize in the YouthNoise/Nike-sponsored Beat Gasoline competition! 

How'd he get so good at such a young age?  Well, you have to understand that Rene, or Lil' Rene, as he's known at the skate park has already been skating for five years.  When he was three years old, his parents took him to Toys R Us.  Rene spotted a Spiderman skateboard, fell in love with it, and the rest...well the rest is history. Now, eight-years-old, Rene skates for Mainline Skate Shop, Push Grip Tape and Flow (Bones). He has already won a handful of contests in SoCal including the Red Bull 7 City Hustle where he beat out skaters from seven different hoods in LA and was the youngest winner in the contest.  One thing is clear: this super-grom is bound for big things in his future.

I had a chance to interview Rene about his skating and what it means to beat gasoline.  Check it out...

(1) Congrats on winning second place in the Beat Gasoline competition.  How did you feel when you heard the news?

I was very happy that I beat gasoline!!!

(2) Do you think kids and adults should try to cut down on their use of gasoline?

Yes, because it's too expensive, and it's better if you skate, or ride a bike, or walk.  It'sbetter for the world, healthier and safer.

(3) So you came in second in the Beat Gasoline competition because you rip at skating.  What is your favorite part about the sport?

Meeting new people and competing in contests.  But most important, you have to have fun, be humble and always help others.

(4) Being so good at such a young age, do you surprise older skaters when they see you bust out crazy tricks even though you're half their size?

Yes, all the time.  They just give me props and tell me to keep on skating.

(5) What are the tricks that people are most surprised about when you bust them out?

Pressure hard-flip,and front side 360. 

(6) What about your favorite skaters?  Are there any pros you look up to?

 Austin Seaholme and P-rod

(7) Any shoutouts to your family friends or people who have helped you along the way?

First, I have to thank God, my parents and all my sponsors for supporting me and believing in me...and a special shoutout to all my friends that I skate with from different skate parks. 

Cool.  Thanks for the interview and keep it up!

The beat gasoline contest ends tomorrow! This is your last chance to show us and the world how you use human power to BEAT GASOLINE!

I found a new favorite BG method: THE HUMAN CAR!  Almost ready to be released on the market, says humancar.com It is a car that works just like Fred Flinstone's!

Invented by Charles Greenwood, the Human Car is made entirely out of recycled plastics, this car can go up to 60mph just on human power. Rowing handles produce electricity that fuels the car forward.  If you get tired, you can have an electric motor take over.

Oh an get this! It stores the electricity that it creates, and then works as a mobile power station!  

I can't wait until we are all driving these! Yabba-Dabba-Doo!!! 

The summer in Miami is HOT! (and I don't just mean in the sexy way).  For a bicycle commuter, like myself, getting around in the sizzling summer sun can be brutal sometimes, so I decided to research some alternative ways to still BEAT GAS without beating myself up too much....

What I found is the newest addition to my Birthday/Christmas wish list:

THE VELOMOBILE 

photo credit: VMUSA 

The Velomobile looks like a buggy form the future.  It is a pedal powered convertible that goes much faster than a regular bicycle.  They are used in The Netherlands for commuting, touring, and racing. I contacted the company to find out more about how it works and if it would really be practical in the Miami summer sun.   David, from Velomobile USA gave me the facts. 

The Velomobile has a cockpit cover which can shield you from direct sun, rain, and cold weather.  You can unzip the cover to any degree to control the amount of air flowing through. He tells me that in West Texas, where the USA headquarters are located, you get enough circulation around your body to keep from getting too hot.  The airflow comes through a hole by your heels and flows upward.  When the hole is closed, your body heat and the cover provide enough warmth to ride comfortably in below-freezing conditions!

Other cool benefits that he mentioned: 

-Great baggage capacity

-Easily seen by cars

-Offers crash protection

-Good Mileage, 20 miles per banana! 

-Comfortable recumbent seat. 

-Bike for 365 days a year 

AND it goes FAST:

If you haven't entered the BEAT GASOLINE contest, you still have time!!! Hurry and submit something by August 15 and inspire other people to do the same.

I had been telling my girlfriend about the Beat Gasoline contest a bunch lately, and so when it came time for my birthday recently, she told me to put my money where my mouth is and decided to buy me a new bike.  Awesome!! I'm pretty stoked on it and made a pledge to ride to work at least three times a week in my effort to beat gasoline.

                     My new bike!!!!!

The whole thing got me thinking, what are some other birthday presents that would be pretty cool to help beat gasoline.  I came up with a few ideas below and did pros and cons for each one.  While many of the others were great presents too, on balance, I'm glad I got a bike.

Skateboard. 

Pros: Convenient.  Take it anywhere.  Makes you look cool (so long as you remember to take that bow off first)

Cons: Not as effecient as a bike. Difficult to get up curbs. Crotchety old shopkeepers will think you're up to no good. 

Hot Air Balloon

Pros:  When you arrive at school in this thing, you will pretty much be the awesomest kid in school.

Cons: You don't really have much control over where you land.  Power lines can also be kind of iffy...

Segway

Pros: Doesn't use gas.  Off road capabilities. If you glue your feet to the machine, you can pretend you are a cyborg. 

Cons: Still uses electricity, which is made from coal and other fossil fuels. You'd have to be an idiot to try taking one of these things offroad. If you glue your feet to the machine and pretend you are a cyborg everyone will probably laugh at you until you cry.

Pony

Pros:  Doesn't require gasoline. Eats hay. Is magical.

Cons: Very expensive. Bad breath. Poops a lot.