"It's on the right."
"No, on the left."
"It has to be there, look at the street sign: Park road."
You have to know that Massias, although an excellent photographer, as you can see in these pages, has the annoying tendency, since his childhood days, to confuse left and right.  Not very practical !
That's why , following two hours of driving from Los Angeles, we had so much difficulty finding the Fullerton track, where Mike Miranda was waiting for us, wearing a big grin while sitting on his huge Chevy.
In the end, we only had to log 70 miles to go from Hollywood... to "Hollywood"

Miranda. For your enjoyment, he offered us a totally cosmo photo session and a one-of-a-kind interview. You are invited to taste it all, you lucky devils; pages that would make American magazines green with envy. A funny guy, Mike exhibits the hilarious face of a man that does not have any problems.

Mike, why don't you tell us where this Hollywood nickname comes from ?
Simply said, it's the World's capital of cinema, showbiz, entertainment.
Does this mean that your life is a permanent show ?
In a way, yes.  My life is a show, a continuous series of " tricks " and that suits me fine.
How long have you been racing ?
I've been at it for eight years, three of them as a Pro.
Do you plan to race for a long time ?

Of course.  I plan to be there for ten more years.
How old are you ?
I'm only 21 years old.
Has racing become difficult here in the USA ?
Yes, quite a bit, but I nevertheless added good showings in big races to my track record.  For example, I finished third in Tulsa, OK, last week.  I can do better. I have to benchmark myself against all the others.  I'd like to win the World Cup again.
And Bercy (France) ?
So Rad.  Incredible. The French are really wild, completely nuts.  I've never seen people so passionate about bmx.

So you wish to return to France ?
Tomorrow, if you ask me.  Say, why don't i go back with you !
Note it on your calendar, this year's event is on November 24th.
You can count on me.
In the States there are three sanctioning bodies.  Which one do you prefer ?
NBL, of course. Each race is quite an event.
In the ABA, the pace is not as cool, you are constantly on your toes.
As for the third and most recent body, the USBA, I've only been to one of their races.
Why did you leave Torker for Hutch ?
In all honesty, I could not continue any more with Steve Johnson, the boss at Torker.  There was, like

one says, mutual incompatibility.  When Mike McLaughlin was team manager, there was no problem. He knew how to give us freedom while keeping us motivated, and he got us to pedal and train.   Everyone at Torker, including Steve, knew that I would leave at the end of 1984.
Had you started making contacts with potential sponsors much earlier ?
Of course, and that's normal.  I called various teams: CW, Hutch, and Redline among others, to let them know that I would be available at the end of the season.
And then what happened ?
Well, once the NBL season was completed, Steve called me at home to tell me that since the big events were over and he did not need my services anymore, he was willing to let me go sooner than our contractual agreement.

A nice gesture on his part.
And what came next ?
I enjoyed freedom once again and decided to wait a while before announcing that I was not part of the Torker Factory team anymore.  I took the opportunity to have some good time and rest for a few days.  I only called Hutch and Redline after that break.   I let them know about what I was interested in and Hutch agreed.
Why not Redline ?
Hutch made the best proposal, dollar-wise of course, but in other areas as well such as promotion.
What is the main difference for you ?
At Hutch, I'm part of the family, along with other riders. They treat me as I wish to be treated: a

partner, a pro, someone to be respected.  And they decided to motivate me psychologically to help me reach personal goals.
You look quite strong, how did you get all these muscles ?
I ride for hours every day, that's the secret.  I want to further improve. I have a piece of land and a tractor.  I'll even tell you that I sometimes run at night (in cooler weather) to lose weight.
Why aren't you already the best racer ?
Of course, I know that some say "Miranda, he has ups and downs."  That's true, but do you know someone that's the best, every day ? I don't.  I won big events, I felt great on those days, for me and Torker.  Well now, I  feel even stronger, I've got much confidence in myself.  Everything contributes towards that.  I've been with Hutch for only five months and there is already a bike model carrying my name.  I always dreamed of that, but never had it until now.  But that's not all, I've got freedom, they have trust in me.  They gave me a credit card that I use for work-related expenses.

That's fantastic
It's great, I pay for gas, travel expenses and the likes, if they are justified of course.
Is your new bike as exciting as your contract ?
At least as much.  The main difference is weight. Is it perhaps because I feel more at home on it, but I seem to make less mistakes than with the Torker.
All this is fine but how are you and fellow Hutch team member Tim Judge handling each other? You seem to be as different as day and night.  You never stop joking whereas he appears serious cool, calm ?
Everything is great between us two.  We are very different, but perfectly complementary.  He can speak to me about my mother, I'll speak to him about his grandmother, if it comes to that

(laughters). Tim and I are part of the Hutch crew, the same family.
It is financially rewarding for Mike Miranda to be pro ?
Right on !
You mean truck loads of dollars ?
We can't exagerate, but I have enough to support my girlfriend and parents.  And it's not over.  I hope to make much more this year.
Do you have projects outside of bmx ?
I'd like to get a nice fishing boat; I really enjoy fishing. That connects me, that rests me, and I like fish.
What will you do once your racing career is over ?
If I have enough money piled up,  what I would like most would be to simply retire (laughters).
Do you believe it is possible to pile up enough money by simply pedalling ?
In my opinion, it is possible if you invest wisely.  I can only say what I wish, one will see how events evolve.

What is your goal when racing ?
The main thing is to be acclaimed by the public when I'm at the track.  I don't really care if I win, crash or loop out, what is important to me is to be the crowd favorite.  Of course I prefer to be first at the finish line and the one that wins on points, but otherwise the number on my "business card" is irrelevent to me. The only numbers I care about are those in my bank account, when they rise (he laughs again, in fact everything turns into laughters for   "Hollywood ").
What is your temper like ?
I like to have a good time, and I can have some anywhere, whatever the circumstances. This is a strength.
Give us your secret.

I joke all the time. I like fun stuff, cheerfulness.
However, some of your fellow racers are not that funny ?
This is true.  But I think that on the track, those which I regard as my friends are part of a big bunch of pals. On the other hand, it's true that some are quite uptight.
What is your take about this ?
By now, I have travelled enough with most of the top pros to be able to say that some do not even deserve to be called humans. You'd think they come from a different planet.  I know that everyone is different and that everybody cannot like everybody (laughters), but these guys do not make the shade of an effort. They think: "I am like I am, that's it.  I can be liked or disliked".  I am in no way like that.  I at least try to make people laugh, to make them happy.  If they like me it is great, if not, I make twice the effort so that they will.  I need to see others as happy as I am.

Do you do other sports ?
No, not anymore.  I used to play baseball.  But I must tell you, yesterday I bought a MX bike from a crazy dude that desperately wanted to sell it… for a low price.
Which personalities do you admire ?
"Kings ".  Whatever their field.
Doctor Miranda, this is for a consultation.  What advice would you give to a kid that only thinks about racing and dreams of victories ?

To have a correct behavior, a "good attitude", you know what I mean ?  It is necessary that the kid be happy and strong in his head.  He must know that he will sometimes lose and that he will have to face it.  The next race, he will win.

That was the lesson of Professor "Hollywood".  Got that, kids ?   Don't be surprised anymore that life look rosey to him.  This young man has serious attributes.