Gave Up a 10-Year Sponsorship to Pursue Firearms (w/ Casey Starling)

Overview

Casey Starling talks with Rich about his life and his approach to both BMX and firearms.

Origin & Path in BMX

• Upbringing: Starling grew up in Rawway, New Jersey, first getting into riding through friends and local skate parks.
• Bike shop impact: Working at a bike shop helped fuel his BMX interest.
• Self-taught tricks: He describes most trick-learning as self-taught, driven by experimentation and a willingness to “send it.”
• Old-school practice method: When learning dangerous flips (e.g., flare/backflip 180), he used unconventional preparation like wearing multiple hoodies for padding.

Early Timeline & Mindset

• First riding: He started riding and pedaling a bike around age 10–11.
• Freestyle focus: Around 16–17, he shifted focus toward freestyle BMX.
• Motivation: He wasn’t originally chasing sponsorship—his drive was primarily passion and progression.

How He Got Discovered

Starling says his recognition came from a mix of:

• Networking and exposure
• Early Instagram posting, including weekly clips
• Strong performances at jams/local contests, where industry names may notice new talent

BMX Disciplines & Competitiveness

He breaks BMX into three main areas:

• Street (his focus)
• Park (double/triple tricks)
• Dirt (big gaps and trails)

He explains that the discipline you pursue heavily influences both style and competitive focus.

Learning Complex Tricks & Using Video Feedback

• Envelope mentality: He pushes challenging tricks with a “go big” mindset.
• A trick that took a long time: One trick started as a joking idea but took a long time to land—described as days across months, with multiple hours per attempt.
• Repeatability vs certainty: Even after landing, he treats performance as something that can be repeated—though not guaranteed—because results may depend on luck and conditions.
• Video review: He films and reviews to diagnose issues such as spacing and tire position, then adjusts accordingly.

Parallel Between BMX and Firearms Under Stress

Starling compares the mindset between the two:

• In BMX, once you enter a line/attempt, you must be fully committed—hesitation can lead to crashes.
• Rich connects this to firearms: being calculated and prepared, rather than worrying about legality or injury in the middle of an event.

Gear and Bike Setup

• Setup matters: He emphasizes that bike performance depends strongly on setup and geometry.
• Bike size effect: Smaller bikes are easier for technical maneuvering; longer bikes can feel more “floaty” for dirt jumps.
• Cost estimate: Specialized builds can run around $1,500–2,000+, depending on components.

How He Got Into Firearms

• Starling began shooting through a friend named James.
• He moved to Texas with James, who encouraged him to carry and introduced him to range time, sparking a lasting passion.

Sponsorship Conflict (Kink BMX)

• After producing more firearm-related content, Kink BMX (a sponsor for nearly 10 years) told him to slow down or separate the work.
• Eventually, he says he needed to part ways if he continued firearms content.
• His belief: the problem likely involved fear of backlash from a BMX-only audience and brand reputation risk.

Current BMX and Firearms Sponsorships

• BMX sponsors: Primo (parts), Vans (team), and Empire BMX (Austin-area shop)
• Firearms sponsors: He works with Walther
• He recently partnered with Guesley (about two weeks into the timeline discussed)

Shooting Gear Choice & Content Style

• Daily carry: He says he carries daily.
• Current firearm: He uses a Walther PDP Pro X, described as his main carry and the gun he’s spent the most time with.
• Content approach: His Walther affiliation is largely content-based, sharing range and BMX “crossover” experiences through social media.

Training Approach in Shooting

• Mostly self-taught
• Fundamentals were initially taught by his military-buddy friend
• Training is later supplemented via YouTube and continued range practice

Online Reactions to Firearms Content

He reports:

• A healthy mix of support and backlash
• Some criticism stems from unfamiliarity and from political polarization around guns

Iron Sights vs Red Dot

• He prefers a dot.
• Having used both irons and red dot setups, he explains that dots can make small presentation/grip errors more obvious—so consistency matters.

Injuries & Recovery

Starling mentions multiple setbacks:

• Knee injury: tearing his ACL and MCL in the same knee
• Broken thumb: including a story about falling in front of kids at an elementary school event
• Recovery support: he credits yoga, including specific knee-strength recovery work, with helping him return to riding

Closing

• He encourages viewers to find him on Instagram (@Casey Cast).
• He plans to release a new BMX YouTube video in late July/August, featuring trick compilations and travel clips (e.g., Spain, France, Germany).
• Rich and Casey end by expressing interest in meeting and possibly riding/shooting together.

Presenters / Sources Mentioned

• Rich (host)
• Casey Starling (guest)
• Points Taking Aim podcast (podcast/show)