A compelling documentary that takes a look at the challenges, injuries, obstacles and defeats Bereman overcame to become a gold medal winning X Games rider.
The House That Built Me is our new documentary about Tyler. The film highlights his small-town origins in Templeton, on the Central Coast of California, where he grew up surrounded by bikes. A lethal combination of style, speed, and the most precise bit of technical prowess, all baked in to produce the well-rounded athlete that Tyler is today.
The story of Tyler is one about acceptance, in a sense. He keeps an open mind, and he’s full of passion for everything that involves being on two wheels. As a former supercross racer who pivoted to free riding, Tyler’s covered all his bases. Whether it was as a member of The Salinas Ramblers Motorcycle Club or while flying toward an X Games gold medal, he likes to hit big jumps and has one of the best motocross whips in the game, and he does not limit himself to one style of riding. Don’t believe us? Watch the film below.
Whether it’s flat track racing with his dad or hanging out at Day In The Dirt, Tyler’s always the one in the pits, enjoying himself and making the most of every moment.
And while Tyler realizes there’s an inherent risk every time he hops on a motorcycle, he feels that it’s outweighed by its rewards. “You can’t put those feelings into words,” he says. “That’s why I do what I do, for these feelings. It makes me feel alive.”
But he didn’t do it all on his own. Tyler’s grandfather and father poured their lives into his success. And it’s under their watchful eye that Tyler has become a name in every moto conversation.
Featuring interviews with Tyler’s family and industry legends like Robbie Maddison and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg, The House That Built Me unearths who he really is and all the people and events that have shaped him along the way which are discussed in this weeks, “Behind The Action.”
AST: When did the idea and a desire to create this documentary start?
TB: As a kid, we used to ride in the river wash behind 805 Brewery and we used to get kicked out from the parking lot because we weren’t allowed to park behind the building. Then ironically, years later, they became a sponsor of mine and we began a nice collaboration in my career. About two and a half years ago, we started to turn this into a documentary about me. But, as we continued down this path, the more we dug into my life and career, the stories grew into more and then the archival footage started to come in and before we knew it, we had a two hour movie that we had to cut down into an hour. You really begin to see the career in a different perspective when you get the time to sit and reflect on it, and tell the story. Beyond that, you remember things that you may have forgotten when you share the story with others or hear others share their stories about you. We wanted to make sure that the story we told, had everything in it. “805” means everything to me. It’s my area code. It’s my hometown. It’s who we are and what makes up where I grew up.
AST: As you went through the process of telling the stories, did you enjoy the reflection or did you find yourself having moments of personal introspection that made you wish you had made a different move in your career?
TB: Honestly, both. It was a huge full circle for me to relive much of my early career. It brings you back to the racing days, the injuries and other “what if” moments in the early days. But the “what if” occurs in everyday life. There is nothing you can do. You have to grow from it. You cannot change it. But it has made me the person I am today. The film definitely helped me to realize that I did it my way rather than having someone pick the path for me and I would rather it be that way. It was such a satisfying process. It was a long process, but it really was a great experience.
AST: Was there a story that was brought back to life that you found was the catalyst or turning point in your career more than others?
TB: Reflecting on the injuries was where I found the turn in my career occurred. I struggled to get back healthy after the racing injuries. So many injuries just lingered. Racing was my dream, it was my life goal. FMX was just something to do on the side to have fun, but to watch how the dream of racing ended with injuries and to watch the bloom of a new dream in FMX allowing me to still ride and see the world on a dirt bike was super personal to me and amazing to watch it captured in a way that I could share that story.
AST: Now that you have established yourself as one of the top FMX and moto freeride athletes in the world along with putting your own voice into the sport, where do you see you can still continue to add and progress the sport?
TB: Creating a platform for freeriding and FMX has been super rewarding to me. I want to be able to leave a legacy for the next generation to want to continue the sport. There wasn’t much of a platform for freeride before I created “Imagination.” FMX doesn’t always have to be about the massive trick. Creativity is what the sport needed and I wanted to find a path to encourage others to showcase the creativity. We have found places to take dirt bikes beyond the dirt. It is all about creativity and finding a lane that has multiple exits and on ramps to continue to grow the sport in ways not thought about yet.
AST: As you were able to help shape this story about you, what was the one message you wanted to viewer to come away with?
TB: I wanted them to know that no dream is too big. Never ever give up on a dream. There were times I was beaten down bruised and battered and you want to give up, but I never did and I created a life even beyond what I had dreamed about. The sport has given me so much and I want to give back to it. Love what you do, and never give up.
