"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.